Fresno Wing Chun

Our School

Offering traditional Leung Sheung lineage Wing Chun Kung Fu in the Fresno area!

This school stresses the fundamentals of Wing Chun Kung Fu, and most importantly, the ‘bitterness’ of training. Wing Chun does not rely on muscle strength, but rather structure, speed, coordination, and timing based on relaxation. Wing Chun is known for close-range fighting and effective self-defense, which uses the center-line theory, low kicks, punching, and trapping.

We are affiliated with the California Leung Sheung Tong of the Worldwide Leung Sheung Tong Wing Chun Confederation through the San Jose Wing Chun Association under Sifu Ben Der.

I am looking for students with the right attitude and willingness to learn. Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. Beginners are always welcome, and you do not need to have prior training. All students train together, and we have no belts or ranking system.

Lineage

Sifu Ben Der began his Wing Chun training in Hong Kong in 1958 and learned up to the second set before coming to the US. While in the US, Sifu Ben Der continued his Wing Chun training with several friends in the Bay Area. In 1968, he met Kenneth Chung through a friend, and after 15 minutes of talking, they decided to work out. Sifu Ben Der was convinced by Kenneth Chung's technique and decided to have himself and his students under his tutelage. Sifu Ben Der eventually expanded the group to include teaching at San Jose State, and in 1974, Steve and Sandy Wong started training with Sifu Ben Der. In 1981, Sifu moved the classes to the current location, the backyard of Steve and Sandy Wong's house. Over the years, Sifu Ben Der has taught thousands of students, with many still training with him since the beginning. The San Jose Wing Chun Association traces its lineage to Sifu Kenneth Chung of the Bay Area Wing Chun Association and Leung Sheung, Grandmaster Ip Man’s most senior student in Hong Kong. Please click on the following links for additional information:

Ip Man - Leung Sheung - Kenneth Chung - Ben Der

About Myself

My name is Dominic. I have been a San Jose Wing Chun Association student under Sifu Ben Der since 2011. In January 2015, I started Fresno Wing Chun to spread Wing Chun in the Fresno area based on Sifu Ben Der's teachings.

Before starting Wing Chun, I started training in martial arts in 2002, primarily in KoKoDo JuJutsu, a traditional Japanese jujutsu system, and Matsumura Shorin-ryu kenpo, an Okinawan style of karate. I have also trained in Kali Ilustrisimo under Tom Shook and am still training in Crazy Monkey Defense (CMD) boxing with Coach Gary Watahira.

Since being exposed to Wing Chun Kung Fu in 2011, I have made it my primary focus in martial arts. I took some time off from training around 2020/2021, and I am now back training again.

About the Classes

The classes are structured with an emphasis on the fundamentals of building the correct body structure, which focuses on the following five elements:

鉗膝 (kim sat) The action of the hips and knees being drawn together to create an isosceles triangular shape in the legs as a result of relaxed structure on the stance. Isosceles triangles are effective at distributing weight evenly due to their structural properties.
落馬 (lok maa) The action of lowering the stance (horse) downward (through gravity), sinking through the knees. This is where “rootedness” is developed.
挺腰 (ting yiu) The action of tilting the pelvis slightly to connect the spine with the stance to create a straight spine. This allows an incoming force to be received through the structure.
登頭 (dang tau) Head erect and eyes looking forward. It should feel like your head is held up as if pulled by a string, and the neck relaxing into the shoulders without tension. The relaxed shoulders should look like the shape of a clothes hanger.
埋肘 (maai zaang) The ‘forwarding’ action of the elbows moving inward and forward without using force through a relaxed forearm and hand. The relaxed forearm and hands should create a "heavy" sensation.

Through relaxation, a student learns not to rely on strength but on position, sensitivity, and timing to neutralize an attack.

Class Location & Times

Because training occurs at a private location, I vet each potential student to determine if they are a good fit. The vetting process is normally more of an informal interview to understand your goals and to ask me questions to see if we are a good fit. Please use the contact form on the "Contact Us" page to send me your questions.

Class Times:

Thursday Nights: 5:30 - 7:30

來留去送，甩手直衝

“Greet what arrives, escort what leaves and rush upon loss of contact."

- Yip Man

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