In 2009, I had the privilege to briefly study under Gary Lam when his school was still in the backyard. While I could only attend 1x/week for about 4 months, it profoundly impacted my understanding of Wing Chun and its application. From the first day, it was clear that this was in the Wong Shun Leung lineage. Sifu Gary has made it his own system, and there isn't any contradiction in the learning or application process. There is no belt system, but the system is clearly laid out and understandable. Progress was skill-based, not by frequency of attendance or amount of money paid. Your proficiency was determined when Sifu would observe you & tell you when it was time to learn the next thing. You also had the chance to learn from senior students, and everyone I worked with was generous in sharing knowledge. Gathering for Sifu's demonstrations & explanations was always so helpful to learn by observation and experience. Though it has been ages since I've attended as a student, I am greatly indebted to Sifu & his son for taking me in for the brief period I learned from the GLWC system. Excellent Wing Chun school & highly recommended! PS: Still waiting for a GLWC branch to open here in San Diego! read more

Went there for about 8 months around 2013... Phenomenol training. Too far for my commute however. Recommend headquarters location over satellite location. read more

Sifu Gary Lam has been teaching Wing Chun for over 30 years, a student of the late Wong Shun Leung, both are widely known for their Wing Chun ability, fighting prowess, and experience. Sifu Gary Lam is not just an experienced teacher and fighter, he is also a warm and kind individual who wants you to succeed. He is patient and astute, guiding many individuals of all backgrounds, ability, and body type towards understanding the material according to the individual's needs. As far as the material, Wing Chun is already very practical as a style in of itself, further refined by Sifu's decades of experience, it is a tried and tested system you can rely on. But, like many things worth doing, it requires time, patience, and comprehension. I have seen many people come and go, even some friends who decided the pace wasn't to their preference. I'm sorry if you expected to be a great fighter in a few months, but that's just not realistic. These skills need time to train up, but they are yours if you are willing to put in the cost. I've been with Sifu for many years and owe him a great deal, from him I've learned not just martial arts but insights on life and being a decent individual. I could not recommend Sifu Gary Lam and his system enough to anybody looking to learn a legitimate fighting system. read more

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Basically I live here. This is where you will find me almost every night [except Fridays because the school is not open on Fridays]. With that said, lets begin: Sifu [Master/Teacher in Cantonese]: I have been pursuing martial art for most of my life [17 years and counting] and have been with several Instructors of different disciplines: Xing-Yi, Shaolin, Chen-Taiji, Bagua etc. When I first met Sifu I was expecting him to be someone resembling Jet-Li, Donnie Yen, or some elderly Chinese guy who's Yoda-like. Well, he was nothing like what I expected: instead he was a prosperous gentleman who had very big hands, wrists and very broad shoulders. I whispered to my best friend who introduced me "hey, ______, you sure this is the Sifu I'm going to be learning from?" My best friend nodded and I told Sifu my reason for learning martial art was so I would be able to use it if I needed to. He agreed and I have been learning from him ever since. Come March of 2017 will be my fifth year with Sifu and during these several years I have seen Sifu do some amazing things: his rhythm/timing is ridiculous, he's 60 but the way he transitions, hits and the power he's able to generate seems like someone in his early forties. At any given time, on call, Sifu is able to execute techniques and applications from the three empty hand forms [Siu Lim Tau, Chum Kiu and Biu jee] with seamless fluidly [techniques from section 1, 2, 3 of ______all done calmly and effortlessly without any breakage in-between actions]; he's able to demonstrate and utilize the weapon forms with his bare hands with ease. Sifu is unique in the sense there is a very human quality to him: he does not put himself on a pedestal so as to garner respect nor does he assume an air of pretentiousness that makes him unapproachable. Instead what you find in Sifu is a man who likes his food, watching Youtube on his phone about either fishing or Asian tv series. Sometimes he will bust out a joke out of the blue when least expected just because he feels like it. Training equipment: The school has tennis balls tied on strings to help train one's timing. There's mirror walls to help correct students' movements and mats to ensure students' safety when executing drills. There are long poles to help enhance structure, train whole-body coordination and power. The wooden dummies are to train structure, footwork and making one's movements more refined. There are sand bags of different sizes as well as various training gears. The learning environment: I like to call the school a Socratic learning environment; meaning the essentials will be taught: principles, ideas, techniques etc. How the students interpret, do with and how much they reap from the school's curriculum depends on how much they have put into their respective learning. The students will be frequently tested either verbally or physically in regards to their abilities and understanding of the material: not in the sense of a formal rank test per se but rather in an open dynamic setting where productive interactions are highly encouraged. read more

