Growth in Wing Chun
Where to Begin? Growth in Wing Chun. 
Where does one begin divulging the effervescent determination surrounding my growth in Wing Chun under the Sifu Och lineage. As well as the growth in myself. Ultimately the scrupulous truth would be in my young age of six when I as many martial artist has divulged found my passion for martial arts watching Enter the Dragon featuring Bruce Lee.
It was my favorite movie to re-watch and practice the moves of in my mom’s living room. From that moment on I knew I wanted to learn more about Bruce lee but also learn more about martial arts. Growing up we didn’t have much extra money so my passion laid with tutorial videos, school wrestling team, and books explaining how to train and learn new moves or techniques.
Ip Man was released in the united states
Fast forward to the important part, the year 2009 when the film Ip Man was released in the united states red box system, I was helping my grandpa move when he out of kindness decided to rent a movie for me and my brother. He casually strolls in and I will never forget what he said “you Know you guys have worked real hard and I wanted to show a small gesture of appreciation, I know you both love martial arts so I saw a film on Bruce lee’s master in red box and thought it would be interesting for you to check out.”
Little did I know that night after years of watching, reading, and jumping styles when able I would find my passion and my growth in Wing Chun. I watched the film and fell in love with the pure flow of combinations, relentless ferocity in each hit and it wasn’t flashy but it was unprecedentedly fast and effective. I begin with this prelude only to set the proper background for why I study as hard as I do and why I have such an appreciation for every moment I spend learning something in Sifu Och Wing chun.
Years of Martial Arts Fanaticism
In my years of martial arts fanaticism and study I have trained in my styles of course seeing as I have landed in Sifu Och Wing Chun never were for very long. The complete breakdown would be six months of high school wrestling, a month of Muay Thai, a month of Goju-Ru karate, and Six months of Sport Judo.
These many styles that I bounced around in were necessary, they allowed me to gain a proper understanding of what most martial arts schools were about. The schools primarily focused on the money, they would show you a couple moves leave you on your own and then after a bit would ask if you want to join up.
This was an industry standard I did not like, so I often parted ways, if I wasn’t sure I maybe stuck around for a bit to maybe see if I was judging to quickly or harshly. I feel that my jumping styles did in fact help me grow as a martial artist however the training only took me so far and let’s be honest it wasn’t very far at all. I still had nervousness in fighting situations or even in confrontational situations. My Growth in Wing Chun has only begun.
Sifu Och Wing Chun has been a Blessing
Sifu Och Wing Chun has and will always be a blessing to me, it’s not simply a school to learn how to defend yourself, for me it’s so much more. To elaborate in greater detail and analysis it’s a family that helps me when im struggling, it’s a support group to help me further grow as a martial artist however the training only took me so far and let’s be honest it wasn’t very far at all. I still had nervousness in fighting situations or even in confrontational situations.
Not Simply a school to learn how to defend
Sifu Och Wing Chun has and will always be a blessing to me. Its not simply a school to learn how to defend yourself, for me it’s so much more. To elaborate in greater detail and analysis it’s a family that helps me when I’m struggling. It’s a support group to help me further my physical and mental goals. It’s also the one place in the world where I feel myself separate from my troubles. First note I am going to touch on is the benefits of the training I receive from Tampa wing chun and Lakeland wing chun with my martial arts growth.
Nervous when entering a physical confrontation
When I began a little over a year ago I was nervous when entering a physical confrontation however from the moment I joined (Like literally Day One) I was put into wrist vs wrist. This automatic exposure with the accommodations of the further advanced students I could not only overcome the fear but also conquer it.
Now I love sparring
Now I love sparring and wrist vs wrist and when situations outside in my daily life seem to be escalading I don’t worry, I am able to keep a level head. This allows for proper understanding of my surroundings and better problem solving analysis. Sifu Och wing chun also gives realistic defense training, where in other schools I have found what felt like rigid motions that are supposed to at some point just become natural, sifu och wing chun has offered close quartered and naturally fast movements that take your body no time to understand and implement.
It may take years to perfect or tweak to get it in the state you most desire but in the beginning, you already see significant differences. Second I also found a school that talks to each other, where older more intimidating students walk up to the newbies and say hello, give praise while also offering helpful criticism instead of sink or swim.
My Growth in Wing Chun is a place place where I feel at home. You are not judged and where only growth is possible, growth of the self, growth of the heart, and growth of body and mind. Nowhere I have crossed paths with has ever come within striking range of what is offered. All of what I wrote hopefully explains why I love what I do at Sifu Och Wing Chun. Why I drive 2 and a half hours for private lessons, tests, classes, and get together. The dream of one day offering a place of sifu och wing chun, where I end up when I become Sifu.
Written by Jacob Cramer
For information on classes contact us at
call us now at 863.800.0171
116 east pine street, lakeland florida 33801
With classes 6 days a week for Adults, teens and kids ages 3 and up.
https://sifuochwingchun.com/classes/lakeland-wing-chun-kung-fu-classes/
The first two weeks of training I was extremely cautious and suspicious of everything that Sifu taught. It was so different from everything I knew, that at first it felt like it couldn’t possibly be right.
Learning to love Wing Chun was a struggle at first. Because some of the techniques were contrary to my first love of Karate, it felt a little bit like betrayal. I had been training Karate for ten years! For the past five years, I had been teaching and instructing the art that I love. Now suddenly I was at the bottom of the food chain, knowing absolutely nothing about Wing Chun – it was a hard transition to say the least, but one well worth making. I was soon able to respect and appreciate each art for their differences, and have started down the road of incorporating them both.
My overall health and fitness has improved including strength and endurance. My mental health improved as well, relieving the stresses of daily life in class every night. This year I started a very emotionally draining internship dealing with girls that have been sex trafficked. Wing Chun allowed me to refrain from going insane and relieve my frustration.
Not to mention all of the new friendships I would develop with the truly amazing group of people that also come in to train. Quite a while back, long before I started training at Sifu Och Wing Chun I used to have something of an ego. When it came to fighting and self defense I used to think that I would be good at defending myself without needing to train. Coming in to train at Sifu Och Wing Chun showed me that I was so terribly wrong. Seeing such powerful and highly skilled individuals train with little or no ego at all, was amazing. They didn’t become upset when they were outmatched. Rather they chose to learn from their mistakes and improve their already high skillset. By spending time around my sihings and sifu, I have also adapted those qualities.
Not only has my lakeland wing chun journey been to advance my self defense skills but also in many other parts of my life. I recently opened a business and many times I’m outmatched by other businesses. I have learned to not let that bring me down and that letting go of my ego will allow me to adapt and grow. So that I am not outmatched both in the business aspect and personal aspect of my life. Humility takes a person much farther in life than ego ever can. I know that my journey has just begun and its not about the 
An excellent aspect about Wing Chun that Sifu Och teaches is that its really simple to learn, but it becomes harder when we over complicate it. In a way life works in the same way. It really is simple to live life until we begin to overthink situations. Which causes unnecessary stress and worrying about something that might not even happen and that sets us back. It makes life complicated and harder to live. Through my time with Sifu Och I have learned that all aspects of life should be lived by the “Keep it simple, stupid” (KISS) principle. Sifu Och has the combined knowledge and training of 4 different 
You might get tired in class and you will definitely get in shape if you come consistently and push hard. What I love about Sifu Och Wing Chun is that the martial art is not overly complicated. It doesn’t have dozens of forms to remember for each possible situation. As a matter of fact there are only three main forms in the art. Even after training for many years a student can just master one of those forms. They can incorporate it properly into their