Wing Chun Kung Fu

Some parts of the journey only make sense when you look back.

Most people know me from sailing or yacht building. What fewer people know is that before all of that, I spent years training in Wing Chun Kung Fu. At that time in my life, Kung Fu was more than just a sport. Wing Chun taught me focus, discipline and balance, and gave me an understanding of timing, control and respect that stayed with me long after I stopped training.

When I was sixteen, my teacher asked me to compete in the Dutch National Championships. I doubted myself but he didn't. He believed I was ready long before I did. So I went. My parents didn't come to watch, so it was my best neighbourhood friend who took me to the train station on the back of his moped. I travelled alone to the competition in The Hague.

Round after round, things went surprisingly well, and I eventually reached the final, finishing second at the Dutch Championships. But the result itself is not what I remember most

My history teacher, Mr. Schenkhuizen, was there because his son was competing too. When he noticed I was on my own, he stayed. He supported me throughout the day, cheering me on until the final match. That moment changed something far beyond that competition. Back at school, history suddenly mattered more. And that was not because the subject changed, but because someone had chosen to stand behind me and I didn't want to disappoint him. My grades changed completely. I started performing, because someone believed I could.

Looking back now, I realise this is the true shape of influence. It is not about titles or authority. Sometimes impact is simply presence. Believing in someone before they believe in themselves. Teachers, mentors, friends, coaches. The people who shape the direction of a life without even realising it.

Wing Chun taught me balance and timing. Later, sailing taught me teamwork under pressure. Building racing yachts taught me how people, discipline and shared standards turn ideas into reality. Different worlds, but the same principle: performance grows when the environment around people allows them to grow.

Eventually, the sea became my main path. But the lessons from those early years never left.

Behind most confident people, there is usually someone who stood beside them at the right moment and helped them see what they were capable of. And perhaps that is one of the strongest forms of influence there is.