Kung Fu Fighting

A former student of Bruce Lee’s mentor, martial artist Pablo Cardenas is keen to bring the art of Wing Chun Kung Fu to the masses.

Owner of the United Martial Arts & Fitness (former North Queensland Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy), Pablo Cardenas was taught by Grandmaster William Cheung, one of the few people who trained Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee considered William Cheung the “ultimate fighter” and he is commonly referred to as the masters’ master. Cheung set the world record for speed punching – 8.3 punches per second and has been recognised with many international hall of fame awards. He was also appointed an ambassador of peace by the United Nations.

William did not reveal much about his legendary student to Pablo, saying only that Bruce Lee was “good for his weight division”.

“It was the Wing Chun Kung Fu system Bruce Lee made famous in western society,” Pablo says. However, Pablo is quick to point out there is much more to the Wing Chung Kung Fu system than fly-kicking through the air. Students are trained in a style of self-defence that empowers them to handle themselves in real-life situations. Pablo has had years of experience in the art and sitting comfortably in his lounge chair he reminisces about the old days in Melbourne. “The suburb we used to live in was a rough area and the actual style of Wing Chun Kung Fu was good for it,” he says.

Pablo’s academy promotes self-control, the confidence to socialise in a group, trust in your training partner, respect and discipline. The academy does not have any casual classes because it believes in pushing the individual’s physical and mental ability.

“We want commitment,” Pablo says. “If you cannot give commitment, it just says you do not have the discipline to continue.”

Looking at Pablo, it appears that standing at 165cm tall, he does not have the height and build you would normally expect of a stereotypical tournament fighter. However, that is the beauty of Wing Chun Kung Fu system, which was developed to help the average person defend themselves against bigger opponents.

When it comes to defence, the father of six stresses the importance of being an “expensive target”. He explains this as being a difficult target for the predator, to be more aware of your surroundings by doing things like turning down the music while you jog or running with a partner.

“It is unfortunate we have to change the way we do things because of the threats out there but, unfortunately, this is today’s reality,” Pablo says.

“At the academy students invest in a self-defence system they can rely on. There is nothing worse than learning martial arts for 12 months but, as soon as something happens, you fall apart.”

Now in its seventh year of operation, the academy has more than 100 students. Like Bruce Lee, Pablo is intent on spreading the popularity of the art of Wing Chun Kung Fu.

“It is a great way to stay fit and healthy while learning some basic moves if you are in an unsafe situation,” he says.