Year of birth: 1974
Profession: Management technician
Place of residence: Schiedam
My friends often describe me as a social teddy bear, although I don't know exactly what they mean by that. What I do know is that I want to be social and helpful.
I am a real family man. My children and grandchildren are everything to me. I am the proud parent of four children: my sons, twins, live in America; my one daughter lives in Spijkenisse and my other daughter in Almere. I live with my girlfriend and her daughter in Schiedam. I also have two grandchildren. I feel blessed to have my family, even my parents are still alive. They live in Curaçao so I don't see them often, but I try to visit them when I can.
It is my motto in life to be a good father and grandfather. A source of inspiration for my children and grandchildren, although I also learn a lot from them. I really enjoy spending time together and having conversations. Since my sons are in America for a basketball scholarship and my parents live in Curaçao, it is not a given for us that we see each other regularly. When my girlfriend and I flew to Curaçao with all the children last year and met with my parents, it was very special for me! This is really something I would like to do in the future. Spending time together is the most beautiful thing there is.
In terms of zodiac sign, I am a Cancer, which suits my social character well. Over the years I have also learned to become more assertive. I am increasingly aware of how I behave and how I respond to others. As a result, I now take a step back more often, create peace and take the time to listen carefully to the other person. If I don't do that, I notice it immediately; then emotions run high, which does not make the contact any better. I still try to take the time to let the other person finish.
At WuDae you learn to transfer everything you learn to others. You learn that you can ask for help if you don't understand something until you have mastered a skill completely. The other people who train here are also very helpful in this, and the teachers are a real source of inspiration for me. They are always very calm and help me to continually improve my movements.
The special thing is that you can also see your own progress very clearly when you try to convey a movement to someone else. It makes you realize that you couldn't do this before and how far you have come in the meantime. What I find very fun and educational is that you get to deal with many different people within WuDae. This teaches you to think carefully about how you can best teach someone something, which also helps me enormously in my work.
As a technician in installation technology, I often deal with technicians who do not yet know the field well. I then have to guide them, transfer my knowledge and give them feedback on their work. It is now much easier for me to observe carefully. I watch how the technicians apply the skills I teach them. If they don't understand me or do something wrong, I adjust my delivery method until it is completely clear to them. I am now much more patient in this than before, and I notice that people like my new approach.
In my spare time I like to experiment and program. Simple things, just to try out on small circuit boards. For example, I once made a picture for my son because he had difficulty getting out of bed. The picture worked like a kind of alarm that he couldn't turn off immediately. I like experimenting with things like that, both alone and with the children.
I have also always enjoyed tinkering. I used to regularly break things. I'm big and have a lot of ungainly strength, so to speak. Through training I have become much better at dispensing that force. I can now use it when I need it, but also tinker very carefully. This gives me many more options to create what I have in mind.
When I came to live in The Hague for a while in 2009, I regularly cycled past WuDae. Previously I had always played baseball, but I thought it was time for a new sport, so I decided to sign up for a trial lesson. I knew Kung Fu from movies and I thought it would be fun to learn this too. What immediately appealed to me about Wing Chun is that you are constantly learning something new. The techniques are often simple, but also very effective. Sometimes it takes a while to master a movement, but once the penny drops, a whole new world opens up for you.
Because I moved to Schiedam in 2014, it was no longer possible to combine Wing Chun with my work and the travel time from Schiedam to WuDae. In 2022 I resumed training in Wing Chun at WuDae. I always say, "If you don't train, you won't progress." I would prefer to come and train every day, but that is not possible at the moment because I still live in Schiedam. That's why I go to WuDae every Saturday, that day is sacred to me. My girlfriend and daughter always encourage me to go these days. The Wing Chun training has made me much more aware and calmer, and of course they are happy with that too, haha.
I also feel good about training. I have gotten to know myself better, I have been able to develop new skills and I have become much more flexible. By practicing Wing Chun and the way we interact with each other at WuDae, I have also learned to stand up for myself in a pleasant way.
As far as my development in sport is concerned, I hope to learn to absorb and use the power of others better and better. I think I'm doing it in the right way now. I live consciously and take my training very seriously. In the future there may also be more time to train and, for example, to take Impact classes in the evening.
When I was young, I didn't have a specific dream job, although I did dream of being a superhero. Now I would like to contribute to society as a designing engineer. My goal is to make a difference to the technology industry and contribute to the energy transition, in order to create a better world for everyone.
I think that practicing Wing Chun can also contribute to a better world. To form a society in which people treat each other well. At WuDae, for example, you are really embraced when you enter. It is a place where you interact with each other in a pleasant and respectful way. Everyone is allowed to be themselves here, and you learn to take the differences between people into account. I also see this as an example of what I want to pass on to my children and grandchildren: how I want to treat my environment and what I hope society will increasingly be like.
If I could go back in time, I would advise myself to just carry on as I have always done. I don't regret things from the past. I also think there is no point, because my experiences have shaped me into who I am today. You never stop learning, so all you can do is keep doing your best. By giving yourself time to grow and develop, everything becomes easier and more fun.
For anyone considering practicing Wing Chun, I would say: don't hesitate, take a trial lesson and see if it is something for you. In any case, I will continue to train and develop myself further. I will continue to help others and inspire my children and grandchildren.
The continuation of the interview with Efril will soon be available here!
Text and photos by: Robine Hillen
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