Emin Boztepe
Encyclopedia
Emin Boztepe is an American martial artist of Turkish origin who held German nationality prior to naturalization. He first came to prominence for his fight in 1986 with noted Wing Chun
practitioner William Cheung
, and he continued to gain attention in the 1990s with a public challenge of the Gracie family
. He was a notable member of Leung Ting
's Wing Tsun
organisation until 2002, when he formed his own organisation.
, Turkey, the second of six children. At the age of four, his family, originally from Bağlıca village of Emirdağ
, moved to Germany. According to Boztepe, his early days in Germany were difficult due to his Turkish heritage—he was a constant a target for racial insults
and, more often than not, verbal abuse would escalate into physical abuse. Martial arts became something of a necessity and his father urged him to begin training. Boztepe recalled, "Germany was not the healthiest place for a young Turk in those days of growing racism and neo-Nazi movements." He claimed to have been in over 300 street fights, many of them a result of this period, though he also claimed to have not started any of these fights.
, Shotokan
karate
, wrestling
, Muay Thai
, and traditional boxing
. During this period, he also fought as an amateur boxer in 16 matches.
In 1980, Boztepe was attracted to Wing Chun when he saw a demonstration by Keith R. Kernspecht
who was teaching in Kiel, Germany. He said, "Wing tsun was, really, love at first sight. And it fit me. For whatever reason, I was a natural at it." Boztepe also began training in Latosa Escrima, which Kernspecht's German Wing Tsun Organization had decided to make part of the family in 1982.
His fight with Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
master William Cheung
in 1986, at a seminar in Germany, caused controversy in the wider Wing Chun community.
After some financial problems occurred with his master, Kernspecht, Boztepe headed to his master's master, Leung Ting, and took special lessons from him until a financial dispute, which caused him to leave the Wing Tsun organisation. Boztepe formed his own organisation, called Emin Boztepe Martial Arts System (EBMAS), afterwards.
actress Jacqueline Bisset
from 1997 until 2005. He is known to have dated Zeynep Urgancı, the ex-wife of Turkish businessman Mehmet Urgancı after Bisset.
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
practitioner William Cheung
William Cheung
William Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing , born ? October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun kung fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun...
, and he continued to gain attention in the 1990s with a public challenge of the Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
. He was a notable member of Leung Ting
Leung Ting
Leung Ting is the founder and permanent president of the International WingTsun Association.Leung chose the spelling of WingTsun to differentiate his teachings from those of other Wing Chun schools, and to keep them from passing off their style as his own...
's Wing Tsun
Wing Tsun
Wing Tsun is a branch of Wing Chun, led by Leung Ting.The particular phonetic spelling of 詠春 as Wing Tsun was picked by the branch founder Leung Ting to differentiate his branch from the others...
organisation until 2002, when he formed his own organisation.
Early life
Boztepe was born in EskişehirEskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
, Turkey, the second of six children. At the age of four, his family, originally from Bağlıca village of Emirdağ
Emirdag
Emirdağ is a town and district of Afyonkarahisar Province in Turkey, between the city of Afyon and Eskişehir. It covers an area of 2,009 km², and the population is 42,111 of which 19,991 live in the town of Emirdağ itself. The mayor is Cengiz Pala .The Emirdağ Mountains rise steeply behind...
, moved to Germany. According to Boztepe, his early days in Germany were difficult due to his Turkish heritage—he was a constant a target for racial insults
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and, more often than not, verbal abuse would escalate into physical abuse. Martial arts became something of a necessity and his father urged him to begin training. Boztepe recalled, "Germany was not the healthiest place for a young Turk in those days of growing racism and neo-Nazi movements." He claimed to have been in over 300 street fights, many of them a result of this period, though he also claimed to have not started any of these fights.
Martial arts career
In 1976, at the age of 14, Boztepe began studying martial arts, including judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, and traditional boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. During this period, he also fought as an amateur boxer in 16 matches.
In 1980, Boztepe was attracted to Wing Chun when he saw a demonstration by Keith R. Kernspecht
Keith R. Kernspecht
Keith Ronald Graf von Rothenburg Kernspecht, better known as Keith R. Kernspecht , is a German martial artist and entrepreneur....
who was teaching in Kiel, Germany. He said, "Wing tsun was, really, love at first sight. And it fit me. For whatever reason, I was a natural at it." Boztepe also began training in Latosa Escrima, which Kernspecht's German Wing Tsun Organization had decided to make part of the family in 1982.
His fight with Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu
Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a style of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. It is claimed to be the authentic, more effective version of Wing Chun taught exclusively to William Cheung by Yip Man...
master William Cheung
William Cheung
William Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing , born ? October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun kung fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun...
in 1986, at a seminar in Germany, caused controversy in the wider Wing Chun community.
After some financial problems occurred with his master, Kernspecht, Boztepe headed to his master's master, Leung Ting, and took special lessons from him until a financial dispute, which caused him to leave the Wing Tsun organisation. Boztepe formed his own organisation, called Emin Boztepe Martial Arts System (EBMAS), afterwards.
Personal life
Boztepe was romantically linked with EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
from 1997 until 2005. He is known to have dated Zeynep Urgancı, the ex-wife of Turkish businessman Mehmet Urgancı after Bisset.