American teaches Wing Chun in Manhattan

Wei Tuo practices on a Wing Chun wooden dummy at his club in Manhattan, New York, on July 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

In the bustling crowds of downtown Manhattan, it's easy to miss a cloth signboard unless you know what you're looking for.

Once you enter the door below, you'll find a martial arts club called the Wing Chun Martial Club.

Founder Alex Richter, whose Chinese name is Wei Tuo, was born in Los Angeles. From an early age he was obsessed with Bruce Lee and developed an interest in Wing Chun.

At the age of 15, he started to learn Wing Chun in Seattle. Four years later, he went to Germany to study the martial art even more before he made the decision to open the Wing Chun Martial Club in Manhattan in 2002.

He had 15 members when he first opened the club doors. Now, he has more than 400.

"Learning kung fu is not just for self-protection and fighting, but to teach people a way of life," he said in an interview with Xinhua.

To help a wide range of people learn Wing Chun, Wei teaches students in accordance with their aptitude and establishes records for each member. Because of this, he now has members from all over the world attend classes at his club.

"Wing Chun not only belongs to China, but also the world," he said.