Photo credit: Matthew Chan
Our School and Community
WAH LUM KUNG FU AND TAICHI ACADEMY OF MALDEN AND QUINCY brings together thousands of years of cultural tradition with modern cultural awareness and community activism. A queer- and women-led establishment, we comprise an extraordinarily diverse, inclusive, and multigenerational community of close to three hundred members, not only bringing the opportunity to learn Chinese martial arts and dragon & lion dance to everybody who desires to do so, but also promoting wellness, self-defense, and cultural and spiritual practice throughout the Greater Boston area and beyond.
Photo credit: Matthew Chan
The History of Wah Lum Kung Fu
In the early 1900βs, an already accomplished martial artist by the name of Lee Kwan Shan entered into the Wah Lum Monastery of Ping To district in Shantung province. There he committed himself to an arduous ten year discipleship in the Praying Mantis system. His teacher, Abbot Ching Yeung, was the fourth generation of the original Praying Mantis system. When Master Lee left the temple he traveled widely, eventually settling down at Sha Cheng village in Canton province. It was here that he combined his Praying Mantis style with his own family system, the Tam Tui (seeking leg) style. Lee Kwan Shanβs style was noted for his long fist forms, spear and pole techniques, and whirling broadsword skills. Before his death in 1948 Lee accepted his youngest and last disciple, Pui Chan.
Chief Instructor,
Sifu Mai Du - she | her
SIFU MAI DU, 8TH GENERATION OF THE WAH LUM TAM TUI NORTHERN PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU STYLE, has been practicing kung fu and tai chi for 30 years and teaching for more than 20 years under the instruction and guidance of Sifu Bob Rosen, Chief Instructor of the Wah Lum New England Headquarters in Boston and Grandmaster Chan Pui.
Sifu Mai is one of the few female certified Wah Lum instructors and kung fu instructors in the Greater Boston Area. She has competed locally, nationally, and internationally, winning a gold medal in 1994 and silver and bronze medals in 1994 and 2001 in China.
Certified Instructors
Sifu Amy Tran β she | her
SIFU AMY TRAN, 8TH GENERATION OF THE WAH LUM TAM TUI NORTHERN PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU STYLE, has been practicing kung fu for more than 20 years. She has been teaching for over 15 years under the instruction and guidance of Sifu Bob Rosen, Chief Instructor of the Wah Lum New England Headquarters and Sifu Mai, Chief Instructor of the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy Malden-Quincy.
Sifu Amy is also an avid painter, studying Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, and acrylic painting.
Sifu Andrea So β she | her
SIFU ANDREA SO, 9TH GENERATION OF THE WAH LUM TAM TUI NORTHERN PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU STYLE, has won numerous national and international titles in kung fu and tai chi. She now coaches Wah Lum Malden and Quincyβs award winning team in kung fu, tai chi, lion dance, and dragon dance.
Sifu Andrea has been a public school educator since 2008. She also identifies as a community activist. She is involved with many local grassroots organizations and organizing committees, and is the co-founder of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition.
Assistant Instructors
Wah Lum Assistant Instructors are students who have reached a certain level of kung fu or tai chi.
