Sifu Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez – Founder of CRCA-Lopez

A life dedicated to martial arts

Mario Lopez was born in 1964 in Germany to Spanish parents – in the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac.
In the 1970s, when Bruce Lee became world-famous, young Mario – like many others – was fascinated by his philosophy and determined to learn Jeet Kune Do (JKD).
At that time, however, there was no school in Germany where JKD could be practiced.

When Mario discovered that the main movements of JKD originated from Wing Chun, he began his training on April 8, 1980.
After his very first class, he already knew: “One day I will become a Wing Chun instructor.”

This dream accompanied him for many years – until it became reality in 1999, when Mario opened his first school in a space of only 35 m².
Through passion, discipline and vision, the school grew, and today his academy in Duisburg covers an impressive 470 m².

The journey through the CRCA-Lopez system

Mario was the first student of CRCA-Lopez to complete the entire system. His rankings:

  • Yellow Sash (Yellow Belt) – 1997, Germany
  • Red Sash (Red Belt) – 1998, Germany
  • Green Sash (Green Belt) – 2007, England
  • Brown Sash (Brown Belt) – 2009, Germany
  • Black Sash I (Black Belt I) – 2010, Romania
  • Black Sash II (Black Belt II) – 2011, Romania
  • Black Sash III (Black Belt III) – 2012, Mexico

After his final examination, Randy “Seef” Williams solemnly declared:
“Mario is the first in the line.”
On February 21, 2016, Randy presented Mario with his jade ring, saying:
“May the Force be with you – CRCA-Lopez is now yours.”

From that moment, Mario became the official worldwide head of CRCA-Lopez.

Vision and teamwork

Mario’s mission is to continue, modernize and expand CRCA-Lopez internationally.
He firmly believes that a strong team can achieve more than any single person.

For this reason, he founded:

  • a creative team on Facebook to connect CRCA-Lopez instructors worldwide,
  • the official CRCA-Lopez YouTube channel for home-training videos,
  • an official Facebook page to inform and motivate members and friends,
  • and a multilingual official website (in six languages) listing all CRCA-Lopez schools, instructors, and students with their ranks.

Furthermore, all previous testing systems were unified into a single examination structure to ensure consistent standards across the world.

Publisher, author, and visionary

Beyond his role as a martial arts master, Mario Lopez has been a publisher since 2012 and an author since 2025 of several of his own book projects.
His works combine martial arts, philosophy, and life wisdom – shaped by discipline, experience, and a deep desire to share knowledge.

Today

As the “head of CRCA-Lopez”, Mario Lopez lists all international schools on the official website and regularly shares updates about seminars, events, and new projects.
He stands for authenticity, passion, and teamwork – values highly appreciated by his students around the world.

Short description (for homepage or author box)

Mario Lopez, born in 1964 in Germany, is the founder and head of CRCA-Lopez.
He has dedicated himself to Wing Chun since 1980 and has been teaching professionally since 1999.
He has been a publisher since 2012 and an author since 2025 of several books on martial arts and life philosophy.
His school in Duisburg is today considered one of the largest Wing Chun academies in Europe.