Austin feels that there should be no secret formulas or techniques in any style of martial art. He believes that as times change, so must the arts - what worked 300 years ago might not be practical now, and so the training systems and principles must change to suit our modern life. For anything to survive, it should be taught openly and properly.

Austin was the first wing-chun teacher in Europe to teach not only Bil-Chee (wing-chun's third form) but also the pole form, wooden dummy form, and the 180 movements of the Butterfly Knives.

 

In 1983 Austin appeared on the British television programme "Just Amazing" where he gave a chi demonstration. In an awesome display of chi strength, he made a new world record by breaking fifteen four-inch concrete blocks on his chest with a sledge-hammer wielded by one of his students.

 

He also stunned the audience by breaking two concrete blocks against the side of his head with a sledge-hammer!

After this performance, the audience nicknamed him the "Iron Man of Wing-Chun".