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Best Wing Chun School in all of SoCal, anyone else who says otherwise is either from a competitor school, or left before completing basic training. Owner and staff are very friendly, extremely accommodating to new students who are interested in learning the martial art featured in the films Ip Man 1-3, The Grand Master, The Final Master, etc. School was started and led by Grand Master Gary Lam: fighter of the Nightman, champion of the sun, master of karate, except it's not karate it's Wing Chun. The school also features a variety of different disciples with different talents and personalities ranging from all walks of arts of the martial nature. So if you value friendship, brotherhood, sisterhood, robin hood, boyz n' the hood, or hoodie melo, then this is the place to start your journey on not only learning self defense, but also self discovery. read more

If you wanna be the best , go to the best The last of the true masters All his people are serious & respectful at a whole other level Sifu has deep wisdom and takes his art very seriously read more

When my wife and I first visit his studio, my wife's first impression of his students was "Everyone seems to know EXACTLY what they're doing!" His studio is unique in that there's no one instructor yelling at rows of students - everyone seems to be practicing something either by themselves, or with another person, often with a 3rd, more seasoned student monitoring. For the lack of a better word, the atmosphere is both quiet yet noisy, relaxed yet focused. As I first met Sifu Gary Lam, I was a bit surprised by his friendliness - almost to the point of light-heartedness at times. Little did I realize that I came to study under one of the world's greatest Wing Chun practitioner / instructors. His techniques and teaching philosophies seems to models after his persona - simple, authentic, honest, jaw-droppingly efficient and extremely street-oriented. His rates are also surprising reasonable - considering his high regard in the martial arts world. I've heard horror stories about other famous martial-arts instructors charging an-arm-and-a-leg for their lessons...Thankfully I met Sifu Lam first. I am so proud to be his student. I hope I make him proud! I'd definitely recommend him to ANYONE interested in street-applicable martial arts in SoCal. read more

Out of all the different types of martial arts I've had experiences with, I find Wing Chun to be the most unique. Sifu Gary Lam has many many years under his belt and is a very friendly, humble, and insightful master. The It's a shame that I've only trained under Sifu Gary for two weeks over Christmas break. I will be continuing my training with his DVD tutorials. It's a shame that I attend school in Arizona. read more

Sifu Lam learned Wing Chun Kung Fu from the famous Hong Kong challenge fighter Wong Shun Leung. He later became an assistant coach under Wong Shun Leung, leading classes and assisting his teacher. He also learned Muay Thai boxing in Thailand, giving him ring experience with some of the best fighters in the world. Sifu Lam went on to found his own Wing Chun/Muay Thai school in Hong Kong called TOP FIGHT. He has been teaching Wing Chun both in Hong Kong and in the United States for over 27 years. Sifu Lam is well know in the Wing Chun community for putting his skills to the test both in tournaments and challenge matches. Sifu Lam brings to his classes a wealth of experience and knowledge, always with a keen attention to real world application of fighting skills. Greg LeBlanc Oakland, CA. read more

Visiting Sifu Lam from San Francisco. He is very friendly and knowledgable. We learned so much from him for just a short visit. I wish he could open a branch in San Francisco so we could have our son to take classes - only learn from the best of the best! Thank you for spending time with us! read more

Gary Lam Wing Chun Kung Fu - Chinese Martial Arts Near Me - Monterey Park CA, California

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Gary Lam is a true Wing Chun Master trained in Hong Kong. This is a comprehensive fighting system dedicated to effective self defense honed to perfection over the last 50 years. The dedication to detail and perfection is incredible as you build your fighting structure and ability to face any fighting situation successfully. Gary provides patient excellent personal hands on guidance as you grow in your skills. This is the best high level wing Chun Training that I have experienced. read more

The best place to learn Wing Chun in LA. Really helpful with body moving and defense, also for health and sifu is wonderful~ read more

Gary Lam Wing Chun Kung Fu - 洛杉矶咏春迪辉馆 - Chinese Martial Arts Near Me - Monterey Park CA, California

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The place is clean and nice. The people there are nice and decent. However, you will not learn much here. Mainly because the owner, or the master, seems like he completely gave up on the arts a long time ago, now this is just all business to him. He will teach you things really slowly and send you off to punch the bags. The monthly fee is on the expensive side and does not include learning how to use the wooden dummy. That's a package that cost another $400. And he will also make you buy 2 t-shirts for $20 each. The owner is really pushy. If you are already proficient at Wing Chun, this could be a good place for you to go and practice with the people there. But if you want to learn, then no. read more

I have been studying Wing Chun with Sifu Gary Lam for about 6 years now. A friend of my brought me to his training yard in the beginning when he was only teaching WC in his back yard. I definitely liked what I saw. The students had excellent control of distance while performing their Chi Sau Drills. I have seen other schools and I pretty much can't compare it to the quality that Sifu Lam offers. If you want to learn the foundations of Wing Chun and want to understand the art from the ground up, I would suggest that you take up training with this Martial Arts Instructor. read more

