Training with Sifu-Don and the SoCal Wing Chun Academy has been a life-changing experience for my son and I. My wife and I want our kids to be involved in some type of sport or physical activity outside of daily school. My son had been a dedicated club soccer player for a few yrs but COVID put a damper on that so we were looking for something different he might like. I, personally, had always been a Bruce Lee fan and loved the art of Wing Chun but had never taken part in it. My son was 12 yrs old and had only done a little wrestling as far as self defense so I signed us up for a free week of classes. Usually a 12 yr old would be in the Youth classes but my son was allowed to train alongside me (46 yrs) in the adult classes with grown men and women. As soon as our first class was over he said, "Man, I can't wait to do this again!' He and I were hooked. We continued on for an entire yr together where we trained and fought alongside each other. I had no idea the impact it would have on him to see me (his own father) take my own ups n downs throughout the process of learning. He witnessed me get humbled many times during trainings (hard for a father to do/admit) but I knew I wanted him to see that I was willing to let him see me fail so he could also see me continue on and not give up. It took incredible discipline and dedication for us both but our bond and relationship as father and son took immense strides forward and watched my 12 yr old boy become an artist of Wing Chun during that time. He developed a love of the craft and discipline that Sifu-Don Presto and the many other coaches instilled in him along the way: Samba, Mike, Gabe, Charles, Jamere, Kevin, others. All great men with great character that held my son accountable but also gave him great praise and encouragement when earned. This was the longest my son and I had done anything together, how incredibly rewarding as a father. When I needed to take a break during summer, Sifu-Don offered my son a position as a coach for his Youth classes on Mon-Tues-Wed evenings. He was honored at the opportunity and jumped right in. Working with both, adults and young children (ages 6-12 yrs), men, women, girls, boys, has taught him so much as a young man and character development. Sifu-Don Presto and the staff of coaches at SoCal Wing Chun Academy (Murrieta) have made a life-changing impact on my son and I and have ignited a passion for the martial arts in him that I never saw coming. My wife and I are so incredibly thankful that we made this connection and hope other families may take advantage of such an opportunity. Stop by SoCal Wing Chun Academy today. -Tyler King read more

SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy - Phoenix King - Sifu-Don Presto - Chinese Martial Arts Near Me - Temecula, California

Great place to learn APPLIED WING CHUN that Ip Man taught GrandMaster Duncan Leung who then taught Sifu Donald Presto.

Location: SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy, formally known as Applied Wing Chun San Diego, has been in the Temecula area for over 7 years, but has recently opened an official school with a nice dedicated training space in the Filippi's Pizza Grotto and Air Force Recruiting Center plaza. It is tucked away in the back and has ample parking. Instructor: SiFu Donald Presto, student and disciple of SiFu Duncan Leung (you can find SiFu Leung's bio through a Google search), is a very experienced and knowledgeable instructor and mentor with absolute dedication to the arts. Review: Everyone knows about Bruce Lee and his, now world renown, instructor, Yip Man. There are other peers of Bruce Lee, and one of them was Duncan Leung. There is a book called "Wing Chun Warrior", which essentially writes a snap shot of Duncan Leung's plethora of short stories. After reading "Wing Chun Warrior", I sought to find an Applied Wing Chun school. (There's a reason behind the naming convention "Applied" Wing Chun.) Through my search, I connected with a student of SiFu Duncan Leung (will be calling him "SiGung" from here on out) over Google search who eventually forwarded me to SiFu Donald Presto (will be calling him "SiFu" from here on out). One thing led to another, I had the chance to interview with SiFu and I eventually started my training in December 2010. When looking back, I do not regret one moment after starting AWC. SiFu and the AWC training have been a strong influence in my life, which has changed the way I perceive things and break things down logically and analytically. What is mainly gained from this training can be summed up in one word: confidence. It's one thing to say it, it's another thing to live it. SiFu has been able to convey this concept to my kung fu brothers and sisters and myself. Temecula is like a tiny mecca of martial arts schools including UFC and boxing gyms, Brigada Elite (one of the premier Muay Thai gyms in Southern California), and even Dan Henderson's Athletic Center (UFC legend). If you are looking to learn kung fu, looking for a legitimate martial arts, looking to learn self-defense, and searching to build confidence, AWC is a great place to check out. Standard Internet TL;DR review: A+++ training and instruction. SiFu Donald Presto is legit. Go to SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy to start your martial arts training! read more

