Alex Richter shows Wing Tsun forms at his kung fuschool "City Wing Tsun" in New York, the United States, July 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] |
Hidden in the midtown of bustling New York City is "City Wing Tsun". This is Alex Richter's kung fuschool which features, as the name suggests, Wing Tsun, a Hong-Kong style martial art. As a native-born American kid, Richter was hugely influenced by the martial art films star Bruce Lee. His love towards kung fu, especially Wing Tsun, which Bruce Lee learned as a teenager, has been with him ever since.
Richter started to learn Wing Tsun at the age of 15 in Seattle area in the United States. At age 19, Richter shipped himself to Germany for Wing Tsun training for several years. In 2002, he rented a small dance studio and started his career as a martial art instructor in New York. At the beginning, he had only 15 students. Step by step, he now has over 400 students.
"Kung fu is part of my life now, it influences the way you look at everything," he said. "It is not only about fist fighting." Richter has also improved his training curriculum to maximize the benefits for all students. He builds up records for all his students. Richter is also documenting the old stories of martial artists, hoping he can get them published in the future.