East-West Wingchun Kungfu

This was a Yelp review I wrote for East-West Wingchun Kungfu school in Oakland I wrote on January 27, 2015:

This is my first martial arts course. I understand there is likely anxiety for anyone starting a new activity in a new atmosphere. Let’s go through a few likely questions newcomers may have:

What’s the first day like? Jasan will step aside and personally give you instruction on the theories behind Wing Chun as well as guide you through the beginning of the 1st form. In my mind, all the instruction is essentially 1-on-1 with Jasan, but the meat of your time is spent practicing what he’s taught you with other students. Each step of the way through, Jasan is there to provide instruction and guidance, but it’s up to you to put in the work to practice practice practice.

What’s the atmosphere like? The radio is usually playing in the back (sometimes it’s 80’s music, sometimes it’s hip-hop). Most students come in after work or school. We call the instructor by his first name without a title. Folks crack jokes and share stories, and you can be as serious about your practice as you’d like on any given day.

Are there egos? There are no belts and no ranks; there are assistant teachers and students of varying levels practicing with each other, but it’s never mentioned who is above who. It’s clear that everyone is there to learn from each other, no matter what skill level.

Hopefully this helps to alleviate some concerns curious minds may have about coming in. Unlike going to the gym, I’ve never had that “I don’t wanna go today” feeling; on the contrary, I feel bad for missing days and wish I had more time to come in to practice.

Highly recommended.