Developing powerful weapons of work

Name: Eugenio Palmerini

Age: 31

Nationality: Italian

Profession: Office manager for an architectural firm

Studying: Ving tsun at Beijing Scientific Ving Tsun School

"Martial arts trains you physically and mentally. It's all about mental focus. It helps you make quick decisions when you're training, and in the office."

Name: Demina Masoula

Age: 43

Nationality: Greek

Profession: Business, communications and marketing consultant

Studying: Wushu at Shaolin Temple

"In business, you have to be flexible; you have to find new paths and change. You have to see a crisis and avoid it. Kung fu teaches you to be fluid, like water, because everything in kung fu flows and stagnation is bad."

Name: Nicky Kritsotaki

Age: 47

Nationality: Greek

Profession: Executive for an insurance company

Studying: Wushu at Shaolin Temple

"I am very busy in my daily work. I do about 10 hours each day. Shaolin martial arts makes me feel strong and full of power, which benefits my daily routine."

Name: Pernille Son Paulsen

Age: 32

Nationality: Danish

Profession: Corporate social responsibility consultant

Studying: Ving tsun at Beijing Scientific Ving Tsun School

"Martial arts helps you develop a kind of assertiveness that also helps you in your professional life."

Name: Jai Harman

Age: 30

Nationality: British

Profession: Senior instructor at ving tsun school

Organization: Beijing Scientific Ving Tsun School

"There are three basic principles in Ving Tsun: simple, direct and efficient. Through training, these principles become instilled in you and it spills over into your professional life. You need to make cold, calculated decisions when you're fighting, otherwise you get hurt. It's the same in business. Whether it's your pocket or your body on the line, it's the same thing."

Name: Rashad Tabet

Age: 31

Nationality: Lebanese

Profession: Business lawyer

Studying: Ving tsun at Beijing Scientific Ving Tsun School

"You have to defend your centerline in business, just like you do in ving tsun. You don't know where the attacks will come from. You have to be on your guard 24/7 in the business world. Always be ready to defend. This is something I learned how to do from martial arts."

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/22/2014 page7)