[Sedai]

Newsflash: Emin Boztepe no longer with the Leung Ting Organization!

When an offense is made against a man's dignity and honor he is forced to defend himself. Out of a sense of deep respect for the martial arts, and as a dedicated and long-time practitioner, I am therefore compelled to acknowledge that unfair and untruthful comments have been made against my name and my character. These accusations have been directed against me not only as a Wing Tsun practitioner but also as a martial artist and human being in general.

It saddens me that greed and personal interest are the motivating factors which led to this unjustified attack. This is especially disturbing when my goal has always been to promote and expand the arts of Wing Tsun and Escrima all over the world for the benefit of all. Recently, Mr. Keith R. Kernspecht, who represents an important and substantial part of the income of Mr. Leung Ting's Association, has launched a deliberate campaign to discredit my name and reputation among students and practitioners of the martial arts. This is especially troubling because for many years, when it was to his monetary benefit, he used me to bring students into his European Wing Tsun Organization (EWTO). It is common knowledge that my name and reputation have been extremely relevant in the development and rapid growth of his EWTO. The members I brought in have become a major source of income and support for Mr. Kernspecht - the same person who is currently trying to discredit me for his own selfish goals.

I feel no need to list my accomplishments, to promote myself, or to speak ill of others - this is not the martial arts way. Deeds speak louder than words and everyone around the world is well aware of what I have done in the last 16 years for both the EWTO and Mr. Leung Ting's Association itself. Having unsuccessfully attempted to resolve this matter privately, and having been rebuffed, I am left with no other option than to sever all personal and professional ties with Mr. Keith R. Kernspecht and the EWTO and Mr. Leung Ting and the IWTA.

Happily, I will continue teaching the arts that have been taught to me - even though both Leung Ting and Kernspecht now claim that I don't know Wing Tsun (it is interesting to note that called me an "expert" when they were receiving money from me). In North America, I shall continue to use the WT (Wing Tsun) and Latosa Escrima logos and emblems. In Europe, I will use the name "Emin Boztepe Martial Arts System" (EBMAS) to avoid any conflict or misidentification of what I teach. I am honored to continue spreading the arts and knowledge that I personally developed through my many years of personal training and research. Contrary to any rumors or falsehoods you may hear, I have not invented a new style. I will teach the same methods and systems that attracted thousand of students to my seminars and schools all over the world.

Honesty and loyalty are important qualities in any human being, not only in martial artists. Honesty promotes understanding and loyalty, and keeps students and teachers together. However, these qualities are a two-way street and should be mutually shared. Student and teacher both need to know and understand the correct way to honor their counterpart. Unfortunately, when personal greed and ambition rear their ugly heads, this is sometimes forgotten.

A conspiracy began a long time ago between Mr. Leung Ting, Mr. Keith Kernspecht, and two other individuals who always were more interested in having a political position within the organization than in teaching and developing skills in their students. For pure financial gain, these four people hatched a conspiracy to take over the organization I had personally built from nothing. This conspiracy was in place even when Mr. Ting was personally invited by me to conduct a U.S. tour. At that time, Ting had already ordered these two individual to register a new Web site domain under his personal name. This is betrayal at its worst, for the worst reason - pure greed.

It's sad to see people who represent major styles in the martial arts world, be so easily manipulated by money, ego and personal insecurity. The true spirit of martial arts has been lost by these individuals. All that now drives them are money and ego. It seems that the support and love of all my students in Europe and the United States was affecting not only Mr. Ting's and Mr. Kernspecht's egos, but their pocketbooks as well. They perceived my growth not as a sign of personal validation, but as a threat to their egos. The quality of what I teach and my dedication and loyalty to my students speak for itself.

