How it all came to be…
Learn the History of Wing Tsun
The martial art of Wing Tsun (pronounced ‘wing chun’) has a few different origin stories. There were no written records and so historical accounts are almost entirely verbal.
Bruce Lee might have been the first person to teach it publicly in the U.S. He is reported to have had his first private students in the year 1959 (Wikipedia). Martial art schools that teach the Yip Man lineage did not open to teaching the public in the U.S. until the early 1970s. For a very well researched account in detail, read the book “Roots and Branches of Wing Tsun” by Prof Leung Ting.
Come check us out at…
Our Martial Arts School
You will learn a serious martial art for self-improvement and self-defense. Advance yourself as a person in important ways. Overcome the cell phone – computer monitor syndrome that afflicts nearly everybody today. Several aspects of the training have benefits for physical and mental problems that are otherwise ignored in our sedentary society.
Wing Tsun gradually becomes a vigorous, fast moving martial art, as you, the trainee, become more skilled. It places self-defense as a high priority. It is different from T’ai Chi in that students are taught the fighting applications in addition to movement skills. If you need a reason to move and get in shape, try Wing Tsun’s precision skill-building.
Our WingTsun™ martial arts classes in Gilbert and Scottsdale, Arizona teach the art, a southern Chinese kung fu method of the Yip Man Lineage. We are part of the largest Wing Chun organization – the International WingTsun™ Association. We break the mold of your usual type of martial arts class. Individual attention is part of the instruction instead of the ‘mass teaching,’ military style of larger schools. It is a close-range punching, striking, low kicking and anti-grappling system that develops highly evolved “sticky hands” skills in all students that persevere. It is a superb system of self-defense.
Certain martial arts from southern China and Okinawa are probably related to it because of certain similarities but nobody knows for sure. The legend says that it was invented by a female monk from the Shaolin monastery. In the 20th century, Bruce Lee studied from Yip Man. There is no ‘sport’ application. Students learn exacting self-defense skills and mastery of the inner self, mentally and physically. Head instructor, Sifu Keith Sonnenberg, has 34 years experience teaching the Leung Ting WingTsun® system of the Yip Man Lineage. You can learn at three evening classes per week and two early morning classes per week in Gilbert. You can read more about Wing Tsun on our news section which has an ongoing list of informative blogs.
Meet the instructors…
Our Sifu’s
Gilbert Arizona
Our Location
Located in Gilbert, with close access from the cities of the East Valley, Wing Tsun Arizona is your opportunity to learn the Martial Arts Bruce Lee learned in China. Our address is:
745 N. Gilbert Rd. #120, Gilbert, AZ 85234
S.E. corner of Gilbert Rd. and Guadalupe Rd. in the same center as Salads ‘N Go and Arby’s at the north end of the strip center. We are between Amazing Discoveries and The Gilbert Poolman. Come see us!