Martial Arts Illustrated Interviews Mark Strange 1992
This article was first published by Martial Arts Illustrated in the June 1992 issue.
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At the age of eighteen, Sifu Mark Strange is proving to be a formidable martial artist with the potential to go a long way. Not only has he developed his own comprehensive system of kung fu, namely Lin Wan, but he is also a successful face in competition, as well as leading his own unique Lin Wan Knights tournament squad, who are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on the national circuits. More recently, he has gone one step further in his martial career by opening his own full-time gym, the Leyland Martial Arts Academy, providing a U.K. base for Lin Wan Kung Fu, and already it is attracting quite a dedicated following.
As far as achievements go, Mark has done exceptionally well considering his age and circumstances, but it's not been without sacrifice. Only those who really know him have witnessed the hard work, the adversity he has faced and the extraordinary effort to get this far. And still, after all the past problems and struggles, he has emerged a better man; not just in skills but in attitude, and has managed to retain a sense of humour that could easily put a comic out of a job!
Since Lin Wan's formation and Mark's arrival on the national tournament circuit, both the system and the young man himself have been regarded both with interest and suspicion.
And, yet, during this time, Mark has remained open and approachable, working hard to achieve and prove his worth, despite rumours in the martial hierarchy which painted differing pictures of his character. Said Mark, People still look at me with doubt when they discover that I have my own system of kung fu. For me, it was just a natural progression; the time was right. It proved to be a huge challenge and only now, after over two years, is it receiving acceptance and recognition. All my time and effort has gone into developing the system. It is a fairly comprehensive style and it seems to be growing in popularity, especially now that we have our own U.K. base."
Lin Wan is affiliated to Derek Frearson's British Taijiquan and Shaolin Wushu Association, where Mark continues to study and add to his knowledge of the Chinese arts. Mark continues, "I don't consider myself to be special because I have my own system of kung fu. Although it's my own, I still actually grade under the auspices of Derek Frearson and am currently working for my second degree black sash. I attend other classes and seminars to improve my own skills and have trained in a variety of styles. I don't see myself as being any better or bigger or more superior because of Lin Wan. I'm just an ordinary guy, an instructor and kung fu practitioner who is still working for improvements. I shall always be working to improve and learn. That is the way. There's no room for attitude Problems."
The Lin Wan system is a healthy combination of Northern and Southern styles of kung fu. It is quite an accommodating system which appeals to all ages and abilities. It encompasses the traditional as easily as the modern side of the art, providing a flexible approach to training. The traditional side provides a comprehensive syllabus. The training offers Chinese style work-out, effective self-defence, traditional free-fighting and technical application. Forms, both empty hand and weaponry, are also quite prominent in the style. The modern aspect works on semi-contact: continuous sparring, forms and display work, with the emphasis on competition training.
The development of the Lin Wan system has virtually been a full time occupation of Mark's since leaving school. Despite early upsets and struggles, he has quietly battled on and is one of the few who has dedicated himself to the martial arts. For Mark, kung fu is a way of life, twenty-four-hours a day, every day of the year. To open his own training academy, he has made great sacrifices. He takes no income; only enough for food and basic living expenses. His reward is in seeing his students improve and succeed and, for the moment, that is enough. "It would be nice to earn a decent wage. I could have taken a normal job, but I chose this way. I might never have any money, but it's not important at the moment. As long as the rent is paid on the gym and as long as I've a bit left over to keep me at a steady 75 kilos, then that's enough! Anyway, success shouldn't be measured in material gains. Anyone can own a flash car or a nice house, but there are more important things in life. I'm quite content with what I've got and what I've achieved so far."
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"I started my training with Lau Gar as a student in the North West clubs and received most of my initial instruction from Steve Cavanargh, one of Chris Boughey's senior students at the time. I trained hard and started to build the foundations of my martial career."
The early days of Lin Wan's development were also difficult and uncertain times, but on seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, Mark continued working hard to bring Lin Wan out of the shadows. ยท1 started out with a partner but we soon realised that we both wanted deferent things, so I ended up going it alone with the help of my sister. Together, we were determined to make it work. Only now is it really coming together."
As a versatile martial artist, who is as much at home with sparring as he is with forms display, Mark is a popular figure and considered to be a good instructor. "I'm still very young. I haven't reached my peak yet. In tournaments, I have proved myself with Chinese traditional and creative forms but I still feel that I will better myself in this area in time. I also need to put more work in, in the semi-contact arena. I enjoy fighting; it is a chance to experiment with your skills. I'm quite happy with my tournament fighting at the moment. Win or lose, I always enjoy the experience. I haven't had much success with semi-contact as yet but I am getting there."
One aspect of Lin Wan that is growing in recognition is Mark's Lin Wan Knights Kung Fu squad. In the relatively short time since their formation, this special band of people have made quite an impact on the tournament circuits, not only for their skills and individuality but also for their good attitude and respectful approach. Said Mark, "The Knights are a special team. All of them come from various backgrounds and yet they all work together, helping each other improve by supporting one another. There is a lot of respect and sense of true martial spirit. It makes for a good, positive atmosphere.
"We haven't had it easy on the tournament circuit but we are a determined group. We are getting where we want to go. The MAI circuit is, in our opinions, the best national tournament circuit going at the moment. We have been treated fairly and we find it to be a much more friendly competing environment. Whether win or lose, we always come away from the MAI feeling that we've had an enjoyable day, and that's what it's all about!
At the moment, my satisfaction comes from seeing my students succeed. It's a good feeling to know that you've helped them on their way. Recently, one of my junior students joined me in getting first place in traditional Chinese forms in the MAI. He has been training for just one year with Lin Wan and actually learnt the form in less than a week before entering. Also, my fighters have been showing great improvements and are now starting to climb in the rankings. It'll only be a matter of time before we are seeing champions in our camp!"
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The instructor's program is a special on-going course of study. Students are chosen to take part and it is limited entry so that we can concentrate on training the students to be worthy teachers as well as knowledgeable martial artists. At all times, we try to work to promote Lin Wan as a new generation of martial arts. The future lies in turning out good instructors, so this is an area we will be closely monitoring."
On a personal level, Mark has many plans for the future, but for the time being his main concern is bettering himself and improving his students. "I have only spent seven years in the martial arts, so far, which isn't very long. I have got so much more to learn and so much more to achieve. It'll all take time, effort and a lot of dedication but I'm determined to go much further because kung fu is a way of life. It is the way I have chosen."
