RESIGNATION OF SOME INSTRUCTORS
A few of our certified instructors have resigned from our List of Certified Instructors. All of them, except one, have indicated their wish to remain as my students and have expressed their gratitude for my teaching.
The one exception publicly renounced me as his sifu. In my more than 30 years of teaching, this is the second time a student renounced me as his sifu. The first time happened about 30 years ago. But he did so quietly, without even giving his name. He wrote to me anonymously to say that he did not want to be my student.
Their resignation is because of their objection to the way I have handled accusations against one of our former instructors. The accusations have not been proven, but this does not mean that the accusations, or some of them, may not be true, though I believe they were not as serious as the resigned instructors imagined them to be.
This accused instructor resigned from our school on his own accord. Some instructors wanted me to publicly denounce him but I did not do so because I did not want to act as prosecutor, judge and executioner at the same time. Moreover, despite what the instructor who denounced me as his sifu, said in his website, I had only one piece of evidence; the rest was unproven accusations.
A traumatic woman told me that she had sexual relationship with the accused and she regretted it. My utmost thought at her confession was not to denounce the accused but to help her overcome her trauma and continue to live happily and confidently. Bringing out the issue in the open might cause her and other victims more traumatic pain. Moreover, I hoped the accused instructor might repent.
I valued forgiveness more than indignation, regardless of whether the accusations were true or not. I wanted the victims and any aggrieved persons to leave the past behind and move on, rather than clinch onto grudges and be miserable for life. I believed I handled the case quite well. The woman told me recently and personally, “I am very happy now.” Indeed she looked happier and more beautiful than ever before. She is an inspiration for all of us.
All those who resigned had explicitly said that I had changed their lives, some mentioned that I had saved them. It is saddening that they resigned just because the accused recently attended my chi kung classes, invited by the organizer who did not know about the situation. But those who resigned had made their decision and I respect it, and wish them well.
I would take this opportunity to thank the many instructors and students in our school who have written to express support for my action. I would also like to clarify the position of students of the instructor who denounced me as his sifu. Those students who used to call me “sigung” should now call me “sifu” if they wish to learn from me, as their sifu, the person who denounced me as his teacher is no longer my student by his own choice. The students should continue to address this person as their “sifu”, and I have no objection if they also continue to learn from him.
Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
19th December 2014.
Shaolin Wahnam Kuala Lumpur 