News 03/12/06
Marcon 03/12/06: Sifu N.Nastasi and Sifu M.Fries together once again.
A unique event in history, a great proof of humility and honor, the determination and love for a martial art that pushes a man to put aside his pride and his “splendid” past of martial artist and to start again with the only thing that a man will never quit with… to learn!!
It just happened Sunday 3rd December in Marcon (Venice), at a seminar of the WTFA organized by Instructors Antonio Dell’Anna and Mauro Vian in which Sifu Nastasi had the great pleasure to meet again, after years, his first Sifu: one true martial artist of our days and of our country, master Michael Fries.
Of course the seminar it self has been of crucial importance for the WTFA family, since many students of north and south Italy, not to mention Germany took part.
The presence of Sifu Fries gave a great contribution to the motivation of each student, since during the seminar he announced his intention to become Todai of Sifu Nastasi, having found a technical maturity in him that he never expected, as well as an enthusiasm and a determination that he appreciate and transmits to his students .
Everybody were surprised of so much humility, and almost incredulous have welcomed with open arms this piece of WT history that since today belongs to their family and will from now on give his contribution with his experience and his charisma to spread the wing tsun of Sifu Nunzio Nastasi that he finds simply “Genial”.
Interview with Sifu M. Fries
Sifu Fries, you don’t need any presentation nor publicity, I would like now to ask you some questions:
1) Concerning what happened in your Martial Artists life since a few years until now, can you tell us how a man could still be such humble and willing to prove himself and find out that he has still something to learn after a carrier such as yours for what many people would feel satisfied and in a certain way “arrived”?
Sifu M.Fries: I’m 54 years old and I practice Wing Tsun since 30, if I would believe I’m done what will I do for the next 30 years? I don’t want to prove anything to myself, 5 years ago there was cars that worked good, now you have cars that go even better, so if it’s possible, I buy a new car, that’s it. I’ve got a lot of experience, but that doesn’t mean I know everything that could be known. But I want to know everything and if this life won’t be enough, well, I’ll wait the next one!
Wing Tsun is my life, my love and my passion, why not to improve it and get better.
2) Can you tell us briefly about your feelings and impressions when you felt the need to make this research that in hand brought you to the Wing Chun environment in Italy until your meeting with Sifu Nunzio Nastasi?
Sifu M.Fries: Last year, I left the European Wing Tsun Organization for personal reasons after almost 30 years. I was unhappy to leave but I decided not to tolerate some behaviour anymore.
I spent the whole 2006, travelling around collecting information and evaluating the Wing Tsun situation in Italy which I found bad results.
A lot of teachers have no idea of what really matters in Wing Tsun, which in a sense is Mind, Body and Spirit which come together always as a whole. Actually one that has these gifts is Sifu Nunzio Nastasi.
3) It would be interesting if you could picture us, humanly and not technically, your friendship with Sifu Nunzio since you know each other (it was eighties I guess) until this sensational cooperation.
Sifu M.Fries: Nunzio Nastasi, ex student and friend, great horse of race, has started with Wing Tsun in 1979 with GM Leung Ting. I met Nunzio in 1986 in Livorno and since then we have worked together until 2001 when he unfortunately left the organization (a great and useless loss for them).
Nunzio wasn’t only a common student, he always behaved as a son to me, with healthy principles.
Even when he hosted me at his house in Gela Sicily our relationship was really a “Father and Son” Relationship.
I called Nunzio mid to November 06, after 5 years with no contact, and he answered the phone saying “SIFU (wing tsun Father) how are you?” ….many of ex student (children) of mine in Italy have forgotten the years spent together, but not Nunzio.
Concerning our cooperation; it’s pretty simple: I am a father that is still young and my son is a extraordinary WING TSUN teacher, so I decided to learn from him and start over again with a good basement of 30 years of WT.
4) What inspired you in accepting Sifu Nastasi WING TSUN to make this important step, that surely require a great courage, considering your name and what you represented and still represent in the world of Martial Arts generally and in Wing Tsun specifically.
Sifu M.Fries: Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd December I saw Nunzios WING TSUN for the first time after 5 years, I did just a few things with him but enough to understand a great gap in quality between him and many other teacher I have touched hands with during my research.
His Teaching has extraordinary didactics and logics; now, I don’t need a teacher that want to prove me that his better than me, I need a teacher that, after 30 years can stimulate me with his skills and his superiority, and again, I found Nunzio have both.
I don’t want to quit this interview without mention and thank another son that follow me since 17 years, Giancarlo Fazio, he arranged for me the meeting with Nunzio and also decided to follow me once again in my new path.
Interviewer: Sifu Fries thanks for your attention and kindness, we wish you a lot of success and happiness in this new path that you have decided to follow, it will be surely an experience that will enrich you and those that have the luck to walk with you. Good Bye
Sifu M.Fries: Good bye dear.