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Head Instructor

Sifu Garret

Head instructor at Tampa Wing Chun Kung Fu, an official academy under Sifu Och Wing Chun. Trained and certified to teach 4 direct Ip Man lineages.

19 Years Training4 Ip Man Lineages
Sifu Garret, head instructor at Tampa Wing Chun Kung Fu
My Story

Why I Teach Wing Chun

I teach Wing Chun because I believe everyone deserves the confidence to protect themselves and the people they love. Real situations don’t come with a warning, so my classes focus on practical skills that work up close, under pressure, and against someone bigger or stronger. Whether you’re a parent, a teen, or someone who has never thrown a punch, you’ll learn to stand your ground and keep your family safe. My goal is simple: when it matters most, you’ll know exactly what to do.

Sifu Garret

The Path to Sifu

Training under Sifu Och since 2008, one sash at a time. Tap a color on the sash below, swipe through the journey, or tap a photo to see it full screen.

  1. Sifu Garret as a white sash during a Wing Chun self-defense seminar

    Seminar

  2. Sifu Garret as a yellow sash sparring in protective gear during his Wing Chun sash assessment

    Sparring assessment

  3. Sifu Garret as a yellow sash practicing partner drills during his Wing Chun sash assessment

    Partner drills assessment

  4. Sifu Garret as an orange sash performing a Wing Chun form during his sash assessment

    Form assessment

  5. Sifu Garret as a green sash during his Wing Chun assessment with Sifu Och

    Assessment with Sifu Och

  6. Sifu Garret as a green sash performing a form while Sifu Och evaluates his assessment

    Form, evaluated by Sifu Och

  7. Sifu Garret as a blue sash training on the Wing Chun wooden dummy (mook jong)

    Wooden dummy training

  8. Sifu Garret as a purple sash training with the Wing Chun long pole outdoors in a park

    Long pole training

  9. Sifu Garret as a purple sash practicing kendo at a martial arts conference

    Kendo at a martial arts conference

  10. Sifu Garret as a brown sash posing with Sifu Och at an international martial arts conference

    With Sifu Och at a martial arts conference

  11. Sifu Garret, red sash, training a student in close-range Wing Chun technique

    Training a student

  12. Sifu Garret, red sash, and Sifu Och performing a Wing Chun long pole vs. butterfly swords demonstration

    Long pole vs. butterfly swords with Sifu Och

  13. Sifu Garret holding his framed Red-Black Sash Instructor diploma, presented by Sifu Och at a Sifu Och Wing Chun event in 2017

    Instructor certification, 2017

  14. Sifu Garret with Sifu Dr. Nelson, Sifu Och, and fellow instructors in front of a dragon mural and Wing Chun history posters

    With Sifu Dr. Nelson and Sifu Och

  15. Sifu Garret fighting in protective gear at a sanda (Chinese kickboxing) competition

    Sanda competition

Lineage

From Ip Man to Sifu Garret

The Grandmaster
Grandmaster Ip Man, founder of the Ip Man Wing Chun lineage

Grandmaster Ip Man

The grandmaster who brought Wing Chun to the world.

Ip Man’s Students
Wing Chun masters of the Ip Man lineage: Moy Yat, Ip Chun, Simon Lau, and Ip Ching
Moy YatStudent of Ip ManIp ChunEldest sonSimon LauStudent of Ip ManIp ChingYoungest son
Sifu Och’s Teachers
Grandmaster Swift, Wing Chun master in the Ip Man lineage

Grandmaster Swift

First learned Wing Chun from Simon Lau, then trained under both of Ip Man’s sons, Ip Ching and Ip Chun.

Sifu Dr. Nelson, Wing Chun master in the Ip Man lineage

Sifu Dr. Nelson

Learned Wing Chun from Moy Yat, then trained under Grandmaster Swift.

My Sifu
Sifu Justin Och, chief Wing Chun instructor in the Ip Man lineage

Sifu Och

Trained under Grandmaster Swift and Sifu Dr. Nelson, completing his weapons training with Sifu Dr. Nelson.

Tampa
Sifu Garret receives his black sash at Tampa Wing Chun Kung Fu

Sifu Garret

Trains directly under Sifu Och and became his first Black Sash in 2021.

Legacy

Our History

Tampa Martial Arts, Wing Chun Gathering
2021

Wing Chun Gathering

Sifu Och Wing Chun hosted the first-ever multi-lineage Wing Chun Florida Gathering — taking care of all permits and costs with the city, and renting out the entire center of Downtown Lakeland's Munn Park. Sifu Och Wing Chun provided a place for invited Wing Chun schools and their students to come train and exchange for free. A full seven-hour day of training, with special thanks to Sifu Garret Brumfield, Sifu Jesse Jones, and Sifu Ray Peters for providing workshop insights into their lineage of Wing Chun.

Black Sash Test 2021
2021

Black Sash Test

On March 27th, I tested and achieved the rank of Sifu. The test lasted four hours and was tiring, but in the end, I became Sifu Och's first Black Sash.

I began this journey 18 years ago and just wanted to learn how to defend myself better. In May 2008, I made the slightly difficult decision to start my training under Sifu Och. At that time I was living in Wesley Chapel, and making that trip to Lakeland at least four times a week was rough. But 18 years later, that sacrifice has — and still is — paying off.

Dwight Hennings WSL Workshop 2018
2018

Dwight Hennings WSL Workshop

Sifu Dwight Hennings, under the WSL (Wong Shun Leung) lineage, flew down from Canada to train students in the Wong Shun Leung way of Ving Tsun Kung Fu. Dwight Hennings ran students over 2.5 days through fundamentals, forms, practical applications, footwork, structure, and simultaneous offensive and defensive techniques. To learn more about Dwight Hennings, click here.

ICMAC Competitions
Since 2013

ICMAC Competitions

Since 2013, we've competed in full-contact sanda, continuous sparring, and Chi Sao at ICMAC in Orlando. We've won several gold and silver medals in fighting, Chi Sao, and forms.

Wong Shun Leung Seminar Gathering
2017

WSL Lineage Seminar, hosted by Gary Lam

In September 2017, we were invited to attend the 1st annual Wong Shun Leung North America Seminar. It was held at Gary Lam Studios in Alhambra, California. Presenters included Gary Lam, Dwight Hennings, Wan Kam Leung, William Kwok, and Gregory LeBlanc.

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