Anyone know of Sifu Robert Smith (Miami, FL)

[Ender7659]

I'm looking to join a local Kung Fu academy and, thus far the only legit seeming one I have stumbled across is

http://www.miamiwingchun.com/index.htm

Does anyone know about this Sifu/Dojo? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Also, any other suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

[Lucas]

for that particular school you may have better luck in the wingchun section, im assuming some of those chaps would know more.

[Ender7659]

Thanks, omw!

EDIT: Do you know of any other schools in my area?

[Lucas]

i'm sorry, i am unfamiliar with the miami area.

[kfson]

Wei Lun Huang
4405 SW 64th Court
Miami, FL 33155
(305) 663-0935
Yang Tai Chi
Liou He Bah Fah
Chi Kung

[Lucas]

i dont know if you are looking for wing chun specifically, i did a google search for kungfu in miami, i would check this place out if i were there.

http://www.floridakungfu.com/academy.htm

they have a sanshou program and also offer brazilian jiujitsu. thats a great package. they seem to have a pretty wide program selection there. but of course i know nothing of if they have contracts, etc....

id suggest just looking on the internet and looking to see what might fit your goals and make sure to visit them.

are you new to martial arts or kungfu?

[CLFNole]

If you are interested in CLF you can try:

leekoonhungkungfu.com

The school is in Sunrise so it would depend on where you are in Miami. Gus Rubio has a school in North Miami Beach I believe and Steve Chin teaches somewhere in Miami - his school is called Wing Lung or something like that.

[uki]

robert smith... wasn't he the lead singer in "the cure"?? :D

[Ender7659]

robert smith... wasn't he the lead singer in "the cure"?? :D

Yep! That's why it's so hard to find info!

@CLFNole: I'm not sure what I'm interested, or what's a legit school for that matter, which is why I'm glad to get some good advice from those more experienced than i am.

@Lucas: I'm 100% new to both Kung Fu, and Martial Arts as a whole so, any and all help is greatly appreciated!

[jmd161]

I'm looking to join a local Kung Fu academy and, thus far the only legit seeming one I have stumbled across is

http://www.miamiwingchun.com/index.htm

Does anyone know about this Sifu/Dojo? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Also, any other suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

Where in Miami are you located?


Are you in the South Miami area Hialeah, North Miami, Miami Gardens?


There are schools in Miami and surrounding areas.

[Ender7659]

Where in Miami are you located?


Are you in the South Miami area Hialeah, North Miami, Miami Gardens?


There are schools in Miami and surrounding areas.

I'm in Hialeah but I'll obviously take a little trip if it means better quality.

[Shaolindynasty]

go to the Lee Koon Hung school, top quality

[jmd161]

I'm in Hialeah but I'll obviously take a little trip if it means better quality.


go to the Lee Koon Hung school, top quality


How old are you if you don't mind me asking?


Based on your level of experience which you said was "beginner" and on what age you respond with, I'll make two suggestions....

1. Lee Koon Hung's Choy Lay Fut school in Ft. Lauderdale.

2. Hak Fu Mun (Black Tiger) in Miami (My style)


I'm not suggesting that our school or style is any better or has any advantages over Lee Koon Hung's school or the Choy Lay Fut style. I have a great deal of respect for both the school and the CLF style.

Training with us seems to be a bit much for most beginners. Our sifu is very old school and doesn't bend. You'd spend much if not the entire 1st yr in horse stance and basics. You're not gonna learn any forms for about the first 2 - 4 yrs.

You will learn self defense and how to protect yourself, but there will be no flash or fun, unless you consider very hard training fun!

[Ender7659]

How old are you if you don't mind me asking?


Based on your level of experience which you said was "beginner" and on what age you respond with, I'll make two suggestions....

1. Lee Koon Hung's Choy Lay Fut school in Ft. Lauderdale.

2. Hak Fu Mun (Black Tiger) in Miami (My style)


I'm not suggesting that our school or style is any better or has any advantages over Lee Koon Hung's school or the Choy Lay Fut style. I have a great deal of respect for both the school and the CLF style.

