Note: Wing Chun Magazine is published by Kung Fu Kendra, the creator of the course featured in this article.

Short answer: the best Wing Chun online course gives you verifiable Ip Man lineage, the complete system, a graded exam at every level, personal feedback from a real instructor, and promotion you earn by skill. Here are all ten things to check before you enroll anywhere.

1. Lineage you can trace to Ip Man

A real Wing Chun teacher can name every link in the chain back to Ip Man. If a course cannot tell you who taught the instructor, and who taught their teacher, keep looking. Sifu Kendra Mahon’s lineage is published: Ip Man, Grandmaster William Cheung, Master Brian Lewadny, then Sifu Kendra Mahon.

2. The complete system, not highlights

A real path takes you through the three hand forms (Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu and Biu Jee), Chi Sao and the wooden dummy, step by step. A course that stops at the first form or a handful of techniques is a sampler, not a path. Weapons, like the butterfly swords and the long pole, should be available when you are ready for them.

3. Published requirements for every level

You should know exactly what you must show before you move up. Clear targets make practice efficient, because you always know what to work on next.

4. A graded exam at every level

Watching is not learning. Look for a written test on the principles and a practical video exam of your forms and techniques at every level. Being tested on what you learned is one of the most reliable ways to make a physical skill stick.

5. Personal feedback from a real instructor

Your movement needs to be seen and corrected by a qualified teacher. Small errors in stance or structure become habits if no one points them out. In the Wing Chun Online Certification Course, Sifu Kendra reviews every submission herself.

6. Promotion earned by skill

The next level should open only when you pass, never because time went by or you paid again. That is what makes a certificate mean something.

7. Partner training, with a solo option

Wing Chun is a partner art, so a good course shows every technique applied on a real person. Train the drills with a friend or family member if you can. If you train alone, you need solo drills designed to build the same skills.

8. Pressure testing

Knowing a form is not the same as using it. Look for specialized drills that test timing, structure and reactions, so your skill holds up under pressure, not just in front of a camera. Practice them with a friend or family member if you can. In the Wing Chun Online Certification Course, students who train alone use resistance training drills Sifu Kendra created as a supplement.

9. Recognized certification

Ask who recognizes the certificate. The Wing Chun Online Certification Course is accredited by the Global Kung Fu Alliance, one of the world’s largest Wing Chun organizations, with over 250,000 members in more than 90 countries. Every level passed earns a certificate.

10. A fair deal and honest reviews

Check the price, how long you keep access, and whether there is a guarantee. Then read what real students say, word for word, on independent sites.

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Quick checklist

• Lineage you can trace to Ip Man
• The complete system, not highlights
• Published requirements for every level
• A graded exam at every level
• Personal feedback from a real instructor
• Promotion earned by skill
• Partner training, with a solo option
• Pressure testing
• Recognized certification
• A fair deal and honest reviews

How the Wing Chun Online Certification Course measures up

Sifu Kendra Mahon (Kung Fu Kendra), a 3rd Generation Ip Man Lineage Master training since 2005, built the Wing Chun Online Certification Course around these ten points. She teaches Traditional Wing Chun as it was passed down to her by Master Brian Lewadny, who learned it from Grandmaster William Cheung.

• 10 levels, from first stance to Sifu, covering the three hand forms, Chi Sao and the wooden dummy
• Butterfly swords and long pole available as add-on courses
• A written exam and a video exam at every level, with personal feedback on every submission
• Partner drills demonstrated with a demo partner, plus solo drills for students who train alone
• About 8 months for a dedicated student who trains daily
• Accredited by the Global Kung Fu Alliance, one of the world’s largest Wing Chun organizations, with over 250,000 members in more than 90 countries
• No subscription and lifetime access. Level 1 is $97 with a 60-day money-back guarantee

Read how Kung Fu Kendra’s Sifu certification works, step by step, or see Kung Fu Kendra reviews from students, quoted word for word from Trustpilot and Udemy.

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Editor’s note: Wing Chun Magazine is published by Sifu Kendra Mahon.