Instructor

Sifu / Guro Edgar Rotger

Sifu/Guro Edgar Rotger is the Head instructor for the Wing Tzun Kung-Fu and Latosa Escrima Filipino Self-Defense System classes in Brooklyn, New York.  He is currently a 3rd Technician Level in Wing Tzun and 2nd Technician Level in Latosa Escrima. (Technician levels are comparable to black belts in other styles.)

Sifu/Guro Edgar was born in 1959 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has been involved in the martial arts since 1969. He was first introduced to martial arts by his father, who was an instructor of (Mas) Oyama Kyokushin Karate, Golden Dragon Kung Fu, and Qi Gong. In 1974 he studied Grand Master Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do under Sergio Colon in Puerto Rico and open-class western boxing.

In October, 1996 he began training in Wing Tzun under Sifu Emin Boztepe and Latosa Escrima under Grand Master Rene Latosa.

Sifu/Guro Edgar, in his own words:

The first time I witnessed Wing Tzun Kung-Fu was in 1995, I was invited by a friend to a class. To my surprise, the class that was in progress was not only not boring or dry, but I saw that all levels of students were training and practicing together, they were treated the same by the Sifu, and it seemed fun. Then minutes later, five men entered the class and challenged the Sifu to fight them and there I couldn’t believe my eyes, thinking that this must be against the law, and I’ve never seen anything like this but in the movies. The Sifu had to fight the challengers, but not only where they not able to harm him, not ever when the Sifu was on his back down on the floor. I was so impressed and I joined the Wing Tzun classes that same night and I have been a Wing Tzun student ever since.

One year after I became a Wing Tzun & Latosa Escrima student, another incident furthered my beliefs in the teachings of Wing Tzun Kung Fu & Latosa Escrima. One night after class, I was walking home alone, and three men attacked me for money, one of them had a knife pointing at me. The situation was of life or death, there was no time to think. I responded and fought back with what I learnt from Wing Tzun and Latosa Escrima, (attacked first and beat them to the punch) the fight was over in a minute and I had beaten the three men and sent them running away. I was alive. Proud, and truly believed that Wing Tzun and Escrima the best self-defense system, and their practicality saved me.

There is a difference between a fighter and a kung fu man, and for me fighting is the last resort. If you are going to be attacked, you are left with no choice but to attack head on first. When you are attacked it is too late, you attack first because in Wing Tzun & Latosa Escrima the best defense is offence attack first, that is the last resource. I do not like to fight and kung fu is more than that, it is a way of life. The style of Wing Tzun may not look pretty when you look at it, but when you see it from the inside it is like a beautiful spring. I also study Philosophy, but I like more to study people with the Wing Tzun philosophy and principals that apply to every day life.

Sifu Xuan Mai Ho

Si-Je Xuan Mai is an Instructor at New York Self-Defense New York. She has been studying both Wing Tzun and Latosa Escrima since 2003. Xuan Mai had no prior experience with Martial Arts prior to her studies with New York Self-Defense. Timid when she first entered the class, she has gained confidence in her abilities under the fine tutelage of Sifu Edgar, Grandmaster Latosa and Dai-Sifu Boztepe. Her goals are to carry on the fine tradition of great instruction in EBMAS and to continue to train hard in the pursut of her own WT and Escrima education. Xuan Mai is a 2nd Technician in Wing Tzun and 1st Technician in Escrima.