Training with us seems to be a bit much for most beginners. Our sifu is very old school and doesn't bend. You'd spend much if not the entire 1st yr in horse stance and basics. You're not gonna learn any forms for about the first 2 - 4 yrs.

You will learn self defense and how to protect yourself, but there will be no flash or fun, unless you consider very hard training fun!

Once again, thanks for the reply. I'm 22 years old. :D

[Drake]

Once again, thanks for the reply. I'm 22 years old. :D

If CLFNole recommends it, I can guarantee you it's legit.

[jmd161]

Once again, thanks for the reply. I'm 22 years old. :D


Based on your age I'd suggest you try Lee Koon Hung's school. It's a great style with a known and respected sifu and staff. You'd be among others near or at your age and experience level as well. If for some reason you feel CLF is not for you and would like to try Hak Fu Mun?

Just private message or email me through this forum and I'd discuss with you how you can go about training with us.

I only suggest this because everyone that trains with us are more experienced and a bit older than yourself. I'm 43 and the others are in their 40's as well. If you train with us it would be pretty much you and sifu one on one, and take my word that's tough!

I tell everyone traditional training one on one with a old school sifu, is not what I might consider fun...:D

jeff:)

[BoulderDawg]

Why don't you just come out and say that you don't want the guy to train there.

[Ender7659]

Why don't you just come out and say that you don't want the guy to train there.

:D

I don't think that's what he was saying. If anything, he's letting me know it's a great place to go if I'm up for a challenge/change.

I'm going to visit a trial class today at LKH school. I'll let you all know how it goes!

[jmd161]

Why don't you just come out and say that you don't want the guy to train there.

If, I didn't want him to train with us... I didn't have to reply to this thread. The only way he would be able to find us, is through me. As I explained and he understood training with us might be rather boring but tough.

We are not a commercial school and the majority of us are 20+ yrs older than he and a bit more experienced. He would spend a lot of time one on one with sifu and sifu is... let's just say he's not a peoples person at the start.

I don't think that's the image most people new to CMA are ready for. Few beginners have lasted past their first training class with us. I myself have stated on this forum in the past.... I almost quit several times myself and I had been training almost 15 yrs prior to meeting my sifu.

[CLFNole]

JMD:

I think what you said makes perfect sense and is in fact good advice for someone just getting into martial arts. Although we are a traditional school it is still a school setting and I think it is less intimidating to a new student when there are other new students around them. If he goes the route of hak fu mun in the way your sifu teaches it would probably be better to do something first to at least get exposed to martial arts. We are a bit of a drive for him but I think it will be worth his while. I think with any school or teacher you get out what you put in so it really is ultimately up to the student.

Peace.

[David Jamieson]

black tiger will eat you and spit out your bones.

do something else.

:D

awesome.

Oh hey Jeff! How's things? All is well up here. Just me and Wai Yee smashing away the weak parts. lol

[jmd161]

JMD:

I think what you said makes perfect sense and is in fact good advice for someone just getting into martial arts. Although we are a traditional school it is still a school setting and I think it is less intimidating to a new student when there are other new students around them. If he goes the route of hak fu mun in the way your sifu teaches it would probably be better to do something first to at least get exposed to martial arts. We are a bit of a drive for him but I think it will be worth his while. I think with any school or teacher you get out what you put in so it really is ultimately up to the student.

Peace.

CLFNole,

I agree 100%

Anyone who has ever followed my posting on this forum knows my martial arts studies were influenced by a meeting with Grandmaster Lee Koon Hung. He actually stopped and talked to me and remembered me from a tourney in which I myself was a beginner. He was a great man and I will forever cherish that meeting. I also spoke that I myself was going to start training at the school shortly after his brother took over. I think that shows how much respect I have for the school, style, instructors and the late Grandmaster.

