Si-Fu Bill has always had an interest in martial arts. He was first introduced to Karate as a child. Eventually, he found Tae Kwon Do where he gained a good understanding of ranges and kicks.

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Later he walked into a mixed martial arts gym where he trained in a variety of different arts including boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Thai Boxing and Wing Chung.

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When choosing his next art, the master asked a very simple question: “what range do you want to fight in?” Bill’s response was that he was comfortable at distance so needed to work on his close-quarters techniques. So began his journey of Kung Fu and he studied there for years even being asked to take over the class. Unfortunately, he had to move to London for work, reluctantly leaving the school behind. Once in London, Sifu Bill sought a new school and began the traditional style of Wing Tsun!

Bill’s passion for Wing Tsun stems from its effectiveness. “It is not a hard style to learn, it’s just hard to master, and to do that, and you need to master yourself. It’s not about being flashy or impressing anyone. It’s about getting out of a situation as quickly and painlessly as possible without worrying about ego. If that is obtained by stepping away and having the person throw some insults – fine. If more action is needed, that’s their choice, just make sure you’re still the one who walks away from it after.”

Si-Fu Bill found at a very young age that he had quite a temper. Controlling this was the first step in his martial arts career, although he didn’t know it at the time. Aware that he was physically strong and could do serious damage yet never wanting to allow his temper to rule him, Sifu Bill would back away from confrontation rather than risk the alternative. Choice led to habit, habit led to reflex and eventually fear of confrontation developed.

Working in hospitality for almost all his adult life, Si-Fu Bill always found himself dealing with various aggressive individuals, with more than just angry complaints. Being “the big guy” people turned to him to deal with various situations which lead to him being in the centre of many physical issues. Managing both fear and anger together, was a tough challenge. Si-Fu Bill turned this into a positive and used the idea to face his fear, moving into security. Putting himself in a position where backing down was not an option, Si-Fu Bill quickly saw his fear as what is was - False Evidence Appearing Real. He found that the skills learned in hospitality, gave him the ability to spot problems long before they started, and his Martial Arts ability gave him the backup needed when the situation needed a more direct approach.

Si-Fu Bill has worked in security for years as a Doorman and has gained a vast amount of real experience in defending himself and others in a variety of situations. He has faced multiple opponents, people bringing weapons, people using bottles/glasses as weapons, people on cocaine or other substances, people with mental illnesses, bodybuilders, other martial artists (even professionals), other doormen, the list goes on. 

Si-Fu Bill is a people watcher. Years in hospitality and door work have given him a unique perspective and experience in people’s behaviour. This led to an interest in body language and behavioural psychology which he employed on a daily basis to better his understanding of people’s reactions and intentions. Si-Fu Bill has adapted this to Wing Tsun and uses this first-hand experience to give valuable insight to his students who have been lucky enough to not have too many of their own violent issues.

Si-Fu Bill taught classes in two other schools for many years before opening the Crayford school on 8th November 2016. He has helped teach military, women’s only self defence, street defence workshops, choreograph demonstrations and performances of Wing Tsun. 

Si-Fu Bill runs kids, juniors and adult classes at the Crayford school. Currently these classes are all held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He also teaches additional classes and workshops throughout the year in addition to the Phoenix Eye seminars and camps.