This an awesome place to learn pure honest martial arts for you and your kids, Sifu Don is awesome and very patient and his instructions are top notch to the point!! I am very happy that we fund SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy for my 13 year old son, who has a background in Karate and ATA, He is very thrilled and happy about his new jurney with Sifu Don, ever since he started has improved his stamina and strength significantly, thanks to Sifu Don. Stop by and try it out, Sifu Don's really an awesome guy!!!! read more

Super friendly people here. You walk in and everyone greets you. Donald the Sifu here is very open and explains everything to you. Whether you're here to watch a class to see if you want to come on board or have a conversation after class and ask questions. The areas are clean and doesn't have that sweaty gym sauna feel and smell either. I enjoyed my time with everyone when I visited and hope to be back and see you again. read more

Great place to learn kung fu even for me and I'm female and over 50! it's available online and in-person. It's a supportive, fun environment. SiFu Don is awesome, and so patient. And his SiFu was a student of Ip Man; you couldn't have better lineage! read more

Exellent facility with personalized training. Very friendly staff and members. Great for kids and adults.

My Intentions: I have been training with SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy for 3 months. My intention behind weaving in martial arts into my life again, was to work with intrapersonal growth in that setting. Safety, trustworthy character and good ethics were paramount to me in finding an instructor. I began with much apprehension as I have had past martial arts experiences with unethical "Sifus" and settings that were more damaging than conducive to inner and outer growth. Instructor Qualities: My experience at SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy has been a very reparative one, from my past experiences. What I have found most impressive and trustworthy, is the quality of consistency in this school. Sifu Don Presto, senior students, and other students have been consistently patient, clear in communication, and earnest in their approach. Sifu Don and his senior student, David, who also instructs class, teach in a clean, intentional, straight-forward way and are keen on tracking the progression and readiness of each student. They know how to create a safe and relaxed enough atmosphere for students to absorb the material, yet also know when to create just enough stress to push students to respond to more realistic, stressful situations. They have strong mastery of theory and skill application and are able to communicate highly nuanced details in a digestible way. As an extension of their instructors, I have found other students in class to be good, helpful, solid people. It is hard not to encounter some form of inflated and frail ego in a martial arts school, as well as heavy patriarchal, hierarchical structure that I find stifling to development. As a female, I am wary and avoidant of these qualities. This school has offered me a refreshingly different experience. Sifu and instructor students have confidence that is grounded with humility, an earnest desire to teach students to the best of their abilities, and are encouraging of feedback. I have appreciated their capacity to listen and respond to their students individually. The strong sense of ethics and good character they have demonstrated, has kept me coming back to class. Drills and Application: This school finds that balance between conditioning, forms, and drills, and the application of technique. We are always blending and bridging the repetition of forms and drills to real-life application. Conceptual theory and practical instructions are explained in detail and individualized for the progression of each student. During conditioning drills, students are rotated very often amongst each other, so we are constantly learning how to work with someone new and never getting too comfortable and stuck doing something one way. We are challenged to adapt our bodies to different situations. This allows for faster learning and a broader range of response to people of different size, strength, approach. In Summary: I highly recommend this school if you are interested in solid, knowledgeable, ethical training. In all of this, I forgot to mention how much fun I have in class each day. I found having some fun amplifies the learning process ;-) read more

What a true joy it is to have the opportunity to be trained under Sifu Don Prestos superb guidance. The man is well versed in the ways of Wing Chun and has a way about him that allows the student to pick up the information and not only understand it but also see how it can be applied in martial arts and everyday life. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to take a step in building a solid foundation in life that others will be able to see and want to seek after as well. Be the person who takes control of their life and helps others to do the same. Join this Wing Chun class and learn how to be a better version of yourself. read more

Applied Wing Chun is a hard martial arts to master. Sifu brings a great & clear level of teaching that makes the art better to understand. I have been practicing mix martial arts for 15 years and have been to many martial arts schools, I can say that Applied Wing Chun is one of the best martial arts schools in Temecula. read more