Bringing Chin Woo to the alps: from modest beginnings, he is today the founder and President of the Chin Woo Kung Fu Centres in Switzerland. Chow Kok Yeng shares his experiences, challenges and the philosophy of life.
| Auteur | Kwok, Christina |
| Fonction | Malaysia Special |
Chow Kok Yeng arrived in Switzerland about 33 years ago, in April 1971. He was 21 then. With USD 100 in his pocket, he had dreamt of seeing the world, and had figured out the cheapest way to do it as well. When he first set sail from Penang (Malaysia) on a ship heading to Chennai (then known as Madras in India), little did he know that his journey to Switzerland would be so interesting.
From India, Chow travelled through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey--unstable regions of turbulence, border disputes, ethnic and tribal clashes and a locus of terrorist activities, narcotics and arms smuggling. From Istanbul, he made it to Greece and Italy, hitchhiking at times. Finally, he arrived in Zurich on 28 April, where he had heard of the YMCA Hostel in Wollishofen.
Modest Existence
Soon enough, Chow got a job that entailed dish washing at an Italian pizzeria. He worked here for four years and then graduated on to become a draftsman at Asea-Brown Boveri AG. Chow was now certain he wanted to stay on in Switzerland. The beauty of nature all around him and the efficiency and clockwork reliability of the Swiss system enthralled him.
But thoughts of his native land crossed his mind frequently. He also wanted to keep up his Kung Fu practice for which he had received training for over 10 years in Ipoh (Malaysia), and had become an assistant instructor. So after work hours at ABB, Chow decided to rent a hall in the evenings at the gymnasium of Raemibuehl, ZH where he got together with friends and colleagues to practice martial arts.
Moving On
Starting with seven students, he soon found himself training 20 a year later.
In 1978, Chow returned to Ipoh to apply for official permission to teach Chin Woo Kung Fu in Switzerland. He returned to open his first training centre in Oerlikon, which was relocated in 1992 to its current location at Badenerstrasse.
"I realised the importance of integrating successfully into Swiss society if I were to fulfil my dream of making Switzerland home and teaching Kung Fu here. So I applied myself diligently to learning the local dialect as well as understanding the Swiss culture and way of life. My wife, Sylvia, who I first met at the Mascotte Disco in Bellevue and later married in 1974, has been a solid anchor--supporting and constantly encouraging me in this respect," says Chow.
Chin Woo Kung Fu
A charming and friendly person, Chow's gentleness and soft-spoken voice, belie the tough mettle of steel in his lithe physique...
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