I would recommend you read our FAQ, and hopefully you'll find answers to your questions.

Q1: What is kung fu?

Q2: What's the difference between kung fu, karate, ju jitsu, tkd, etc?

Q3: What's the difference between the various styles of kung fu?

Q4: I'm not sure what type of martial arts program is right for me. Do you have a system where I can try it out for little while without making a big financial commitment like at a lot of gyms?

Q5: Am I too old to start?

Q6: Can I learn kung fu if I'm not in great shape?

Q7: Is Wing Chun suitable for women?

Q8: I'm very busy between balancing my time between family and work, and cannot dedicate a lot of time to martial arts training. Would it be worthwhile for me to come out only once or twice every week?

Q9: I noticed that your bio mentions that you are a Christian. I'm not a Christian is that a problem?

Q10: What age groups to you teach?

Q11: Is there a uniform that I have to wear?

Q12: What should I wear to my first class?

Q13: What is a typical class cover?

Q14: I heard that Wing Chun is a martial art that focuses mostly on fighting, how do you teach it?

Q15: Will I learn self protection / self defense?

Q16: Is Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) the same martial art that Bruce Lee studied in Hong Kong?

Q1: What is kung fu?
A1: 'Kung Fu' or 'Gung fu', can be translated as 'skill through effort' or 'hard work' or 'skilled work'. It is only in the west did the term 'gung fu' come to mean Chinese martial arts in general. This term has become generally accepted throughout the world.

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Q2: What's the difference between kung fu, karate, ju jitsu, tkd, etc?
A2: There are several differences between the different martial art styles. Besides country of origin, their are cultural differences, differences in philosophy and technique. For example, Tae Kwon Do, an art originated in Korea, focuses on kicking technique especially high kicking techniques. Ju jutsu, a Japanese system, focuses on takedowns, joint locks, and body leveraging. Wing Chun a Chinese martial art system focuses on striking at close range while using structure and angles to negate the opponents force.

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Q3:What's the difference between the various styles of kung fu?
A3: Wow, that's a big question. Let's break this down into a couple of generalities. First there are Northern and Southern styles. Northern styles are traditionally noted for their kicking, while Southern styles are known for their focus on hand techniques. Also there are different styles that mimic various animals ( tiger, snake, crane, monkey). Wing Chun does not mimic animals, as people are humans, not snakes or birds. There are also different 'family' styles within a particular style. For example, in Tai Chi (taiji), there is the Yang family style, the Wu family style, Sun family style and Chen family style. Wing Chun is also a good example of this. If you look at the different Wing Chun teachers that were taught by Yip Man, you will notice very different interpretations of Wing Chun. Hope that answers your question.

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Q4: I'm not sure what type of martial arts program is right for me. Do you have a system where I can try it out for little while without making a big financial commitment like at a lot of gyms?
A4: At Canadian Wingchun Fellowship, we offer three (3) payment plans, monthly (with a 6 month contract), 6months and 12months. With cost savings to you the more you commit to Canadian Wingchun Fellowship. I would also recommend you come out and watch a class. This may help you to see if Wing Chun is an art that is right for you.

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Q5: Am I too old to start?
A5: In life, it is never to late to start. We teach anyone from 18years to 99years. You can work at the pace and intensity that you are comfortable with.

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Q6: Can I learn kung fu if I'm not in great shape?
A6: Learning martial arts is a great way to get in shape. Martial arts are fun, and can be a mental workout as well as a physical one! When you start, we really encourage everyone, to work at their physical level, and as time progresses you will be surprised how great a shape you will be in!

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Q7: Is Wing Chun suitable for women?
A7: Wing Chun is great for women. According to Wing Chun legend, the art of Wing Chun Kuen was developed by a woman, Ng Mui, and passed on to Yim Wing Chun. Wing Chun focuses on using good structure, angles and sensitivity to help overcome an opponent, not brute strength.

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Q8: I'm very busy between balancing my time between family and work, and cannot dedicate a lot of time to martial arts training. Would it be worthwhile for me to come out only once or twice every week?
A8: Coming out only once or twice a week is better than nothing at all. I try and encourage people to be active, regardless of what they do (Martial arts, basketball, etc.)! As you train, you will make progress, and like any skill, the more you train, the more proficient you will become at it. It can be said, that in martial arts, it's not the destination that is important, but the journey.

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Q9: I noticed that your bio mentions that you are a Christian. I'm not a Christian is that a problem?
A9: Should it be? It's not a problem at all! I think it's important that regardless of where you go learn martial arts, that you know what your instructor's beliefs or ideologies are. You need to remember that learning martial arts is not just about the system, but also the relationship that develops between sifu (teacher) and todai (student).

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Q10: What age groups to you teach?
A10: The Canadian Wingchun Fellowship teaches anyone from 18 years to 99 years old. Exceptions will be made for those 16years or older, by interview and parental consent.

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Q11: Is there a uniform that I have to wear?
A11: Yes. The uniform consists of a Canadian Wingchun Fellowship T-shirt, pants and shoes.

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Q12: What should I wear to my first class?
A12: For the first class, you can wear a t-shirt (no t-shirts with questionable, or inappropriate logos/phrases), athletic pants (trackpants), non-marking indoor shoes or barefeet.

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Q13: What does a typical class cover?
A13: A typical class will cover: Martial Foundations (basic drills, conditioning, coordination, balance, stretching, etc); Wing Chun Single Person drills; Wing Chun Two Person Drills (chi sau, pak sau, defenses); Wing Chun forms and theory..

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Q14: I heard that Wing Chun is a martial art that focuses mostly on fighting, how do you teach it?
A14: At the Canadian Wingchun Fellowship we focus first and foremost on the study and understanding of Ving Tsun Gung Fu as an art, and as a result a student will develop skills that they can use in everyday life along with effective self-defense.

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Q15: Will I learn self protection / self defense?
A15: Yes. As part of the regular classes we teach techniques, explain both how and why they work, and you get time to practice these techniques in class.

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Q16: Is Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) the same martial art that Bruce Lee studied in Hong Kong?
A16: Yes, Wing Chun was the martial arts system Bruce Lee studied during his time in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee was taught by Grandmaster Yip Man. Grandmaster Yip Man was also Moy Yat's sifu (teacher). From what I understand, Grandmaster Moy Yat was actually Bruce Lee's kung fu big brother (sihing). Many of the Wing Chun drills and principles helped Lee to develop his personal martial-arts system of Jeet Kune Do.

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