The Wing Chun Practitioner

by Sifu Nick Francis (w/ Sifu Terrence Ho)

Ip Man Code of Conduct at the Lancaster Wing Chun Association

If you have shared any time with me, you likely know the value I put on relationships. In fact, I value relationships so much that I prioritize taking the time to meet every student when they begin their journey with us. Getting to know each individual, I value their stories, I value their goals, and I work to understand the challenges they face as they work to overcome.

In effort to build a supportive learning community I believe in, I first offer myself as a partner to support, encourage, and help all my students.

I may be a bit old fashioned, but I believe trust is essential to healthy relationships. This is why I believe trust is essential to learning Wing Chun. If you cannot trust me, or you can not learn to trust others, learning and growing is going to be difficult since we all learn and grow best with others.

This mentality isn't just for us here at the Lancaster Wing Chun Association, it is actually a bulwark trait of what I think is common among all the best Wing Chun Organizations throughout the world.

The reason I know that the Lancaster Wing Chun Association is a great school is because it feels them same as it's counterparts across the globe.

When I talk about what I expect from our members, first and foremost, I am not setting rules. I am simply aiming for the highest of expectations, standards, and culture. I believe it is this way of being that shapes us into the types of people who reach our goals.

The Lancaster Wing Chun Association is not dependent purely on my investment, it is equally dependent on the contribution of every member.

Participation is not optional here. It cannot be. 

Participation is essential.

This is why we don't have observers that drop by the school to watch. We are not about "us" and "them". We are about community. We are about building family. Although everyone is welcome to come and explore learning Wing Chun with us, I only teach by invitation.

Participation is the tool that leads to growth and change.

If you come with me to Hong Kong, Singapore or Leeds. You will be shocked when you realize that it all feels the same as here in Lancaster, PA. There may be different faces and different people, but they will all feel like home.

Fostering: 

• Trust

• Friendship

• Safety through kindness and respect

• Help and Guidance

Since we all face battles, acknowledging there is none greater than the battle raging within us, we must absolutely gather around us others who help us along the way.

Here is how Sifu Terrence Ho explains it to his students at their school in Singapore.

Thank you for letting me share this Sifu.

I truly appreciate the fact that we are family stretched across the globe.

Thanks for reading. I hope it serves as a guide for you, as it has me, that we are part of a larger family.

Being a Wing Chun martial artist develops a blend of physical, mental, and ethical qualities*

 1. Discipline – Commitment to consistent training

2. Respect – For instructors, peers, opponents, and the art itself.

3. Perseverance – Pushing through challenges and failures to improve in different aspects of the arts which will eventually transform your character and life.

4. Focus – Mental clarity and attention to details of techniques and applications. Not be affected by external factors.

5. Humility – Knowing there’s always more to learn, regardless of rank or skill. To not stroke your ego using your juniors but guide them with genuine passion. genuinely acknowledge your shortcomings and overcome them, seek help from seniors or Sifu.

6. Self-control – Ability to manage impulses and act with restraint. While everyone has ego, a martial artist knows how to control it. Do not seek a win-lose outcome in Chi Sao practice, be focused on practicing the attack and defense techniques and its efficiency instead.

7. Courage – Facing fear, step by step. Whether in sparring, competition, or real-life situations.

8. Balanced – To not be an extremist (too aggressive or too passive) Wing Chun advocates being balanced, allowing you to adjust and adapt techniques and mindset in various situations.

*Compliments of Sifu Terrence Ho of the Dennis Lee Ving Tsun Martial Arts Association Singapore.

"The Lancaster Wing Chun Association exists

to create a place where

people can learn traditional Ip Man Wing Chun

in a safe supportive environment."