If you are looking for the BEST wing chun instructor search no more. There is NONE better than Gary Lam. Trust me i have looked up SEVERAL other schools, if you are looking to learn self defense or just want a fun skill this IS the place. The BEST pricing, friendly atmosphere, and a knowledgeable Instructor, can you honestly ask for anymore? If you don't believe me, come and check out the school yourself. read more

Wing Chun in itself is a very unique art if you live in Southern California. Not only in the way it is practiced, but also in how difficult it is to find a great school out here. I've looked at several Wing Chun schools over the years. Some schools are geared more towards earning as much money as possible by keeping you there as long as they can before teaching you the full system. Other schools may have great practitioners, but not very communicative teachers. Gary's school teaches Wing Chun in the way it was meant to be practiced: Simple, Efficient, and Effective. The school is in his back yard where you will find lots of good training equipment from punching bags, wooden dummies, dragon poles, and mats among others. Training with you in an ego free environment (along with Gary himself) are martial artists from all over the world from different backgrounds who are more than open to sharing their knowledge with you. Overall, prices are very affordable and Sifu Gary is always open to questions about anything. You can find more info about the school on the website: http://garylamwingchun.com/ read more

I was really excited about studying under Gary after reading about him and watching his videos online. What a let down!!! Gary watches T.V. most of the time and looks bored while he is at his school. He was probably great at one time but seems tired and doesn't appear to enjoy teaching anymore. What a shame to disrespect Wing Chun by turning people off this way! He barely teaches & has his students show you techniques which contradict each other from student to the next. The classes are not very structured and there is usually a TV blaring in the corner. If you want to start any martial arts, do your homework and look around, there are still great schools out there, unfortunately this is not one of them. read more

If you're looking for a Wing Chun Kung Fu School where you will be incredibly proficient in three to five years then this is it! Other Wing Chun Schools keep you learning for years and years without teaching you the 'meat' of this Kung Fu System. If you want "MEAT", then train here! Most other schools teach like an MLM, you want MLM or a real Martial Art taught by a Real WIng Chun teacher? Who also happens to be Wong Sheun Leungs top student! If you live in the LA region and want to become proficient in Wing Chun Kung Fu, you MUST train here! A great school, with great students and a very open and giving teacher! Don't waste another minute deciding - visit the school for yourself, you'll love it! read more

Gary Lam's Wing Chun is of the highest caliber. Having trained with Wong Shun Leung in Hong Kong for over 15 years! His school is fully equipped with several wooden dummies, etc. He is a very realistic and caring instructor who treats his students like family. Please, if you get a chance to check out his school you won't be disappointed. Gary Lam is my kung fu uncle, since I studied with his younger kung fu brother Victor Koo. read more

I attended this school for less than a month in 2011. I had studied Wing Chun on and off for three years in Hong Kong, and had heard good things about Gary Lam. Well, I found he really does know his stuff but I also found him to be a totally arrogant jerk. According to his students (99% of whom, including his son who assists with the instruction, were terrific guys and very welcoming), Gary walks around during the class time, which is freely structured, and usually teaches one new technique to each student each class, progressing said student step by step, session by session, gradually through the curriculum. Despite my prior experience, he left me at the stage of practicing a "bong sao" chicken wing deflection for two whole sessions (approximately four hours of my time). After four hours of bong sao-ing away and seeing him walk over repeatedly to observe me from five yards off, not once coming over to teach me something new, and instead turning on his heel to return at least 5 times (yes, I counted I was so frustrated) to instruct a brand new student, I finally walked over to him and asked "Sifu ("Teacher"), how's this?" and demonstrated the fruits of my four hours of bong sao practice. Gary replied "You very heavy, chi sao (=sticky hands) will be difficult for you". At this point, totally p.o.'ed, I said "Thank you" and left, never to return. I should say here that in fact I am heavy, at 6'2" and 280 pounds, with a lot of fat but a lot of muscle as well due to having lifted weights strenuously at least twice a week since high school; consequently I'm built like a football player (in fact I wrestled in high school and played judo in college), and have absolutely no problem moving around as easily as anyone else. I racked my brain for why I was treated this way: had I been disrespectful? No. Did I act like a know-it-all because I'd studied Wing Chun before? No. I was very conscious of being polite and totally respectful from Day One. My only regret besides wasting my time with Gary is not asking him for my money back. I instead subsequently returned to fencing after a ten year hiatus and I'm really glad I did. It's so much fun, and at my salle there are no pompous, rude, full-of-themselves instructors like Gary Lam. read more