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| Bozidar Gabershek |
Everything is Wing Chun , even tactical
military training, including shooting, special forces training, antiterrorist tactics, etc. These words came from one of the most skilled and most knowledgeable martial
artists and military instructors of modern times – Bobby Gabersek. Bobby came to
Taipei last week to conduct a CQB seminar. We met after he finished
teaching for the day and stayed talking and me learning till late at night. He
brought his vast knowledge and excellent martial /military/combat approach to
the group of very good, young Taiwanese combat enthusiasts.
Who Is Bobby Gabershek?
Božidar “Bobby” Gabershek is a Serbian martial artist, military veteran, former military intelligence officer, and close-quarter-combat instructor with decades of experience in martial arts, military, police, security, and tactical training.
He began practicing martial arts in the early 1970s, initially training in Karate and Jujutsu and competing in martial arts competitions.
After completing his university studies, Gabershek began a professional military career in the former Yugoslavia. He served in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), including service in special forces and military intelligence, and attained the rank of lieutenant. After leaving the military, his professional experience continued in police and protective-security work.
Alongside his military and security career, he continued developing his martial arts, weapons, and tactical skills. He began studying Chinese martial arts during the 1970s and later became deeply involved with Wing Chun.
After moving to Australia in 1997, Gabershek continued developing his approach to close-quarter combat, combining his experience in martial arts with knowledge acquired through military, police, security, and tactical training.
He later became Director and Head Instructor of CQB Group International, through which he has taught close-quarter-combat and tactical methods internationally.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article described Bobby Gabershek as one of the people whose work formed the “foundation of modern close-quarter combat.” That formulation was too broad. Close-quarter combat has a much longer history and developed through numerous military and law-enforcement traditions. Gabershek’s significance here is his own development and teaching of a modern CQB methodology informed by his extensive professional and martial arts experience.
Today Božidar Bobby Gabershek is Director
and Head Instructor of CQB group international . Organization have training
centers in Australia , U.S.A. and Thailand . CQB group international offers
different kinds of training courses and security
services .
As a practitioner of traditional Chinese
martial arts I have no interest in modern military training , I have experienced
war in its worst and I had enough of that for life. On the other hand, I was really surprised when Bobby said the modern
military approach is no different from Wing Chun, a traditional Chinese martial
style. At the time when Wing Chun was invented by the members of Cantonese
opera trope, it had the same purpose as the modern CQB approach. Wing Chun can be
considered as CQB of it’s time. The same basic principles of efficiency and effectiveness apply now as they applied 150 years ago. Weapons changed but people , their
physical and mental abilities stayed the same . Same rules and same approach to
close-quarter combat can be applied at any given time with any given weapon.
I have never thought about this subject, but
it is so obvious that Bobby is right. It is interesting how one traditional
martial style started his journey in Foshan 150 years ago , went to Hong Kong
where it fell into a hands of a young
Serbian military officer who modernized it, made an excellent tool for modern-day military and police needs, and then returned it to the people who actually
invented the art.
Bobby significantly changed my martial arts
perspective, and the most praised moment was when he called me his student; it
is a great honor to be called that by one of the best martial artists of today
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| Bobby and Me |
Sources : Author's personal interview