Every man's future is in their own hands and I gladly embrace my new path in life. With the spiritual nourishment and support of my many wonderful and loyal students around the world, I will continue to spread the martial arts that have been a major part of my life for the past 27 years. Many years ago Bruce Lee was criticized and forced to leave the Wing Chun/Wing Tsun family due to jealousy from fellow members of the clan. These people forced Yip Man to stop teaching him. Thus history repeats itself. If we have learned one thing over the years, it is that the individual is more important than the style. All those who know me, recognize and appreciate what I teach and why I teach.

Kernspecht and Ting can use their time and energy criticizing me for their own personal monetary gain and ego. I will not bother with them, but rather devote my energy to working with and teaching students around the world. As is my way, I will not go out of my way to attack anyone. However, if attacked, I will use all my power and influence to stop anyone who tries to hurt either me and my students, or to take away anything we have worked together to build for so many years.

Yours truly in martial arts,


Emin Boztepe

FROM http://www.wingchun.com/wtmain.htm

[PeedeeShaolin]

This happened a while ago didn't it?

The story I heard is that they were planning on JUMPING Boztepe if he showed up to some weirdo gathering they were having. It would have been his karma after he jumped an old man and became famous for it.

In reality he should have left that organization a long time ago. Boztepe obviously has skill and talent and he should have been developing it on his own or with other instructors rather than letting some half baked old man pull his strings.

Last I heard was that Boztepe was training at Gokor's getting his learn on in grappling.

[Shuma-Gorath]

Los Angeles, 7.18.2001

[Phrost]

NEWS FLASH!

OG MAKE FIRE. FIRE GUD!

Takes a while for news to get to South Africa, eh?

[LAVATORR]

NEWSFLASH: HTML DOES NOT WORK IN THREAD TITLES

P.S.

DEAR SOUTH AFRICA,

[Wounded Ronin]

Only the ?ing ?un crowd could get so obsessed with unimportant and totally egocentric issues like that. It's like the lineage war is a symptom of a far greater patheticness.

[EternalRage]

A WORLD-WIDE OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE GRACIE-FAMILY
Los Angeles, 26th October 1994

Emin Boztepe
5th level Practician EWTO / IWTMAA
Headman of the AWTO (American WingTsun Organization)


"After having watched your "Ultimate Fighting Championships" held by the Gracie-Family, I cannot find them very "ultimate" but only amusing. These so-called "ultimate fights' may impress laymen or beginners, but in fact they are no more real than the professional Wrestling shows on TV.

What depresses me is that I heard of some rumors that I would not dare to accept your challenge. In fact I have never received any such challenge! Do you want me to appear like a coward? When I talked to Benny Urquidez in Germany, he told me that you people had played him the same dirty old trick for propaganda. Not long ago you even challenged the great man of American wrestling Gene LeBell. A very brave act indeed, since Mr. LeBell is over 60 years old.

Now in the second "Ultimate Fighting Championships"-Show you people even (ab-)used two stupid wing chun-men to perform some funny movements so as to represent "Kung Fu". And at the same time you claimed to have defeated two "wing chun'-fighters in the first bout.

Although I am a WingTsun-Fighter of the Leung Ting WingTsun-System, which is very different from the generic wing chun-style in theory and practice and is highly compatible in ground-fighting, I feel bad that you brothers use these kinds of dirty tricks to put down the late Great Grandmaster Yip Man's other students, their schools as well as other respectable martial arts styles or stylists!

I keep the record of over 300 bare-hand fights and have never been defeated. However, I have never talked bad about my losers and all the other styles. But so as to educate you Gracies to respect the others, my students I hereby turn the tables on you by challenging all you people of the Gracie-Family.

I can send 5 or more fighters from the AWTO to fight the Gracies. If you have more fighters in the Gracie-Family, just inform me and I shall report this to the International Headquarters and we will satisfy you with as many fighters as necessary.

