INSTRUCTORS
Shifu Zak Zivanovic
(Head Instructor)
With over three decades of experience and training in traditional Chinese martial arts and medicine, Shifu Zak Zivanovic is the head instructor of the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Institute “CHUEN” in the UK. Highly motivated and dedicated to his craft, Zak Zivanovic is an enthusiastic representative of Chinese culture, tradition, values, and their expression through the martial arts.
He began his training as a direct disciple of Grandmaster William Cheung, the famous instructor of the well-known Bruce Lee and successor of the legendary Grandmaster Ip Man. Shifu Zak’s passion has led him to travel the world to better understand and refine his craft and, even now, he regularly arranges Academy tours to China and other academies around the world to give his students an opportunity for further advanced training. Shifu’s loyalty and trustworthy dedication to Wing Chun and education from Grandmaster William Cheung he was honored to be placed as the 9th generation (Picture, below) of the direct line of Traditional Wing Chun family. He continued practice in both authentic traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu and Wudang Tai Ji Quan, Shifu Zak is considered one of the most experienced and senior instructors of traditional Wing Chun in the world. He regularly conducts international workshops and seminars across the globe and is held in high regard by the international martial arts community.
His dedication was also acknowledged in 2013 when, as part of a historic event “Wing Chun returning to the Shaolin temple”, his name was among those carved into a 20-foot historical marble plaque at the Shaolin Temple, in Henan Province China (picture, left). This historic plaque is on display for all to see and was placed to commemorate Wing Chun’s connection to its Shaolin roots and the Grandmaster’s successful efforts in reintroduce Wing Chun training to Shaolin.
Passionate about ensuring a well-rounded and thorough education in Chinese martial arts, Shifu Zak is involved in organizing many other cultural events such as Chinese Medicine workshops, Qi Gong, Taijiquan and Tea exhibitions. He is a fully qualified Chinese medicine practitioner, practicing in the UK. He uses this knowledge to attain a deeper understanding of Chinese martial arts and passes on this knowledge to his disciples. His passion and pursuit for Chinese Martial Arts, in addition to his belief that learning and progress should never stop, has led him to learn and teach Wudang Taijiquan in addition to Wing Chun.
Si Hing Ngaio Ballard
I have dedicated all my life to practicing and teaching forms of movement. A competitive swimmer through my teens and a professional Pilates teacher for the last 25 years. Both laid the foundations for my interest in Martial Arts and its ancient systems.
What really struck my natural curiosity was the paradoxical concept of harnessing relaxation within form and structure to achieve both fluidity of movement with genuine power.
After practicing one style of kung fu for many years, a chance encounter with a stranger in a shop led to my first real insight into Traditional Wing Chun. I witnessed a sequence of arm movements that immediately captured my attention—perhaps unsurprising, given my fascination with movement. That brief exchange proved to be a pivotal moment, fundamentally altering the trajectory of my life.
I met my current master, Shifu Zak shortly after and under his guidance, realised my potential to become a teacher. I have studied Traditional Wing Chun, Wu Dang Tai Chi, Chinese philosophy, and more recently acupuncture. Over a decade later, I have reached a level of skill and understanding in Traditional Wing Chun that equips me to guide, teach, and inspire others.
Throughout this journey, I have made a conscious effort to explore various styles of Wing Chun, seeking to understand different perspectives within the system. This has enabled me to connect with others who may be considering the transition to Traditional Wing Chun.
I have deliberately chosen this style for its depth and adaptability across a range of combat scenarios. I value having multiple approaches to any given challenge. This path has required countless hours of dedicated practice and significant personal sacrifice. Most importantly, I have been fortunate to have the unwavering support of my family.
If you are in London and considering beginning your own journey, I invite you to join me. Remember, there is no time like the present.
Si Hing Craig Chisholm
I have found Wing Chun to not only be a highly effective fighting style, but also a way of life. Training my mind and body not to fight force with force has benefits way beyond physical fitness and self-defence, helping me to deal with everyday problems in a calm, grounded manner.
In the past, I have studied kickboxing and various styles of Karate and been a keen lifter of heavy weights at the local gym. I became aware of Wing Chun through a chance encounter with Shifu Zak, whose infectious enthusiasm and dedication to Kung Fu sparked my interest. Shifu Zak accepted me as his student in October 2015 and from that moment on I have never looked back. I have met some fantastic people from all walks of life and have many new friends for life. There is a genuine ethos within the academy to help each other develop.
I am truly honoured to have been given the responsibility to help others learn Wing Chun and its many benefits. This began during lock down in the summer of 2020, where under the supervision of Shifu Zak I began creating the criteria for weekly Zoom classes and leading the attendees. I must say a big “thank you” to all those who attended regularly, as your commitment gave me the self-belief to drive forwards and develop. Teaching really helps me improve my own Wing Chun by revising its core principles and techniques on a regular basis.
Wing Chun can be learned by people of any gender, shape, or age – it is never too late. It would be great to see you at our classes in Kent!
Shifu’s students have this to say about his methods of teaching:
As students of Shifu Zak Zivanovic, we would describe him as a dedicated and supportive instructor. In just the few short years we have received teaching from him, our own ability and skill has increased massively. The well rounded nature of his teaching is particularly beneficial. While many of us began training purely with self-defence or fitness in mind, the knowledge and philosophy on life gained through understanding the whole nature of Wing Chun has led to many additional benefits such as confidence, inner peace, mindfulness and a much greater appreciation of Chinese philosophy.