Philip Nearing School of Wing Chun (The), Chicago

It’s mainly about money at this particular school. So the teaching is designed to leave out fundamental details, and the student’s pays high monthly fees for 12 months for instruction really takes about three months. That’s lousy. If this school was ever featured on Youtube it will be clear to everyone that this school is overrated, and the truth would be very apparent. Anger management problems is something one would not expect from any martial arts instruction, and the footwork an important part of understanding this art was held back, and it seems this is done for business purposes. Students that are in shape and familiar martial art instruction may find this school somewhat of a rip-off. New students get the same redundant demonstration from the teacher. The one on one instruction one gets in the very beginning seems mainly designed to keep students coming back, but after this expect slow instruction, and most of the time spent in class being small talk and corny jokes.

he is a great teacher i met him i trained under him and its Ng not nearing

The teacher claims 25 years+ of experience, but his teaching does not reflect this at all. He has some knowledge, but he witholds the key details of becoming good at this style of the arts. Much of the practical details are not covered. The teacher also has a anger management problem. He also tends to get rid of the type of students that are not scared of him, and expect mutual respect regardless of his hissy fits. The teacher tends to hide these traits fairly well at first. Just don't ever mention the word Goofy.

Great Instructor! I never get the sense that Master Nearing holds anyone back. He does place a very high value on learning the technical aspects of the art before advancing into more demanding aspects of Wing Chun . I like being confident that I can execute Wing Chun when confronted. I joined his classes to raise my level of attacking and defending. If you want lower competency then I would say go to a lesser capable instructor.

Phil Nearing teaches in a slow and rationed manner. It will take you YEARS to acquire any real proficiency in the art if you study at his speed. This is a shame, because Phil learned from Sifu Steve Lee Swift, who held NOTHING back. If you got into a situation in which the best possible solution would be a technique from the Bil Gee form, Swift would teach it to you, without hesitation. When you got to Chum Kiu or Bil Gee, you realized that you already knew the moves and techniques, you just had to put them together. It's too bad Phil isn't following the family tradition.

It is very rare to find a dedicated full time martial arts instructor whose sole mission in life is the dissemination of his martial art to others. I am personally not an athletic or particularly talented individual in fact I have numerous physical limitations. Sifu Nearing’s teaching style is that more of a personal coach who expects more out of you than you may have believed possible, at the same time he has the patience for you to achieve the goal. Without fault he treats each and every one of his students in this fashion (this is probably why Phil does not have a large commercial operation). Phil is always very evenly tempered. In the two years I have practiced here, only once did I see Sifu become mildly agitated. A student was working on specific drills with me in an in-harmonious fashion. When corrected, the student became quite disrespectful of his Sifu. Even then, after further explanation of the exercise and the reason for harmonious practice, the student was allowed to continue to practice. In other schools it would not have gone so well (call your teacher goofy). What makes this place so special (besides the instruction) is the collection of students. Many of Phil’s students have considerable knowledge of other arts. All of them are friendly, helpful, and, want you to get good at your own practice. All of this is why Sifu Philip Nearing is truly an elite martial arts instructor. –ken C

I studied in Master Nearing's class and it appears that he wishes to slow down the advanced student. My opinion is that Master Nearing desires the business of wing chun rather than the study of it. This by the way has been mentioned to me more than once when I have mentioned Master Nearing's school. GrandMaster Yip Man once mentioned that he wouldn't teach the depths of wing chun to someone who pays him average rates. Master Nearing seems to be upholding that tradition.

Sifu Nearing is a top notch Kung Fu master. He is without a doubt a leading Wing Chun authority and has a meticulous teaching style.

There is a Ng, but these reviews are not about him. Ng is in Chinatown, Nearing is in Greektown. Nearing is also a great teacher... very intelligent and experienced.

If you seek a traditional martial arts experience, the Phillip Nearing School of Wing Chun is an excellent choice. Sifu Nearing is one of the few professional full time martial arts instructors in the US. While always expecting proper martial etiquette Sifu Nearing teaches without being either overly uptight or unreasonably demanding. This makes for a pleasant training experience while maintaining a clear focus what is in fact a very serious subject. Group classes are made up of a mix of various skill levels from beginners to advanced. During beginner oriented instruction Sifu personally teaches basics to all beginners as opposed to just dumping them on advanced students. For all students Sifu Nearing works with each and every student in the class assuring that you understand the day’s lesson as well as helping you to go beyond your own limitations. For those individuals that wish to go beyond what is possible to teach in a large group setting Phil does make himself available for private sessions. I Have personally studied various martial arts most of my life including aikido for the last 13 years and with Sifu Nearing for over a year now. Phil is patient, thorough and very professional. Most important, Sifu Nearing's school is not a "Black Belt" mill, instead, it is a school dedicated to developing a strong foundation and ultimately a high skill level in Wing Chun. I can truly say that in the short time that I have been studding Wing Chun; if the need arose and I knew nothing else; the training I received from Phil would give me more than a fighting chance at a positive outcome. One last thing, I did find a video of this place on line.