The school is very traditional and like CLFNole said it's " less intimidating to a new student when there are other new students around them."

I agree with CLFNole it's a bit of a drive I stay in Miami Gardens near the stadium, but I also agree it's well worth it. There are other schools much closer but none I would recommend over Lee Koon Hung's.

[jmd161]

black tiger will eat you and spit out your bones.

do something else.

:D

awesome.

Oh hey Jeff! How's things? All is well up here. Just me and Wai Yee smashing away the weak parts. lol

Hey David!

I'm great still training with sifu. Give Stanley my best!

I need to chat with you when you have time. I know it's been yrs since we chatted hahaha. Have you seen the vids that Eric has posted on you tube?

here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/user/harkfumun

jeff:)

[CLFNole]

jmd:

As one of the instructors I have always thought you spoke well of our school. I have read a bit about your sifu but have never had the chance to meet him. I have always heard very good things about your sigung. From some of the stuff I have seen our styles definately share similarities.

By the way are those videos on the site from your lineage of hak fu mun?

Peace.

[jmd161]

jmd:

As one of the instructors I have always thought you spoke well of our school. I have read a bit about your sifu but have never had the chance to meet him. I have alsways heard very good things about your sigung. From some of the stuff I have seen our styles definately share similarities.

By the way are those videos on the site from your lineage of hak fu mun?

Peace.

Yeah sifu is not much of a people's person lol

I laugh when he says I don't like to so so with people...:D


Yeah those are from our lineage it's done a bit different than how we do it but it's close.

jeff:)

[CLFNole]

So there are other sifus still in Hong Kong from Wong Cheung?

As far as your sifu goes there is nothing wrong with not being social personally I am rather quiet and keep to myself, so its all good. As long as he is a good sifu, which seems the case that is all that matters.

Do you know if he knew my sifu when they were in Hong Kong?

[jmd161]

So there are other sifus still in Hong Kong from Wong Cheung?

As far as your sifu goes there is nothing wrong with not being social personally I am rather quiet and keep to myself, so its all good. As long as he is a good sifu, which seems the case that is all that matters.

Do you know if he knew my sifu when they were in Hong Kong?


Yes there are sifu still in Hong Kong who learned directly under Wong Cheung like my sifu. Most are not teaching however.

There are quite a few senior and junior to my sifu in fact. Problem is it was expected that my sifu would become the sifu once sigung passed on. He was Chairman of the Assoc. My sifu decided to leave and come to America, so when sigung passed my sifu was in America and no one had been named to take over upon sigung's death.

Most would like my sifu to head the Assoc. My sifu doesn't feel he should because he respects his seniors and feels they should have a board. Plus sigung only taught Hak Fu Mun in 1/3's to most. He felt no one person could handle knowing the entire system that it was too vast.

My sifu has spoken of your sifu many times. He has never said how well he knew your sifu but I can tell Lee Koon Hung had my sifu's respect. Not many people have my sifu's respect. He won't speak bad of anyone but you can tell those who he's not impressed with. He's said he knows Li Siu Hung as well...although he seems to not know him very well personally like Lee Koon Hung.

I have a picture I'm gonna pm to you it has many CLF masters at my sigungs school maybe you'll know some of them? My sifu's uncle was a CLF master i don't know his name though...my sifu knows a lot about CLF.

jeff:)

[CLFNole]

Sounds cool, looking forward to it.

[gwa sow]

where you one of the guys that was there last night (thurs)?

[David Jamieson]

Hey David!

I'm great still training with sifu. Give Stanley my best!

I need to chat with you when you have time. I know it's been yrs since we chatted hahaha. Have you seen the vids that Eric has posted on you tube?

here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/user/harkfumun

jeff:)

Great! Hey I didn't see these vids! Just the student in Australia and the others you had and of course the disks from Eric that Stanley shared. Cool! I'll definitely have to turn Stanley onto this channel. He'll love seeing the rings. He loves the rings. lol

I don't run my msn much anymore, I'll fire it up again and ping you in the near future. then, we can chat. :)

cheers man, all the best!

