Wing Chun School Comparison

How to Find the Best Wing Chun/Wing Tsun School for You

Unlike other places, we at the 'Backyard' encourage you to compare us to other wing chun schools in the Houston area. You cannot learn well in an environment you are not comfortable in. Obviously, if you are not comfortable here, you are better off learning wing chun/wing tsun somewhere else.

Following are a links to wing chun schools with websites we are aware of. Each has been around for a long time. Please check them out, call their instructors, set appointments, watch their classes, and then make up your mind which school or instructor/teaching system/curriculum/fighting style suits you best:

Naturally, for you to be able to compare anything, you need to know what to compare it with and what standards to use to make your decision. Here are a few suggestions (they are only suggestions; you must ultimately decide what's important to you):

1. Is the school's curriculum focused on practical self-defense, general health, physiological structure/internal energy development, or simply tradition?

2. Is there a definite curriculum the school follows, or is the instructor teaching "by the seat of his pants"? (Is the instructor willing to share his curriculum with you?)

3. Does the teaching method closely follow the core wing chun principles or mottoes? Can the instructor verbalize and explain the principles and demonstrate them in actual application?

4. Does the organization/lineage allow for innovation, or are they committed to following the way wing tsun/wing chun "has always been taught"?

5. Will the instructor allow/encourage you to train with outsiders from other schools or organizations, or does he expect you to be "wing chun monogamous"?

6. Is the instructor open to questions, or are you expected to take everything on faith and never question his authority?

7. Do the higher level students look to you like they can fight?

8. Will the instructor allow you to observe or try-out a class for free, or does he require you to sign a contract before you get to see anything?

9. How expensive are seminars with other, higher-level instructors from the school's umbrella organization?

10. Are there hidden costs that are not reflected in the monthly training/seminar fees? (i.e., are you expected to pay separately for each new form, chi sau section, etc., or is it all part of the school and seminar fees?)

11. Does the instructor merely claim that his 'kung fu lineage' is superior to that of others, or can he he show you by examples how his system is 'better' than the others?

12. Do the instructor's explanations make sense to you?

If you have other criteria/standards you want to add to this list, please contact Instructor Alex at awallenwein@gmail.com. We wish you a successful wing chun/wing tsun school search!