Grandmaster Lee Kwan Shan

In the early 1900’s an already accomplished martial artist by the name of Lee Kwan Shan entered 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.

When Lee Kwan Shan left the temple he traveled widely, eventually settling down at Shajing 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. Grandmaster Lee Kwan Shan’s style was noted for his long fist forms, spear and pole techniques, and whirling broadsword skills. Before his death in 1948, Grandmaster Lee Kwan Shan accepted his youngest and last disciple, Pui Chan.

Master Chan Wan Ching

Master Chan Wan Ching was Great Grandmaster Pui Chan’s older Kung Fu brother, who continued to teach him the Wah Lum System after Grandmaster Lee Kwan Shan died. He was the first president of the Hong Kong Wah Lum Kung Fu Association.

Great Grandmaster Pui Chan

Great Grandmaster Pui Chan (currently the Grandmaster of Wah Lum Kung Fu Association) studied with Grandmaster Lee Kwan Shan and then continued to learn and train with his older Kung Fu brother Master Chan Wan Ching making him the sixth generation master of Wah Lum. He is also a 33rd-generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple, and the first person to begin taking large tours to visit the Shaolin Temple.

In 1980, Great Grandmaster Pui Chan built a Kung Fu Temple in Orlando, Florida. Calling it the Wah Lum Temple, he allows students from all over the country to live there and undertake intensive Kung Fu training in an atmosphere free of distractions. He has done this in order to preserve the traditional ways of Kung Fu training and to provide an atmosphere of serenity and sincerity in the modern world.

Great Grandmaster Pui Chan has been featured in magazines and documentaries for his revered style and prowess in the martial arts industry. Some of his features include the Discovery Channel’s Secret of the Warrior’s Power, Living Legends of Kung Fu (Vol. I), Warrior Within – Inside the Martial Arts, and various interviews and articles with Kung Fu Magazine, Inside Kung Fu, and Journal of Chinese Martial Arts.

He has also received honors such as Instructor of the Year and Martial Artist of the Year from Inside Kung Fu Magazine and Black Belt Magazine. He is a 2003 inductee to the US Kuoshu Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Recognized and esteemed by many, Great Grandmaster Pui Chan has been an integral part of contributing martial arts knowledge to the world. You will always hear him say, “It’s not just a job, but a way of life.”

Master Mimi Chan

Master Mimi Chan began her martial arts training under her father, Great Grandmaster Pui Chan, at the age of 3. By the age of 5, she was already performing in local exhibitions. At 17, she won her first of many Grand Championship titles. Now retired from competition, Master Mimi Chan is currently undefeated.

She entered the movie world when she was chosen as the model and martial arts video reference for Disney’s animated feature, Mulan. In 2011, she decided to return to the film world and take on the endeavor of making a documentary about her father’s life. She produced and directed her first documentary: Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer. The film won 10 awards at film festivals around the country and screened throughout North America to sold-out audiences. Master Mimi Chan is also the host of the The Sifu Mimi Chan Podcast.

As a response to anti-Asian hate, she became the director for Make Us Visible Florida. She passed legislation in 2023 in Florida that requires the instruction of AAPI history in the K-12 curriculum. A University of Central Florida Graduate, Master Mimi Chan is currently the Chief Instructor at the Wah Lum Temple. She continues to strive to spread the spirit of martial arts and the Wah Lum System.