At Chi Sau Club teaching is a responsibility not a rank and each instructor is selected for their teaching ability in addition to their Wing Chun skill.
Our hands on approach and deep understanding of the underlying principles of the system enables students to quickly move beyond conceptual understanding of ideas to embodying them. In addition to Sifu Mark’s 40+ years experience, all of our instructors have between 5 and 20+ years in this art, including hundreds of private lessons. This experience allows us to shift from simply reciting facts about the system (“here’s the 7 facts about a punch”), to providing targeted feedback in order to get students from wherever they are to where they need to be as quickly as possible. Our approach is scientific, respectful and driven by curiosity (we encourage questions and dissent) rather than using fear and false certainty to convince students. We also utilise storytelling, humor, basic physics and detailed demonstrations to engage students and explain things simply.
Meet Sifu Mark Spence
Sifu Mark Spence, the founder of Chi Sau Club, has been training in Wing Chun Kung Fu since 1984, and teaching Wing Chun full time (40+ hours a week) since 1988.
This tremendous wealth of experience has refined his skill to the highest level, and is reflected in his ability to explain even the most complex aspects of the Wing Chun system in an easily understandable manner. Sifu Mark spent 6 years working as a bouncer in Napier, New Zealand, meaning his perspectives on the realities of violence and effective self-defence are more than just theories or extrapolations.
You can read more about Sifu Mark Spence’s philosophy on teaching, martial arts, and other subjects by going to the Articles section.
Meet Instructor Eddy Harrison-Lee
Having begun studying Wing Chun in 1998, Eddy’s is one of Sifu Mark’s most senior students and has been teaching Wing Chun under his guidance for over 20 years. As an educator and organisational development specialist, Eddy is able to leverage scientific insights about peak performance, neuroscience and adult learning theory to bring Wing Chun’s traditional practices to life for modern audiences.
Given the profound impact Wing Chun has had on his mental and physical wellbeing, Eddy is driven by a deep curiosity and a genuine passion for the art and Chi Sau Club’s mission to make its benefits available to everyone.