Development of the AWCA eBook Training Series
What Went Into the Creation of the eBook Training Series?

Most martial artists are "picky" about the materials they train with, and most certainly a Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun practitioner is at the top of that list. There are many good books and videos available, but like any field, we have all seen (and continue to see) our share of "not so good" ones.

So what goes in to creating an eBook Training Series volume? This explanation is provided to let you see the points addressed during their creation, and the steps used to cover the most important areas for your training experience.

I believe that it is very important to relate this information so that you know exactly what went into their design and development. These workbooks were not created "just to make a buck," mind you; rather, they are literal training resources that can be used at home or in a gym. They are also resources that my students and I user ourselves. I saw a need, and I created a solution for that need. It's that simple.

The first criteria was to create an actual training workbook, one that you can train with vs. it sitting on your hard drive not doing anything.

My personal training notes over the past 20 years were transferred to the digital format and enhanced to meet the approved standards of Instructional System Design (ISD) guidelines.

The second criteria included offering three major mediums for this training: videos, photos, and text. Taking this further:

• All videos would be audio-enhanced with narration to point out the key training areas

• All photos would be in color, with black and white only for emphasis or decorative "flair"

• All photos for the form would be front and side-facing for clearer illustrative purposes

• All text would be as in-depth as possible

Once the above two criteria were met, the third and final criteria was to create the series in a format readable by the majority of users. PDF was not an option since it cannot be secured properly in order to protect a user's investment. Therefore, the only acceptable solution was the EXE format.

The publications were written in HTML and compiled with eBook Pro, an HTML compiler that produces a single EXE-formatted file, readable on all IBM-compatible PC's. It includes a built-in eBook Viewer that uses components of the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, so there are no additional plug-ins to download.

I know, some of you dislike anything that says "Microsoft," and especially their browser. However, the goal was to make the eBooks as compatible as possible with the most widely-acceptable audience, and currently, the majority of users use Internet Explorer.

The objectives were determined by including the actual training curriculum used at the AWCA. Because the curriculum already includes a variety of checkpoints or "stop gaps" for determining a student's progress, it was a simple matter to include these in the Objectives at the beginning of each section (as well as including checkpoints throughout the length of the courses themselves).

Provided that you train the curriculum as outlined and do not cheat yourself, you will learn the skills that they relate. Naturally only you can be the judge of that, and you cannot gain a skill simply through reading about something. You have to get up and actually train it in order for the body to learn it.

But the checkpoints assist by pointing out the key focus areas for the lesson plan you are currently studying.

Provided that you train the lessons to competence and you are honest with yourself for the checkpoints, then you will become proficient with the section being studied.

After researching the needs of many practitioners, the series was built around a two-fold strategy. That strategy was based on addressing the needs of both the beginning and advanced practitioner.

First, the series was outlined step-by-step with the beginning practitioner in mind. It had to be complete, meaning that someone who knows absolutely nothing about Wing Chun could realistically learn the skill set from these publications.

A variety of practitioners are under the assumption that you cannot learn Wing Chun from a book, and from many books available, that is immediately clear. The ETS, however, is a fresh approach using approved distance learning standards and guidelines, so this particular viewpoint no longer applies.

Distance training is a recognized learning standard, and training a physical skill via distance learning is proven possible.

Second, the series had to be well-rounded and based on a reference standpoint so that experienced practitioners could benefit from the information in order to learn more about a differing style.

The strategies employed took these categories of practitioners into consideration so that all would benefit.

Whether we are talking about books or videos, most of the media available for training does not include "stop gaps" (or checkpoints) for leading you through a series of training steps. And in the end, it is left up to you for determining if what you are learning is in the correct order, learned the correct way, is something missing, etc.

Because of that, it is natural to feel that you might not be doing something correctly.

The above point has been shown to be a primary reason why training with other media is not effective, and why our media was created on an Instructional System Design format.

Each section of an eBook Training Series publication begins with three descriptors: Content Description, Objectives and Prerequisites. These descriptors tell you:

1. What it is you will be learning
2. What the objectives of the lesson plan entails, and
3. What, if anything, is required prior to beginning this specific section

Throughout the sections, you will encounter various checkpoints that focus on the key area for that specific point being trained. Should you fully understand what it covers and you can perform the drills and applications being demonstrated, it is logical to assume that you have learned enough about it to continue forward. And if not, then you can quickly go back to a particular area and train it.

Yes. It really is that simple.

At the end of the lesson plan, you will find a Summary/ Lessons Learned section. This checkpoint re-caps what you just learned so as to reinforce the material and help you more thoroughly understand it.

This entire series of checkpoints allows you to know immediately if you are truly comprehending and learning the section, which in turn keeps you motivated to learn because you are seeing the skill set being learned right there.

All products and services created by the AWCA are supported solely by myself (with the exception of the software used to create the programs, of course. In that case, support is provided by the manufacturer of the software).

Since the first volume of the ETS was released in January 2000, very few problems ever result. Why? Because the programs are so reliable. And when there is a problem, it is almost always a result of the user's firewall not allowing registration (which is a simple correction and is not time-consuming).

I did a great deal of testing prior to determining the program I would use, so you can be assured that your training publication(s) will always be supported. There are no third-party sources you must reference or contact.

The program used to compile the HTML files and create the EXE files is called eBook Pro, and this program includes an eBook Viewer which reads the .EBK format. This viewer is free of charge, of course, but technical support for it is provided by the manufacturer.

Again, very few problems occur with this reader, and when there are, it is almost always something to do with the end-user's firewall preventing access. It is an easy fix.

