Sifu Adam Williss
A 25-year veteran martial artist and United States Martial Arts Hall of Famer, Adam is known for his dedication to character and integrity. He is one of those uniquely genuine leaders who has made it his life's mission to empower individuals of all ages.
His teachings and philosophy has impacted the lives of thousands of individuals with the physical, mental and life-changing benefits of Wing Chun. Adam has been an instructor to large groups ranging from employees of large corporations to university students. He has brought the unique personal developmental benefits of Wing Chun to recovering drug addicts, alcoholics and stroke victims. His work has been featured in several publications both online and in print.
One of the most well-known advocates for empowering children through Wing Chun, Adam takes the unpopular stand that children can benefit just as much as adults from learning the art and his children's Wing Chun program has been considered a model that other schools are now following.
He was recently interviewed by Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine where Adam discusses his reasons for dedicating his life to Wing Chun and founding The Dragon Institute.
Adam has the rare honor of being given "sifu" status under Florida-based Leung Sheung lineage Wing Chun master, Bill Graves. As one of Bill's top senior students having trained with him starting in 1995, Adam is one of only a handful of sifus in the world that can legitimately claim such status. Bills teacher for the last 30+ years is Karl Godwin, the modern-day innovator of many of the exclusive training methods at The Dragon Institute.
Although Adam has chosen to dedicate his life to the art of Wing Chun under the Leung Sheung lineage, he has also trained and studied other martial arts including Chen style Tai Chi Chuan & Silk Reeling Qigong (Chan Ssu Chin), other Wing Chun lineages, Jeet Kune Do concepts, Boxing, Classical Pugilism / Bare-Knuckle Boxing, Filipino martial arts (Eskrima/Kali/Arnis), Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karatedo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Muay Thai.
Adam is the state of California representative of Bill Graves’ The System Wing Chun and a recognized lineage holder of the Worldwide Leung Sheung Lineage Association.
Adam serves in several associations such as the state of California representative of The System Wing Chun, President of the California Wing Chun Association and California state representative of the World Ving Tsun Athletic Association. Seventh generation lineage holder under Ip Man in the Leung Sheung lineage, Sifu Adam is a proud member of the Worldwide Leung Sheung Lineage Association. He is a 2010 United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, founder of the American Wing Chun Association, an Associate Member of the International Kung Fu Federation, Life Member of the United States Martial Arts Association, member of the Independent Martial Arts Association, International Combat Martial Arts Unions Association, United States Kuo Shu Federation, Ving Tsun Athletic Association of Hong Kong, National Qigong Association and more.
"If you want a Wing Chun system that really works, check out The Dragon Institute. These guys are as good as it gets. Sifu Adam is a rare case of someone that pretty much lives and breathes Wing Chun and does it in incredible fashion!" -Lukas Klaus, Berlin, GermanyBut what makes Adam outstanding, is not his awards, certifications, ranks, memberships or his martial arts ability... it is his character. Few people, let alone martial artists, have the character-based leadership abilities of Adam Williss. Here are a few of his quotes to get an idea of what we mean...
A Few of Sifu Adam Williss' Quotes
"Regardless of how skilled you become, character is always more important than ability."
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"Since real living is living for others, my truest awards are what I give. I believe compassion is the highest form of martial arts. It is the art of peace that transcends, not the art of war."
--- "Society has made us feel that power lies in having & using more. It fails to teach us the power of simplicity."
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"The best teachers expect nothing in return. They neither demand nor do they secretly want things in return. They're not thinking what’s in it for me? How can I get more? They do what they do because they love how it makes them feel. Their reward is immediate. These type of teachers are the catalyst of true growth. They unleash the power of giving and by this, they grant permission for others to embark on this cycle of giving."
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"Even as a small child, I was always driven to empower others. It's just how I'm made.
And if I can give people one thing, it's the desire to seek more from themselves for themselves. To dream more, learn more, give more, do more and become more. For me, believing in them is the easy part."
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"When I founded The Dragon Institute, I wanted it to be WAY MORE than just another martial arts school. I wanted to make a REAL impact in the lives of my students. I didn’t want to accept just any person that came along. Only those individuals with unshakable INTEGRITY, dedicated to continuous EDUCATION with undying PERSERVERANCE should have the honor of calling themselves a member of The Dragon Family. These are the values The Dragon Institute is built upon and we won’t settle for anything less!"
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"Anyone can give up. Our mind wants to find ways to allow ourselves to give up. Its the easiest thing in the world to say "I'm gonna take a break" and give yourself an out. Whatever justification you choose, you have just given yourself permission to go backwards. You've basically told yourself that its okay to stop trying for now. Never underestimate the power of momentum. Make no mistake, it will break you like nothing else. It'll take the great right out of you. But if you power through when everyone else would have quit, that's true strength. That's the makings of greatness!"
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"For me, being a "sifu" is about being something much more than a martial arts teacher. It isn't about a title, authority, hierarchy or rank. I don't want to be put on a pedestal or be thought of as a so called "master". Its about being an example and an inspiration in my student's lives, no matter how old those students are, no matter what they come to me for, my responsibility is to transcend and inspire, beyond physical self-defense and other limiting perceptions of what I do or they do. The dream is bigger than that. Its about sacrifice to one another, about a dedication to family and about helping each other through the mind, body and spirit of Wing Chun. The journey isn't about me. Its about a bridge to the future and those folks yet to come."
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| Florida Leung Sheung lineage Wing Chun Sifus Jesse Moon, Karl Godwin, Bill Graves with Adam Williss |
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| Sifu Adam Williss with Leung Sheung Wing Chun Grandmasters Kenneth Chung and Ben Der |
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| Sifu Adam Williss with Sifu Karl Godwin, the patriarch of Florida Wing Chun |
