In 2000 Sifu Chris Damiano met the youngest son of Ip Man in Chicago, Grandmaster Ip Ching. He was blown away by the power and speed of a man near 70. From there his training took a very progressive turn. He trained those methods diligently and set out for a "deeper" understanding of the art. Later in that same year Sifu Damiano moved to Destin, Florida and taught privately out of his home.
In 2002 he was invited as a U.S. represenative for the opening of the Ip Man Tong in Foshan, China. There he participated in demonstrations and exchanges with people from around the world and different Wing Chun Styles from China, which was unheard of at the time in the U.S. During that time he also did more training with his Sifu Grandmaster Ip Ching furthering his knowledge and skills of the art.
Sifu Damiano continues to go toHong Kong and China year after year to train. In 2006 he and three of his Kung Fu brothers (2 from the US and 2 from the UK) Went to Hong Kong and privately trained with Grandmaster Ip Ching going through the entire system and how it should be taught in great detail. At that landmark trip they were given the responsibility to pass on Wing Chun correctly as per Grandmaster Ip Ching. Upon returning to Destin,Florida he decided to do just that, and started teaching publicly and openly and has set the standard for Wing Chun study throughout the Gulf Coast.
Sifu Chris Damiano remains well respected in the martial arts world across the globe. Sifu Damiano teaches with an open heart and open mind and believes that it’s not how long you’ve done Kung Fu, but how often you practice.
“ You can have a pilot’s license for 20 years, but it’s the flight hours logged that make you a pilot