" Traditional style of Kungfu, modern way of training it."
History of our Association
The history of the Yam Sik Wing Chun Saan Sau Association began when Sifu Gim founded the Wing Chun class at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Sungai Long Campus, Malaysia in 2017, hence, formerly known as UTAR Wing Chun. Sifu Gim's application to establish a UTAR Wing Chun Club on campus was rejected and was compelled to place Wing Chun under the Wushu Club as a division, despite having over sixty registered members at the time.
As Sifu Gim's Wing Chun class primarily targets university students, he focuses his teaching on Wing Chun's Saan Sau techniques. Saan Sau consists of simple and practical combinations formed by various Wing Chun hand and foot techniques. The reason is that Saan Sau allows beginners to quickly get started and immediately apply their skills in combat, which is particularly appealing to young people. Therefore, Sifu Gim incorporates "Wing Chun Saan Sau" into his Wing Chun class and includes the term "Wing Chun Saan Sau" on early posters, clothing, etc. Even though his Wing Chun class no longer solely emphasizes Saan Sau, he still retains the word "Saan Sau" in the full name of the association.
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted globally. Malaysia implemented a Movement Control Order (MCO), prohibiting various activities, including Sifu Gim's Wing Chun class. Faced with no other option, he had to cancel the fee-based physical Wing Chun class and transition to a free online Wing Chun class. Unsurprisingly, the number of participants plummeted drastically, from over twenty to just two or three.
Nevertheless, Sifu Gim persisted in teaching Wing Chun. It wasn't until 2022 when MCO were lifted that the physical Wing Chun class could resume. However, there was no improvement in participation numbers. Several affected extracurricular activities stopped inviting professional instructors and switched to operating models similar to hobbyist clubs, offering free-of-charge services without dedicated guidance. This indirectly led university students to prioritize joining other non-fee-based clubs and societies over joining the Wing Chun class with a qualified instructor.
It was around this time that Sifu Gim realized confining the Wing Chun class to university campuses was not a sustainable solution. With the help of his disciples, he followed his Sifu's example and registered the Yam Sik Wing Chun Saan Sau Association Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in 2022 under the Societies Act 1966. The association is also known as "Yam Sik Wing Chun" in short. He hopes that after the establishment of this association, his former students who have graduated and the public outside of the campus can have access to Wing Chun.
On 9 August 2024, Sifu Gim officially ceased the operation of UTAR Wing Chun to devote more of his efforts to the Yam Sik Wing Chun Saan Sau Association.