Reviews of World Wing Chun Canada

I had the privilege of joining World Wing Chun Canada for 2 months Feb-April 2013 before Master Steve Ruiz passed away unfortunately. But let me tell you in the span of 2 months I learnt a lot quickly that I could apply to my own life. Truly an amazing experience, thank you Sifu...

I studied wing chun with steve since the early beginnings. That is 23 years. Sifu. Steve was a great person will never forget him.

R.I.P.

www.facebook.com/artfree2heart

Although it is regrettably true that Master Steve has passed on, it is presumptuous to state that the school is locking its doors for good. For those interested, keep your eyes and ears open...

Steve Ruiz passed away on March 31st and his school is now officially locking its doors(for good), and thus this review page should now be closed.

I Have been training with WWCC for just under a year now and i have to solemnly swear that joining this school may be the best decision of my life. I have studied and practiced a few other martial arts systems from since i was a child but nothing comes close to what I have been learning here. Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is a very rare and precious system of martial arts. Techniques, Strategies,and Principles of Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu is being implemented in many other martial arts systems. Aside from the combat applications it offers an opportunity for students to learn the art of healing using ancient Chinese Medicine, Qi-gong,and many other well kept secrets for over 500 years.

Master Steve Ruiz is one of the handful number of Sifus in the world to have completed all levels of Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu. He has dedicated his entire life for practicing, and pursuing the advancement of Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu. It is nothing short of the greatest honor and privilege of my life to be able to train at this academy and to learn this amazing system of martial arts from this man. I am forever indebted to this school, and especially to Master Steve Ruiz.

Sincerely,

D.G.

Everything NoNamePLease has said about Master Steve is true - he is supremely skilled technically and athletically gifted, the youngest of the 4 red sash masters in the world, and an accomplished street fighter. If you want to learn how to absolutely destroy someone through the SCIENCE of traditional wing chun, then he is the man with whom you should speak.

Regarding NoNamePLease's assertion that he is not humble and rather cocky - that is also true. But what he/she fails to recognize is that Master Steve is a person much like everyone else out there. These days, the image of a humble, patient, spiritually-enlightened martial arts teacher is an anachronism straight out of the Saturday afternoon kung fu movies we all used to watch on WUTV Channel 29's 'ACTION ADVENTURE THEATRE!'. Go to any school, talk to the teachers and you'll only see their public persona. Dig a little deeper, 99 times out of 100, they're just like anyone else:

They DO: sweat, bleed, get hungry, get thirsty, get cold, get tired, get sick, have bills to pay, have kids to feed

They DO NOT: float on clouds, live in caves at the top of mountains, have an infinite amount of patience for their students, have all of the answers to all of life's questions

"All war is deception." - Sun Tsu, 'The Art of War'

NoNamePLease only sees shell of the pearl, not the true warrior nor the martial artist beneath the nacre, metaphorically represented by the hands as we bow.

In my personal experience, I've applied the higher order skills and teachings acquired to helping me achieve personal and professional goals. In Cantonese, 'kung fu' translates into 'hard work' or 'acquired skill', as in what is expected as we strive for wisdom, peace, and spiritual enlightenment on the path that is martial arts. Change in life requires stepping out of your comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory. I doubt I would have had the courage, tenacity, or discipline to stay on my detour-riddled path in life without the tools garnered through my time with the school.

Wing chun changed the way I move my body and changed the way I think in a fight situation. I use w.c. every day and I stopped training many years ago. Steve is a great Master. Amazing footwork. It helps me move throught a crowd efficiently. I hope to train again if they open a school downtown.

Not sure which part of the martial arts "code" calls for a man to come onto an online review message board to discuss a school he openly admits to never attending to speak on a Master he's never met, but we live in a society nowadays that allows people to speak from behind IP addresses using anonymous handles.. This is a martial arts world where mutual respect should always be shown (the reason most arts/disciplines bow to each other) yet strangers feel comfortable slandering people they've never met but accuse THEM of inflated egos and lacking humbleness, irony at its best..

Anyhow I've trained in the school for approximately 2 yrs both directly under Master Steve and his senior students only leaving due to personal financial reasons and I can honestly say that there isn't another school I'd rather be a part of now that I've seen the things I have. Wing Chun isn't for those looking to sit cross-legged with teacups and chimed music. It has been voted the worlds deadliest weapon so clearly it's not meant for everyone to partake in, but if that is what one is seeking then I'd agree this may not be the school for you. The years of dedication to his craft are readily apparent immediately upon experiencing his introductory seminars, his years of applying his skills in actual real-life situations is nothing he hides as there are no Wing Chun fight simulators in which to learn from. Now if that makes him "boastful" then then maybe you'd be better suited to learn under someone able to tell you about a picture they couldn't paint. Prior to joining WWCC I've done a fairly extensive amount of homework on the art itself and the various clips available on the Internet before coming to my own conclusions, so I'd like to hope no one would base such a decision from a couple of comments posted under false names on a message board.. If Traditional Wing Chun is what you seek, there is no better Master in which to learn from or school to learn in.. =(0=

"..fear makes people throw rocks from across the street, but cowardice makes them do so under the cover of darkness and anonymity.."

Y'all be easy..

~Mongoose~

@NonamePlease...You made some very good points about Master Steve Ruiz's skils and experience. Everything you said about his skills and experience was accurate. The only place I beg to differ is were you say...and I quote

"This school is mainly for learning hand-to-hand combat THROUGH the art of Wing Chun, nothing more....if you wish to find peace with and learn how to "spiritually" centre and ground yourself then you are better off taking a yoga class or finding another Sifu whom will share those same intangible values that most of us appreciate and cherish IN a Sifu and the art of Kung Fu."

