Wing Chun in NYC

[qguy]

Hi i'm looking for a good wing chun school in NYC. I hear there are alot but i've only checked out one. I see so many ads on the internet for different WC/WT/VT schools that i don't know what to make of them. On top of that, i hear alot of good schools don't advertise. So I can't tell what is what. So i was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

-thanks

[Super-Fist]

Hey qguy. You're right. There are tons of Wing Chun schools in the New York City area. You should check each one out. Here, check out mine www.geocities.com/wingchunschoolNYC


Thanks and Happy Hunting

[fmann]

Well it also depends on where you are willing to travel.

There are two good schools in Manhattan that come to my mind immediately:

Six Harmony MA Academy is school that teaches WC of the Moy Yat lineage in a fairly traditional teaching style. The classes are very rigorous in terms of physical exercise and conditioning, with fairly well paced technical progression. I've been a student there previously and worked with one of their sihings Alex Brown. Sifu Thomas also teaches Hsing-I and Chen Tai Chi styles, so he's pretty well rounded in terms of soft and hard styles.

Their website is kinda hokey, but informative:www.sixharmony.com/main.html (http://www.sixharmony.com/main.html)

Another school that immediately comes to mind is WTNY. The big differences between this school and Six Harmony are:
1. WTNY is Leung Ting style, emphasizing slightly different principles of strength, yielding, etc. than Six Harmony. Also, they have a different teaching structure with many levels of progression and a standardized basic curriculum. If you were to go to another WT school elsewhere, students of the same level will all know roughly the same stuff.
2. WTNY classes are focused on teaching WT, not so much towards exercises. Don't get me wrong, you'll workout, but not as rigorously as say if you go to a gym.

I am currently a WT student, though not at WTNY.

www.wtny.com (http://www.wtny.com)

[Sihing73]

Hello,

There will be a Wing Chun Gathering on January 12th in Flushing, NY. We will be meeting to go as a group for Dim Sum and then returning to the school of Sifu Alan Lee for fellowship. This is a non-political get together and there will be representatives from different Wing Chun families present. Why not come out and meet some of us and then you can get a better idea of what is available.

Peace,

Dave
BTW: I train in NYC every Tuesday night if you ever want to meet.

PS. fmann-Unless I am mistaken this school is not affiliated with Leung Ting but would be one of Emins schools. There will be a Leung Ting school opening in NYC in May of 2002. It doesn't matter to me but I figured anyone inquiring about schools should be aware that the school you listed is not a Leung Ting school, Emin has built a strong following and his skill is considered to be very good.

[Sam]

Why don't you check out James Cama Sifu: www.buddhapalm.com
Fut Sao Wing Chun Kuen mainland Wing Chun Style direct from Shaolin. JCama108@aol.com 718-692-2281

[fmann]

You're right SH73. WTNY is a Emin affliated school. But the core WT is of the "Leung Ting" flavor.

[qguy]

jmann, if i may ask, what made you switch to another school? Maybe your reasons may offer insight as to what i should be thinking about.

i've heard people say that it really doesn't matter which style you choose. but if it don't matter then what makes someone choose one flavor of WC over another?

I've also heard people say that one flavor "suits" them better than another. But this typically becomes apparent only after years of studying right? What can a beginner like me do to find the right "flavor"?

sihing73: thanks for the invitation! Actually i was interested in going to check it out. Unfortunately i can't make it. i'm going away sunday and i'll be gone for 2 weeks. =( maybe next time!!

thanks!

[qguy]

everybody, thanks a bunch for listing your recommended schools! i intend to check out all of them!!

[Jeff Liboiron]

Dude, check out sifugrados.com

He is very good

[fmann]

qguy,

First of all, I think that as a beginner with no experience, you have to find a teacher that can explain things clearly. If you take a free class or so, ASK QUESTIONS. Why am I standing this way? Why is the punch like this? Does this elbow position matter?

Also ask yourself questions: Am I getting enough attention? This technique feels wrong, but is the teacher correcting me?

Obviously, class size has an influence and also, you can't expect the teacher to be psychic. But like Whippinghand says: "The teacher is the teacher... not a salesperson." So expect him to teach, and not just take your money and show you some foo foo.

After a couple of months or so, you have to see if you are progressing at a level that suits you. Do you have the necessary strength and endurance to do a certain thing? Are you advancing too quickly and can't remember everything or are you advancing a little too slowly? If you feel a learning block, you have to talk with the sifu or higher sihings and see what's working and what's not.

What motivated me to change schools was more personal changes (time, location, etc.) than any faults or anything wrong with the schools.

[mun hung]

There are quite a few Wing Chun/Ving Tsun/Wing Tsun schools in New York City. I suggest you visit them all if possible before choosing one. Depends on what you're seeking.

Now of course, my instructor.....

My SiFu Allan Che Kong Lee learned privately in Hong Kong from the late Yip Man. He personally teaches class 6 days a week in Flushing, New York. He is an extraordinary teacher and martial artist. www.wingchunnyc.com

Good luck in your search.

[datou]

The website for the new Leung Ting school in NYC is at:

www.geocities.com/nyctwt

Happy Training!