Dear Zhang Shifu,
Time passes so fast and so it’s already 9 months ago, that we first met, I still remember how much I struggled in the beginning to understand what I should do and how the concept works.
To be completely honest with you, I hasted it in the beginning because while everybody seems to get it more and more, I seemed to make no progress at all.
Then my training ended with we getting sick. But that didn’t stop you from helping me, bring me herbs and assisting me with your knowledge.
And so after recovering and with you, Tunde and John help as well as with a lot of extra practice happens at night, I slowly got to understand and like Wing Chun even if it was still giving me a hard time which after make me thinking about switching to Shao Lin Kung Fu.
The reason I stayed that was you, I was you showing me humor and joy while teaching, it was you caring about the people around you and it was you sticking to your values even passing them forward to us, your students.
To make it short, it was you being a good human being that helped me in Wing Chun, it was you becoming more than a teacher and more than a Shi Fu to me, Youbecome a friend who I could come too, to receive help and advice, with whom I could laugh and drink tea with and who taught me how to be a better human being day by day. Thank you so much for everything you gave for me.
Just a few words about to my gift: As you bought a new car I thought a keychain would be a nice gift for you and as the plum blossom is an important symbol in the Wing Chun culture, I think it fits you very well.
Everything from the wooden piece to the leather is hand made and customized so that it fits you best.
Therefore, it’s just a unique as you are.
Kindly regard from your student and lifelong friend from Italy,