Here is why I disagree, because I've been a student at this school for the last 2 years. 1. The first thing we do before we start any serious training is spiritual cultivation through meditation and a light warm up. 2. The last thing we do after our training sessions is complete our sessions with sil nam tao both for beginners and advanced students.

3. You don't have to take my word for it. Please visit our website at www.worldwingchuncanada.ca and you will see tons of pictures debunking your assessment of Master Steve Ruiz and our school.

4. We have yearly and weekly session where each student is evaluated and goal setting objectives are established to be accomplished.

Finally, the school offers a free trial so new students can evaluate the school and Master Steve Ruiz's teaching skills. After the evaluation period the student is free to decide whether they want to be part of the student body or become an Instructor at World Wing Chun Canada

Hey at the end of the day, we all have personal opinions so I respect yours even though it was based on hearsay. Just wanted to correct some false statement you made and if you need some more clarity on the some of the questions you have about our our school or Master Steve Ruiz. Please call him at 416 573 3572. Thanks

Albert Thompson

worldwingchuncanada.ca

As an intensely private and humble person, I very rarely speak of myself but I think that perhaps today, I will make an exception. Following a series of brain haemorrages both before and after birth, I joined mankind with a host of interesting early life setbacks including physical, mental, cognitive, learning and spacial perception disabilities.

First among these is a highly unusual and rarely occuring mix of all three major types of Cerebral Palsy (Spastic, Mixed and Atheoid). As a bonus, I was also graced with a lack of fine motor control in the physical sense and from the mental, a severe case of dyslexia.

Never being one to waste time on negative self reflection, I have spent a lifetime seeking creative solutions or unique methods to solve, address, control, overcome or circumvent the cards I've been dealt.

And the very best among these?

The pre-eminent method?

The Wing Chun as taught by Master Steve Ruiz and his most excellent cadre of highly skilled, kindhearted and incredibly patient instructors.

The gratitude I feel in finding this school and in being accepted as a student by Master Ruiz and in wing these people is overwhelming. The quality of instruction is outstanding. I urge any readers seeking a school to give Ruiz's Wing Chun a chance. I think you'll be glad you did.

Steve Ruiz has taught me many things.

And the best?

Even those with broken wings can learn to fly.

I have been a student of Wing Chun Kung Fu and Master Steve Ruiz for over 10 years now. My husband is a devout and loyal senior who has learned invaluable Wing Chun skills both on a mental and physical level from Master Ruiz and those that Master Ruiz has taught. I am also a devout and loyal student for life and am eternally gratefull for this invaluable gift that Master Steve Ruiz has bestowed upon me and my family.

Master Ruiz exemplifies what Wing Chun Kung Fu is, the hard, the soft, the mind and body balance, the art of combat from energy exchange and touch sensitivity(Chi Sao) to contact strategies/skill and healing. Our Master is a true example of inner/outer strengthening. I don't pretend to think that he is perfect, which none of us are, but we are and Master Steve Ruiz IS a work in progress. He lives and breaths what he teaches and has been doing so for over 30 years.

He is a Master of his Art in every sense of the word. There is no other like him and you may or may not like him, but he certainly does not want you to join him in his Wing Chun journey if you are not cut out to commit as he has. Master Steve is tough, works very hard and takes great pride in his accomplishments. He only wants true soldiers in his army and sometimes it means being brutally honest and if the truth hurts, it is what you do with that truth that really matters. Are you here to learn real Combat Efficiency in Wing Chun Kung Fu where the streets have no rules or are you in training for your 'Marshmellow' existance? As my Master says, "THE WORLD IS NOT A MARSHMELLOW"

Mind, body, spirit, life training ~ come learn the best Martial Arts System out there WING CHUN KUNG FU from the best teacher out there MASTER STEVEN RUIZ!!!

Before you read this review of mines, I'd like to say that I've personally known many former students of Steve Ruiz and I also know(and currently keep in contact with one of his most devoted, senior, right-handed students whom actually assist in running his school that I base this review off of.

Steve Ruiz is an INCREDIBLY skilled, educated and deadly Traditional Wing Chun Master and could probably lay waste to the majority of the other Wing Chun Sifu's out there, this is definetly a given. However despite all of that, BECAUSE he is one of the top 4 Wing Chun Masters in the world and is the absolute highest Master for his age group(actually he is the most youngest and is the first of his age to have achieved his Master rank)is the exact reason why he is also SEVERLEY self-inflated with ego, is not "humble" and reserved as a martial arts master should be(but is instead the opposite and quite boastful). When it comes to embodying the traditional values and chinese spirit of Kung-Fu it is painstakingly clear that they are absent in him, his personality, how he carries, speaks and conducts himself.

If you are looking to learn how to properly and "effectively" defend against and destroy an attacker whom threatens your life using your barehands then I would definetly reccomend attending and trying out his school, however in addition to this if you also look for and appreciate the spiritual cultivation, the self-refinement of "character" and the development of one's inner wisdom that should be inherent in the practice of Kung Fu then you will "not" I repeat NOT!! find it here....which is why I give him a 1-star.

This school is mainly for learning hand-to-hand combat THROUGH the art of Wing Chun, nothing more....if you wish to find peace with and learn how to "spiritually" centre and ground yourself then you are better off taking a yoga class or finding another Sifu whom will share those same intangible values that most of us appreciate and cherish IN a Sifu and the art of Kung Fu.