We like the so-called "No rules at all" Game as advertised in your propaganda. No gloves, no time-limit, the person who knocks out his opponent is the winner. This is exactly the way we WingTsun-people fought in China in the olden times. We do not mind fighting you people in the ring set up by your own organization. The only thing that we want is to fight openly, so all the audience, reporters, TV-people and martial artists can see if you can really fight against us. We only want two conditions:

1) We only fight you Gracies. For we do not want to give you the chance to use any helpful idiots to protect you as "shields". So we will only fight you directly and no others!
2) The winner takes all the money. We only want our expenses paid. The rest of the money will all be used for charity.

If you Gracie-brothers dare not to accept our challenge, I do not mind. But remember: Never put down any other martial art styles from now on.

This letter was sent to the Gracies and published in many (international) ma magazines.
I have added here a question and an answer of this related matter. This 'fragment' came from a complete interview that was placed in the OCT 95 edition of the Martial Arts Illustrated, Frank Schäfer Sifu.


Thomas Nilsson:
"People have often claimed that if you don't compete, you can't prove how good (or bad) your martial art is..."

Emin Boztepe:
"Well, I think this attitude is beginning to change a bit now. I challenged the Gracie brothers because of their big mouth and now they are only excusing themselves, they only want to fight in their own environment. They no longer accept any challengers outside the UFC or even outside the state of California.
The truth of the matter is, Gracies never fight outside of their own school and their own environment. Now, when they say they won't accept any outside challengers any more, I say "what any more?" I never saw them fight outside of their own organisation in America! Basically, they are just talking around and I don't want to get too deep into this now.

But in short, I recently had a phone call from Rorion Gracie who respected everything that I had said, two of my friends listened in on a speaker phone. And Rorion said that this thing would go on and on forever, letter would be sent back and forth forever and the fight will never take place.
I said: Listen, Mr. Gracie, you are the one who has called me a coward, but it's not on me, it's you who is the coward. Just take off your suit and tie and come out on the street! And now he even refuses to admit that he once challenged (Mike) Tyson, but he did just that in an article entitled "The Amazing Gracies", published in American Kung Fu and Karate Illustrated.
Obviously they (the Gracies) did this for publicity and now they are accusing me of challenging them as a publicity stunt!
I'm alone in the USA. I don't have a family to hide behind and everyone who knows me, knows that I didn't challenge the Gracies just to get personal publicity.

Now they (Royce Gracie) are calling me a circus clown, but look who's fighting in a cage! I am not a clown, I'm a serious martial artist and I have many famous martial arts champions backing me up as my friends; Gene LeBell, Bob Wall, Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez as well as my own students who know I'm for real. I didn't go out looking for personal publicity.
Okay, I beat up William Cheung once because he was trying to pull the same stunt as the Gracies are doing now. The point is, the Gracies are hiding out in their own environment or they go out five, six brothers together..."

http://www.wingtsun.nl/chal-grc.htm

[Sedai]

Ok If that challenge is true I find it very amusing. The gracies who are worshipped as hero's by the bjj community refusing to fight what they tell people people is an "inferior system" namely, wing chun. If bjj can so easily take down wing chun practioners why wouldnt the gracies accept emin's challenge?

mwahahahahahah

This is all so laughable you laugh that none of the big names in wing chun ever fight competitions but when they offer to the gracies turn them down.

HILARIOUS

[Shuma-Gorath]

Originally Posted by Sedai

Ok If that challenge is true I find it very amusing. The gracies who are worshipped as hero's by the bjj community refusing to fight what they tell people people is an "inferior system" namely, wing chun. If bjj can so easily take down wing chun practioners why wouldnt the gracies accept emin's challenge?

mwahahahahahah

This is all so laughable you laugh that none of the big names in wing chun ever fight competitions but when they offer to the gracies turn them down.

HILARIOUS

They continually accepted to his crazy stipulations and Emin always backed down. He wouldn't even fight them in a police station.

Oh, and somewhere in the middle of that Dolman made Emin cry and beg like a bitch.

[DANINJA]

"Oh, and somewhere in the middle of that Dolman made Emin cry and beg like a bitch"

video evidence please?