Benny Meng

[KungFuCurious]

I really hope this doesn't start a huge flame fest... but...

To put it simply... I'm interested in pursuing martial arts as a way to regain some health benefits, for stress relief and realistic self-defense. Pretty typical story.

I live about 20 minutes away from the VTM / Meng's Martial Arts.

In searching this and other forums, I've read some... ehem... no so nice things about Benny Meng... but this is the internet, and you know how that goes. I met with him last night, seemed like a nice, straight-forward kind of guy... shared the info about his school and what they taught without being at all pushy or anything.

I found it somewhat difficult to sort through the search results I found on this forum. Most of the arguments seem to be about lineage and long chinese words that are pretty meaningless to me.

I'm just looking for some general opinions... are they teaching hocus pocus? Or are the arguments more over historical differences and less about effectiveness?

In other words, if you were in this area, would you train there?

Thanks.

[GeneChing]

Here's Benny Meng's 2001 September/October cover story Rediscovering the Roots of Wing Chun: Will the Real Wing Chun Please Step Forward! by Richard J. Loewenhagen (Ving Yat). Benny has also done his video series with us (see our Wing Chun section). He's also written several articles for our magazine and e-zine. Unlike several of the other masters that we've worked with, Benny is always very prepared with his materials well in advance. Benny is also a personal friend.

Of course, I stand completely outside the Wing Chun world. I've never studied the art beyond a lot of reading, which doesn't really count for much in terms of actual training.

[KungFuCurious]

Thanks, that is very helpful.

[Wayfaring]

What, us? Flame fest?

BTW nice choice in irony on the articles, Gene.

[t_niehoff]

Originally Posted by KungFuCurious

In other words, if you were in this area, would you train there?

No.

I've personally met Benny, I've been to his school, I've seen what he teaches, I've read what he writes, seen some clips from his videos (and the WCK University), etc.

I think Benny represents much of what is wrong with WCK.

[taokum]

Ironically, the VTM was originally Moy Yat’s idea but then GM Moy Yat withdrew his support & trust. In the Wing Chun world and from a museum point of view, the VTM is shady.

Moy Yat’s students, Williams Cheung’s student and GM Cheung share similar opinions, see “Any Master Benney Meng students?” thread.
http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/foru...ad.php?t=45016

Benny certainly has his issues and his excess baggage he carries with him.

I have confronted him....both to his face and on this forum.
And yes...I have issues with him. Two in particular...his utter disrespect for and betrayal of both my wing chun sifus: William Cheung and Moy Yat.
And his pretense at being an "objective" curator of the Ving Tsun Museum is pathetic.
Any other questions?

I don't like the photograph I saw in some magazine with Meng posing outside of the funeral home where Moy Yat was laid out here in NYC...."Hey, look at me...here's another example of why I'm so friggin' important to the wing chun world...here I am outside Moy Yat's funeral"...(totally disrespectful)...

(Benny promised that at least triple that amount would show - and he had to be chased for William's money as his first check bounced)...

But William Cheung told me not to do it - and to just leave the a55hole alone.

Here is a link of what the general public thinks of Benny’s Museum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shW4...eature=related – fake.. forgery.. ect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_Rk...eature=related ”Benny Meng’s personal empty meaningless storage room”
Moy Yat’s was right.

Then again there is the black flag fantasy & dishonesty of Benny and the VTM. If Benny Meng did real research he would know that Black Flag is really from Ngo Cho. His museum intentions are to promote his schools and his wallet. He is selling a scam by saying Ngo Cho is Wing Chun and stealing other so called “female” wing chun.

Meng has only brought confusion around the Wing Chun world. 1st there is the confusion of black flag which is really Ngo Cho (5 Ancestors) & the ever changing family tree and background of Kenneth Lin.
2nd Black flag is from the Chinese documented 5 flag bandits. It is not Hung Mun. If BM did real research he would have noticed that his Lin’s black flag’s 5 colors match the 5 flags bandits and not the Hung Mun! Hung Mun does not have a yellow flag! 5 flag bandits have a yellow flag. What a joke!
3rd the so called non-profit Museum is really on a “quest” to generate money making schools and other ulterior motives, forgeries, ect. The museum is a smoke screen.

A comment on Mr Lowenhagen’s article, I think Mr Lowenhagen would agree that Benny Meng, did not do real research on black flag.

You asked.

[trubblman]

None of the preceding posts mentioned his Wing Chun skill, so he must have skills if that's the worse can you say about him.

[t_niehoff]

Originally Posted by trubblman

None of the preceding posts mentioned his Wing Chun skill, so he must have skills if that's the worse can you say about him.

Did you read my post?

[GeneChing]

I'll probably regret this, knowing you guys, but here are Benny's demos at KFTC DAY.

Hong Kong Style Wing Chun
Red Opera (Red Flag) Wing Chun
Black Flag Wing Chun

[Lee Chiang Po]

Originally Posted by KungFuCurious

I really hope this doesn't start a huge flame fest... but...

To put it simply... I'm interested in pursuing martial arts as a way to regain some health benefits, for stress relief and realistic self-defense. Pretty typical story.

I live about 20 minutes away from the VTM / Meng's Martial Arts.

In searching this and other forums, I've read some... ehem... no so nice things about Benny Meng... but this is the internet, and you know how that goes. I met with him last night, seemed like a nice, straight-forward kind of guy... shared the info about his school and what they taught without being at all pushy or anything.

I found it somewhat difficult to sort through the search results I found on this forum. Most of the arguments seem to be about lineage and long chinese words that are pretty meaningless to me.

I'm just looking for some general opinions... are they teaching hocus pocus? Or are the arguments more over historical differences and less about effectiveness?

In other words, if you were in this area, would you train there?

Thanks.

I wouldn't ask here about him. I would simply make my own judgments. You are just wanting to study a MA, and unless you are also interested in politics and infighting over history, which is probably as good as anyone guess, you can't go wrong. Just go and study what he offers and forget about everything else.

[Hendrik]

Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po

I wouldn't ask here about him. I would simply make my own judgments. You are just wanting to study a MA, and unless you are also interested in politics and infighting over history, which is probably as good as anyone guess, you can't go wrong. Just go and study what he offers and forget about everything else.

I agree!

Study MA is not joining a cult.