[CLFNole]

where you one of the guys that was there last night (thurs)?

Yep, the OP for this thread.

[Ender7659]

where you one of the guys that was there last night (thurs)?

Yes! I was the most innapropriately dressed of the three newbies (Beach shorts, haha! what was I thinking?)

Anyways, my first experience was pretty amazing. Everyone seems very friendly and, the Sifu has a great sense of humor. At one point, a friend I brought along actually had to leave the class feeling nauseated. The teasing immediately began thereafter.

Overall, the experience was even better than I expected. I'm happy to have found both a school I can dive into and focus on, and an online community as helpful as this one linked to it. :D

[CLFNole]

Glad you enjoyed it.

Was your friend feeling okay afterwards, he looked a bit pale? No big deal the body takes time to adjust. He wasn't the first person this has happened to nor will he be the last.

[jmd161]

I knew you'd love it!

It's the same feeling I got when I walked into the school... It's funny, if Joe had never shown me that Kung Fu Qigong magazine with Li Siu Hung on the cover, I would never have read that article on Hak Fu Mun, and I'd be a student there.:D

CLFNole,
I should be sending you a pm later today with the pics.


Good training!

jeff:)

[Ender7659]

Glad you enjoyed it.

Was your friend feeling okay afterwards, he looked a bit pale? No big deal the body takes time to adjust. He wasn't the first person this has happened to nor will he be the last.

He was fine. His issue was not so much being out of shape, we both play (or played, we're on an extended break now) competitive tennis. We're actually in the top 100 in FL, at the 4.0 level. He had just eaten a nice, big plate of rice, beans and I think pork chops so, that wasn't agreeing with the Kung Fu at all!



I knew you'd love it!

It's the same feeling I got when I walked into the school... It's funny, if Joe had never shown me that Kung Fu Qigong magazine with Li Siu Hung on the cover, I would never have read that article on Hak Fu Mun, and I'd be a student there.:D

CLFNole,
I should be sending you a pm later today with the pics.


Good training!

jeff:)

Thanks for the good wishes, Jeff. The school certainly has an comforting ambiance to it. I would love to visit your school in the future (if its open for visitors, not really sure). You guys have helped me get going on my long anticipated MA adventure.

I'll keep you all posted with my progress.

[CLFNole]

[QUOTE=Ender7659;987709]He was fine. His issue was not so much being out of shape, we both play (or played, we're on an extended break now) competitive tennis. We're actually in the top 100 in FL, at the 4.0 level. He had just eaten a nice, big plate of rice, beans and I think pork chops so, that wasn't agreeing with the Kung Fu at all!

Definately not a good idea before class but I am glad he is okay. I used to play a lot of tennis in high school and intramurals in college. Not nearly at your level but tennis in NY is far, far from the level in FL or the south for that matter. In the winter we would hit against a wall in a gym, which does very little for your game.

[jmd161]

Thanks for the good wishes, Jeff. The school certainly has an comforting ambiance to it. I would love to visit your school in the future (if its open for visitors, not really sure). You guys have helped me get going on my long anticipated MA adventure.

I'll keep you all posted with my progress.


Not really open to visitors, but, I think we could arrange something...;)

Just let me know maybe a week ahead when you'll like to visit and we'll make it happen.

Good training!

jeff:)

[ShadoeFire]

I'm looking to join a local Kung Fu academy and, thus far the only legit seeming one I have stumbled across is

http://www.miamiwingchun.com/index.htm

Does anyone know about this Sifu/Dojo? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Also, any other suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

I know this is an old post but I know Sifu Robert Smith and have been his student for about 4.5 years now. He is a great Wing Chun practitioner and a great teacher. If you are still interested in the style you are welcome call him. If you do tell him David sent you through an online forum. Might help him return your call sooner, lol.