What style of Wing Chun are you offering?
Although I believe that there is only one style of Wing Chun with variations that developed over the years, at the SWKFS we teach and practice the style as it was taught and passed down directly from Great Grandmaster Ip Man to his Eldest son Grandmaster Ip Chun to Master Yip to me. We teach the complete system without any “modifications” or so called “improvements”.
Do you offer “introductory” or “free” classes?
The short answer is NO. Aside from those who are genuinely interested in learning martial arts, I have over my years of training found out that there also two other types of people visiting martial arts schools. a) Those who go from school to school to get free lessons or get their workout for the day without any intentions of joining or committing to a school or a style. This is unfair to both me and my students who pay their dues as I am diverting my attention from their training to work with the newcomer. b) Unfortunately there are also those who visit schools for the sole purpose of testing their skills and boost their ego. This at times has led to fights and /or injuries and in some instances in the past even death. My primary concern is the welfare of my students and the positive attitude of my school. For this reason no one is permitted to train at the SWKFS who has not previously fully registered and signed our release form. Anyone interested is however welcomed to come and observe a class. Please call for details.
How long is your course of study?
This one is bit tricky. Although we have a fully comprehensive curriculum with levels and testing, the length of study for each level serves mostly as a guideline for the student to have time to absorb and practice the various aspects of the style. And although this guideline represents the minimum time you will have to apply yourself to the practice and training, the determining factor of progress will be the dedication and consistent attendance by the student. Because of the legend of Yim Wing Chun learning the style from Ng Mui in 100 days, one of the biggest misconceptions about Wing Chun is that it is a quick and easy style to learn. Nothing could be further from the truth, and although the style has a more streamline approach than other more traditional Kung Fu Styles, it takes years of dedicated training to master it.
Does your school participate in Competitions or exhibitions?
No. Wing Chun in its intrinsic lethal nature was never meant to be a competition sport. Due to the nature of sports even MMA matches by definition must uphold as their primary directives the safety of the participants. Therefore most martial arts involved in competitions invariably become over time a somewhat “friendlier” version of their original styles as each time a technique becomes too dangerous, it becomes forbidden, even more so as far as Wing Chun is concerned. Since at the SWKFS we train in the original way Wing Chun was taught and passed down to us, we do not participate in competitions. Individuals however are free to do as they please as long as they understand that they cannot lay claim to represent the Shan Wu Kung Fu School or me, and are therefore not allowed to either use the school’s name or mine to enter any competition.
Who do you accept as students?
At the SWKFS we welcome men and women students of all ages, race, beginners or advanced. This being said martial art training is strenuous by nature, and you must be able to follow the training regimen. So a medical clearance from you doctor might be a good idea. At present time there are however two exceptions. 1) We do not accept children under 16 years of age as the training and sparring might can be too intense for them. 2) We also do not accept students who are also currently enrolled in another Wing Chun school. Other martial arts styles are OK. The reasons for this are twofold, a) it is important for us to maintain a respectful attitude towards other schools and avoid any misunderstandings or suspicion of impropriety. b) Even from the same lineage different teachers have different styles of teaching and different levels of understanding rendering it more difficult to teach and correct a student’s techniques and skills. As the old saying goes: “Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the sauce”.
Do you have contracts?
No. Your only commitment is the monthly dues, and testing fees. There is no long or short term contract, and therefore no scheduled end-of-course, nor guaranteed graduation. The sole impetus is the student’s motivation and hard work.
Do you teach the complete Wing Chun System?
Yes. At the SWKFS we teach the complete Wing Chun system as set by the late Great Grandmaster Ip Man that is: The three hand forms (Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu, and Biu Tze), the Wooden Dummy form (Muk Yan Chong), and the two weapons forms the Six and Half Point Pole (Luk Dim Boon Kwun) and the Eight Cuts Butterfly Knives (Bart Cham Dao).
Do you offer Instructor Certificate?
Yes. Our two main certifications are our Certificate of Completion of the system, and our Instructor Certificate. Anyone who comes regularly, practices hard and passes the tests will complete the system in due time. Anybody can learn however not everyone can teach, therefore the Instructor program is for the student that has not only completed the system but is also interested and shows aptitude in teaching.
Beside Wing Chun what else does the SWKFS offer?
We are currently in the process of setting up our Qin Na class, and will also in the near future offer both seminars and on-going Qi Gong classes. Check our website regularly for new updates.
Do you offer Private Lessons?
Yes. Please call or email the school to schedule an appointment with Sifu Rémion.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to contact us here.