Instructor Profile
(International Wing Chun Martial Art - Indonesia)
Febry Suhartono started his journey in the martial art world when he's in elementery school. His grandfather teach him a little bit of kuntao and shaolin. He only get a few basic things. He was amazed how his grandfather can make a hole in a tree using a staff, the tree were penetrated from one side to the other just by one hit using one hand. That experience makes Febry want to be as god as his grandfather and the one that open a new door to the world of martial art for him.After learning the basics from his grandfather, he learn sanda (wushu), shaolin, taekwondo and karate. Because of his young age, he thinks that sanda (wushu) is alot more fun and more effective than classic kung fu (due to lack of understanding), because there's full contact sparring and competition. So he decided only to train sanda for sport. After a while he stop training in martial art.
And then, a few years later he read about bruce lee, how he created jun fan kickboxing and jeet kune do. And how much bruce lee's style affected by Wing Chun. He try to look for someone who can teach him Wing Chun, but at that time he didn't get any information. Because he can't find anybody who can teach him wing chun, he start training taekwondo and silat and wushu. And that didn't last too long also and he quit again.
In 1996, Febry start training shaolin kung fu which lead him to Mr. Steven Kuncoro that train wushu at atma jaya. In one ocation, a sanda tournament, Mr. Steven introduce Febry to Mr. Rudy Wijaya, a national wushu trainer. In 1998, suddenly Febry remember about Wing Chun, so he start asking around. Mr Steven and Mr Rudy direct Febry to one person that they know able to teach Wing Chun. They told Febry that the Wing Chun trainer is already old but his hand is very fast. It tooks Febry 4 months until he finally come to the Wing Chun trainer.
That Wing Chun trainer is Shifu Kang Sin Sin. So Febry start to train Wing Chun from Shifu Kang.
Febry will always remember his first 2 days in wing chun training. In day one, Shifu Kang ask Febry to do the wing chun punch for 2 hours. And in day two, he ask Febry to do punch and pak sau for 2 hours. Febry will surely remember that kind of practice especially on his first two day training in wing chun.
After a few years learning Wing Chun, Febry ask Shifu Kang's permission to learn sanda, boxing and brazillian jiu-jitsu. At that time Shifu Kang is very strict about his student learning other style of martial art or self defence, but after a few months finally Febry got the permission. He might be the first student of Shifu Kang that got permission to learn other style. So Febry start to learn sanda from his Sigung, Alexander Edward Marentek, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu from Ivan Hudyana (now under Universal Grappling), and boxing from Kuniaki Shibata.
In 2003 Febry got his Wing Chun certificate from Shifu Kang (which he forgot where he put it). =P
After that, Febry's life and works demanded him to travel to other countries. Which brought him to studied for a short term of BJJ from Eddie Bravo, Roy Harris and Michael Jen, JKD from Paul Vunak and Dan Inosanto, Krav Maga from Itai, etc.
All of that learning processes makes Febry has more understanding about wing chun and he also adopted techniques and concepts from other martial arts and/or sports to his wing chun. When he share his knowledge, he always share 2 things on Wing Chun: first is what he got from Shifu Kang and second is what he has learned from his learning processes.
Shifu Kang always remind Febry about Wing Chun is never fight force with force, Wing Chun fight force with softness/gentleness. So up to this day Febry keep trying to get that concept within his WIng Chun and his life.
Right now, Febry mainly practicing Wing Chun and BJJ.