Neil Froese: 30 Years of Wing Chun, and Why He Chose to Be Tested Again

Most people who join an online Wing Chun course are beginners. Neil Froese is not. By his own account, he has been training Wing Chun for about thirty years. So why would an experienced practitioner from Canada sign up for Sifu Kendra Mahon’s 10-level online certification and send in his forms to be graded, level by level? His answer says a lot about what experienced martial artists are actually looking for.

From Backyard Grappling to Wing Chun

Neil’s martial arts story started early. “I have always been fascinated by martial arts,” he says. As kids, he and his cousins spent their visits rolling around in what he calls their “natural Jiu-Jitsu.” Later he took up boxing, simply because it was the most affordable fitness option in town that he enjoyed.

Then came the night that changed his direction. Neil and his brother were attacked by a group of about twenty people in an isolated spot, and were only saved because police happened to come by. “I thought I needed a better system to be able to protect my friends and family if need be,” he says. About thirty years ago, he began learning Wing Chun in Europe, and he has never stopped training the forms. Along the way he also taught self-defence courses for women.

A Practitioner Without a Training Partner

Neil has travelled widely and learned from more than one Sifu, including the wooden dummy form. When Biu Jee was held back from him, he taught himself from a book and videos. But where he lives now, there isn’t a single Wing Chun training partner. He trained in other local martial arts along the way, but Wing Chun always remained his base.

It is a situation many Wing Chun practitioners will recognize: years of experience, a deep love for the art, and nobody nearby to train with or test against.

Why He Chose to Be Tested

That is where Sifu Kendra Mahon’s online program came in. In the course, students film their forms and techniques at every level, submit a written exam, and receive personal feedback. The next level only opens once they pass. Students who have a partner are encouraged to train with them; students who train alone use specialized solo drills built around visualization and objects of resistance.

For Neil, the grading was the point. In his review he wrote that the most important thing for him was to “GET A FAIR REVIEW AND ACCREDITATION for the Videos and Theoretical Exams that you have sent in to prove you master each level.” After decades of training largely on his own, he wanted a qualified teacher to look at his Wing Chun and hold it to a standard.

He is honest that it is not easy. “Fair and square, you will sweat, and there are many drills added to the forms,” he says, “but if you keep at it, you will learn all of it.”

What He Says About His Sifu

Neil does not hold back in his praise. “She is golden,” he writes of Sifu Kendra, “a great and respectable leader, a great teacher, and someone with an awesome program for teaching the whole system.” He is still working through the levels, and says he plans to update his review when he finishes.

What His Story Shows

Neil’s journey is a reminder that online Wing Chun is not only for beginners. For experienced practitioners who have lost access to a school or a training partner, a structured curriculum with graded exams offers something valuable: a teacher’s eye, honest feedback, and a recognized standard to meet. You can read more student stories on Kung Fu Kendra’s reviews page, including the story of Sifu Chris Arendt, who completed all ten levels.

Editor’s note: Wing Chun Magazine is published by Sifu Kendra Mahon. Neil Froese’s words are quoted from his public review of her course.