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Humans of Wing Chun:
Soyun Park

Soyun Park 1990 Den Haag RGBdog Nederlandse Filmacademie ArtEZ University of Arts deel 1

Year of birth: 1990
Profession:
- Owner of RGBdog
- Lecturer at ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem
- Master's student at the Netherlands Film Academy, Amsterdam
Place of residence: The Hague

Art as a way of life

I am a creative and autonomous artist from South Korea, who considers art as a way of life. Around the age of 18, I went to art school in Seoul, where I had a teacher who gave me immense motivation to step out into the wider world instead of sticking to traditions. After a lot of travelling, working and studying, I finally ended up in The Hague, where I continued my studies at the Art Academy. Something i would've never thought growing up in Seoul as a young girl.

Discovering, learning & developing

For me, life is an ongoing study. I am always trying to make connections and understand how certain people, emotions and fields work. I teach at the art academy in Arnhem (ArtEZ University of Arts), pursue another master's degree in film myself at the Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam and work in my own design and technology studio, RGBdog, where we research accessible and ethical technology, among other things. It is a place where I can try things out and discover, a place where I constantly try to develop myself.

Soyun Park 1990 The Hague RGBdog Dutch Film Academy ArtEZ University of Arts part 2

I also see Wing Chun as an opportunity to learn, to master new skills and integrate them into my way of life. My profession is mainly sedentary and I noticed more and more that I was so absorbed in my head that I forgot about my body. I was getting aches and pains everywhere and wanted to do something about it. Having done Taekwondo in the past, I started looking for something new in that direction. During my search, I first came across MMA, but the images I saw didn't feel like something that suited me. I didn't want to fight so much as I wanted to learn a discipline to make my body stronger and learn to control it better. Moreover, I wanted to exercise at a place where I am part of a community and where I can develop in a safe environment. That's how I ended up at WuDae. I signed up for a trial class and immediately noticed that this is the nice atmosphere I was looking for. This is a place where people can feel at ease and that is mainly because of the way the teachers teach. They are patient and helpful, which makes them very pleasant and good teachers.

Together and independently

I really like the way everyone at WuDae trains for themselves but with each other. Everyone has their own goal and is working towards it. It doesn't matter whether you are more advanced or just starting out, everyone helps each other and the atmosphere is friendly. Coming to train here makes me feel more deeply rooted in the local community. You get to know people from very different environments, people with different interests and areas of expertise. Personally, I really enjoy that. In my work, I am mostly surrounded by creative people. That is precisely why I appreciate meeting people from all kinds of backgrounds at WuDae - it makes training extra enriching.

Staying fluid

If I had to describe myself, I would say I am fluid. I am not fixed but keep moving. I keep learning and discovering. This is also something I try to reinforce with my training at WuDae. By getting more out of my head and into my body, and staying fluid both physically and mentally.

When I found myself in an intimidating situation on the street, it not only made me feel bad, but also made me freeze at such a moment. This is something that bothers me because I want to be able to defend myself. I know fighting is not a solution, but I want to be able to arm myself against the negativity in the world. I want to be solid enough that I can decide in the moment how best to act. Now that I have been training with WuDae for a while, I am starting to feel stronger and stronger in this. That also does something to my environment. I think I radiate something else now, because I notice that I have to deal with fewer negative remarks.

Soyun Park 1990 The Hague RGBdog Dutch Film Academy ArtEZ University of Arts part 3

It does scare me how many negative messages there are in the world. The wars and genocides. I often feel powerless when I think about it. What is in store for us in the future? How will the world evolve? I sometimes fantasise what it would be like to disappear and live off grit. For example, to live on a boat or on a farm far from civilisation where no one can find you and where you are unreachable. I think it would be great to share such a location with people who have the same outlook on life as me. Positive and full of life energy.

Soyun Park 1990 The Hague RGBdog Nederlandse Filmacademie ArtEZ University of Arts part 4

Travelling takes you further

I have travelled extensively. When I was in my early twenties, I travelled to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Everything was new and special. It opened my eyes to the beauty that exists in the world and that I had previously been unaware of. Namibia made the biggest impression on me. It is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Sometimes I imagine how special it would be to have my final resting place there one day, if that could be done with respect for the culture. I would like to become part of the desert there and give the person who will scatter my ashes the opportunity to see all that beauty with their own eyes.

Because of what my trip brought me, I decided to continue exploring the world. Among other places, I went to the Philippines and lived in Australia for a while. While travelling, I realised how important it is to treat other people with respect. My motto is therefore “Be kind”. If I could go back in time, I would give that motto to my younger self. I would also urge myself not to be afraid of the things I don't know.

During one of my first trips, I met an 18-year-old girl. She was from Germany and worked as a translator in various parts of the world. I was very impressed, because I had no idea that such a thing was possible. She opened my eyes and sparked my desire to travel more in the future and chart my own course. That's how I ended up in the Netherlands. I had enrolled at the Art Academy in The Hague but had no idea whether I would be accepted. It was a very exciting time, but in the end it led me to the film academy.

I used to really want to be a newsreader. It looked so cool and intelligent, and seemed like a wonderful and respected profession. You had to be eloquent, and people would look up to you. Later, I discovered how much you have to read as a newsreader and how hard you have to work to establish yourself in this world. It made me adjust my goals, although I did do an artistic performance a while ago in which I played the role of a newsreader. It was a very enjoyable experience, which now makes me feel like I've been able to be a newsreader for a while. That's enough for me; I don't need to become a real newsreader in the future.

Soyun Park 1990 The Hague RGBdog Nederlandse Filmacademie ArtEZ University of Arts part 5A

Become stronger and more confident

In terms of my development in Wing Chun, my main ambition is to become even stronger and more confident. I helped some friends move house and found that I could lift things much more easily than before. The downside is that they now always look to me when something needs lifting, but it feels good to know that I can do it.

I mainly train during the evening Wing Chun classes, but on Saturdays I try to join the kettlebell training sessions. It's a short 30-minute workout that really challenges you physically. Afterwards, we always go for a drink with a group of friends, which makes this training extra fun.

When I see how quickly I've become stronger and more confident, I'd recommend everyone to come and train at WuDae. Especially to my group of creative friends who sit a lot, I always say, “Come and try a trial class.” I'm convinced that even in the first class, they'll experience how great it is to train this way.

Soyun Park 1990 The Hague RGBdog Nederlandse Filmacademie ArtEZ University of Arts part 5B

Text and photos by: Robine Hillen

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