Mario Janisch is a Wing Tsun teacher in Bregenz and one of only two holders of the eighth and highest master’s degree in Austria. Now he has been named “Great Master” by Wing Tsun legend Keith R. Kernspecht. It’s a very special honor. Janisch is the second Wing Tsun martial artist in Austria to receive this honor. It took almost 40 years to get there, says Janisch on Wednesday in “Vorarlberg LIVE”. His passion has now turned into a lifestyle.
The fascination developed 39 years ago. “I started early with judo, karate, boxing and taekwondo.” After practicing martial arts for around ten years, a friend took him to Wing Tsun training. The way of fighting was completely different from anything he’d learned up until then. “Everything I had learned was destroyed in an hour.” He then had to think for a week or two before he could decide on Wing Tsun.
Wing Tsun is a type of Kung Fu that, unlike many other martial arts, consists of a five-phase fight: long distance (legs), medium distance (arms), short distance (elbows, knees), levers and throwing techniques, Anti-ground combat. “The boxer lacks four distances, the judoka only has two.” The way with Wing Tsun is therefore much longer than with other martial arts. “You have to think about it: Do you want to compete? Do you want to be really good in a discipline? “
Janisch also talked about his memories as a doorman in the cult disco “Opal” in Lochau, where he kept people quiet for many years.
In addition to Mario Janisch, ikp-Vorarlberg managing director Martin Dechant and religious scholar Michael Blume were guests in “Vorarlberg LIVE”.
