I also really enjoy the sparring during the Impact classes...
I also really enjoy the sparring during the Impact classes. It gives me the chance to put what I’ve learnt into practice. I also think this is really important, because it will stay with me should a situation arise where I need to defend myself or my family.
Wing Chun is something I’d love to master completely one day. Not just to be able to protect myself and my family, but also because it’s such a beautiful sport. Maybe I can even teach it to my little boy in the future. That sounds like great fun.
Getting the most out of life
As clichéd as it sounds, the best moment of my life was the birth of my son. As soon as he was born, I already felt the urge to do things right. As long as he was healthy, everything would be fine. He is now 8 years old and I am incredibly proud of him. As my son grows up, I find myself entering that mid-life crisis that people between the ages of 27 and 40 often experience. I find that the older I get, the more afraid I become of things I wasn’t afraid of at all before. It makes me reflect regularly. Then I wonder what my younger self would think of this.
I used to be quite the activist. I wanted to make a difference for others, especially for the less fortunate in society, and I was involved in politics. Now I sometimes wonder: am I doing enough? Am I getting the most out of life? There’s still so much I’d like to do. My political interests are still there, and I still want to be of value to the society I live in.
For example, I enjoy volunteering. I help out in the Spinozahof community garden and look after the tandem bikes for Fietspret voor twee. I also enjoy cycling myself, especially on a road bike. I do take part in races, such as those in Valkenburg or Amsterdam. We cycle laps of up to 150 kilometres, which I absolutely love. I’ve also discovered the Dutch Language Café. There, you can play board games and take part in a pub quiz. And of course reading and writing, I enjoy doing that in my spare time too.
Pablo Andrés Durán Chaparro
Year of birth: 1988
Occupation: Information Manager
Place of residence: The Hague
Soon the fourth part of a total of five. Read more here: Humans of Wing Chun
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