Bill Graves
By Jesse Moon
Sifu Graves is one of the best practitioners in the Wing Chun world today as well as a fantastic teacher. I had the privilege of meeting him when I was 16 and knew I'd be training with him for life. I began training with him shortly after I turned 17 and haven't ceased. I can't express how grateful I am to be among his senior students and hope to one day be a worthy practitioner of the art as he teaches it. Not only do we have a close, professional teaching relationship but I consider him to be a personal friend. He is like family to me.
Bill began his training with Sifu Karl Godwin in 1982 and became head of Karl's class before long. He continued to train faithfully with Karl until he moved to Jacksonville, FL in 1989 and began teaching. While still commuting to train with Karl, Bill operated several schools in the Jacksonville area. When he moved his school to the Jacksonville Beaches area, I began training under him. Sifu Graves has completed the Wing Chun curriculum as presented by Karl Godwin and to this day still trains with Karl in Sanford. He is one of Karl's very top students... an elite claim that very few can make. His Wing Chun skills are amazing and his intellectual grasp of the art is ingenious.
In 1997, Sifu Graves formally closed his school and ceased public teaching. He maintained a small group of private students, many of whom no longer train. He has other intermediate students and he periodically takes on new private students and is involved in the teaching of his student's students as well.
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Bill Graves is Sifu Adam's Sifu (teacher). Jesse Moon is Sifu Adam's friend who originally introduced him to Wing Chun and Sifu Bill Graves. More information on Bill Graves can be found at thesytemwingchun.com and Jesse Moon at northfloridawingchun.com.