Extended Profiles - Ving Tsun Ip Ching Athletic Association

All about mshannon
Real Name	Matt Shannon
Rank	Just popping in
Sifu	Ron Heimberger
Bio	Matthew began his formal martial arts training at the age of nine in Karate. Since that time he has had the opportunity to train in several Japanese and Korean arts, several styles of Chinese gung fu, and he has also had the opportunity to train with and learn from NCAA Champion wrestlers, Thai Boxers, and numerous submission fighters. His studies have included Chen and Yang family Taiji Quan, Catch Wrestling, Northern Shaolin Longfist, Combat Submission Wrestling, Drunken Boxing, Thai Boxing, Brazilian Jui Jitsu, and Jow Ga Kuen. Fortunately, he has found a gung fu home in the art of Wing Chun under the lineage of Ip Ching. Matthew is the only instructor on the east coast certified to pass on the art of Wing Chun by Sigung Ip Ching and the Wing Chun Kung Fu Council. Jo Gau Matthew is a personal student of Sifu Ron Heimbereger and has a sincere appreciation for his SiFu's lineage. Jo Gau Matthew enjoys Wing Chun so much because out of all the arts he has studied Wing Chun actually practices what they preach. "In Wing Chun, we utilize many simple but very complex principles. We emphasize simplicity, directness, and economy of motion and these are a few of the highlights of the Wing Chun system. Being a sinologist, I enjoy the focus on learning the Confucian classics coupled with the study of gung fu. You get a complete immersion in classical Chinese sociological, philosophical, and historical thought. All then are tied together with the focus on cultivating real life self-protetion skills, it's just an amazing system and organization." Jo Gau Matthew went on to say that, "Physical strength and size really don't matter in Wing Chun. Attention to detail is what really counts in Wing Chun." Futhermore, Jo Gau Matthew is so pleased to be with the Wing Chun Kung Fu Council because of the outstanding teaching ability, knowledge base, and spirit of SiFu Heimberger and SiGung Ip Ching. As Mencius once said, "Wherever the Superior Man passes through, people are transformed; the place where he tarried is spiritualized and Heaven and Earth blend harmoniously. How can you say 'he is gone'?"