I have a great respect for everyone who creates media on Wing Chun. Whether it is a book or video, those who take the time and effort of relating their knowledge for the benefit of others always have my respect and admiration.

Each generation is entitled to the same benefits that those before us have been offered, and it is an honor to share this stage with those that pour their heart and soul into their work.

In saying that, however, very few - if any - truly gear their media to the curriculum itself.

The eBook Training Series is literally "unique" in the field because it teaches you the art of Wing Chun Kuen in a step-by-step fashion using the same curriculum that I teach my students here. A great deal of information is included in each and every volume, more so than you will find in almost every other Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun offering I am aware of (which is quite extensive).

No matter how in-depth or "involved" a publication of this kind gets, personal instruction in any physical endeavor - and especially a martial art - is always the preferred choice. However, just because it is "preferrable" does not that it is impossible to learn by other means.

Those of us that deal with delivering training programs know first-hand that a person can learn through distance learning media, provided that the right format and delivery system is incorporated.

It all comes down to the program's creation and the person using it.

If the correct information is available in a convenient format that centers around proven principles for training, then it is entirely up to the user with what they do with the information. They will either train with it, or they will not. The choice is theirs.

In a word: YES. I have received a variety of emails from various customers stating how they were able to protect themselves and their families solely from the information that they gleaned in the ETS workbooks.

Some may scoff at that, but let's be honest. Very few give the human mind the benefit it deserves. We are thinking, creative people, able to learn from a variety of avenues that we are exposed to. Be it a book, a video, or personal instruction in a specific topic, a person who wants to learn will learn. It is that simple.

Can the ETS guarantee your safety? Of course not. Nothing can do that, not even learning at a school with personal instruction. But you will have the information you need, information and training modules that walk you through learning this proven method of self-defense. Again, what you do with it is entirely up to you.

Presently, the eBook Training Series is only available in English. When the entire series is completed (4Q 2008), I will begin making plans to have it translated in various languages.

A variety of established protocols were used in determining the fair market value of the ETS, with three of these based on:

1. Depth of information
2. Inclusion of the three major learning formats (text, photo and video ), and
3. Comparison of currently-available products

The format used was taken into account since a professional who is skilled in creating media based on Instructional System Design is in high demand (due to its use of delivering proper formats for distance learning and the success that it sees).

Additionally, I polled approximately 350 visitors of AWCAOnline to request their feedback on what they felt would be a fair price for training media of this kind. The majority of those polled stated that based on the design and what it would accomplish, they felt that each eBook would be fairly priced at USD $75.00.

This was based on:

1. The volumes included audio-enhanced video instructional blocks, which greatly improved their understanding of what was being related
2. The inclusion of front and side-facing photographs of the forms clearly showed what positions were being discussed
3. The creation of 3-step training drills of each area allowed for ease of learning and broke the areas down for quick analysis, and
4. Detailed descriptions of concepts and theories made understanding more comprehensive.

Those polled also felt that because there are also free lifetime upgrades to every publication in the series, as well as free unlimited technical support, this was a benefit that they were willing to pay extra for.

After this polling, the market was researched for 10 months for similar products, what they offer, and what their current values were set at. Admittedly, no products of this scope were ever discovered, so because of that, it indicated a "niche" market that was being marketed to.

Based on all of these factors, the final price for availability was determined. In the end, however, I decided to make the pricing far lower than what many expected.

Even though a user might be willing to pay more, my personal view is that Wing Chun training should be available to everyone who wants to learn vs. just those that can "afford it."

While our hard work was definitely taken into account, I also wanted to balance that with my love of the art, as well as providing training resources to as many as possible. We have the resources and ability to demonstrate and deliver the curriculum through a well-rounded, industry-standard digital delivery format, all without charging an exorbitant fee for it.

Additionally, what good is a training resource to anyone if it is so expensive that very few can afford it?

Therefore, the final pricing for each volume is $34.95. It may not be as high as you might expect, and it but do not confuse "cost" with "quality."

No. Each publication comes complete in one file and there are no other downloads necessary. The only "additional" download you can expect is when a revision is made, so to view it, you would naturally have to download it. The publications will not update automatically so it does require that you manually download it. When these revisions are available, though, you will receive an email notice.

No. The registration process of all AWCA eBooks prevents hacking and reverse-engineering. How?

Very simply, your purchase is fully protected by requiring a user ID and password to be registered on the eBook server. All books come with four (4) registrations, so you can register it on your home desktop, a laptop, your work PC (if permitted), etc. No one else will be able to use your ID and password; therefore, you will not see it being offered freely on the Internet (which ensures that your purchase is fully protected from hackers and those that simply want a free publication).

Note, however, that refunds for your eBook will also mean that your publication will be disabled.

The AWCA has a strict "no questions asked" refund policy. However, in order to maintain the integrity of someone else's purchase, refunds also mean that the eBook is disabled and will not open again from that point on.

You certainly can. In fact, I recommend it!

All publications are print-enabled so by all means print to your heart's content. You can print one page, a range of pages, an entire chapter, or even the complete publication. That is why the digital format was selected, so that you could have the best of both worlds.

Not only do you have a digital format in which to view the videos and other materials, but you can also have a printed publication to take with you.

With all of these factors used for designing and creating the AWCA eBook Training Series, you can see that this is not a "fly-by-night" product that is here today but gone tomorrow.

Established in January 2000 and continously revised via feedback by our customers, the current workbooks you see available today will continue to expand and move forward as we finish completion. And when the complete series is finished up? You will see even more improvements via additional videos, expanded drills, expanded text instruction, and improved formats as technology progresses.