The Shaolin Wahnam Institute
The Shaolin Wahnam Institute was established by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit, The name “Wahnam” consists of meaningful Chinese characters from the names of Grandmaster Wong’s two masters: Ho Fatt Nam and Lai Chin Wah. The name “Shaolin Wahnam” was chosen to honour these two masters as well as all of the past masters in the Shaolin tradition.
Since its establishment, the Shaolin Wahnam Institute has expanded to an increasing number of countries, bringing the genuine Shaolin arts of Qigong, Shaolinquan and Zen to the world. A list of all the certified Shaolin Wahnam instructors all over the world (including Singapore) may be found at Grandmaster Wong’s at shaolin.org .
Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
Grandmaster Wong is the 4th generation successor from the southern Shaolin Monastery of China. He is a grandmaster of Shaolin Kungfu, Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung. He received the “Qigong Master of the Year” award at the Second World Congress on Qigong held in San Francisco in November, 1997. He also holds an honours degree in humanities, and is one of the very few Chinese masters who speaks and writes excellent English.
Grandmaster Wong, born in 1944, started his life-long training of the Shaolin arts in 1954 when he began learning Shaolin Kungfu from the famous Shaolin master, Sifu Lai Chin Wah, who was popularly known as Uncle Righteousness. Grandmaster Wong became his best disciple.
To further his kungfu training, Sifu Wong later learnt from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, the third generation successor directly descended from the southern Shaolin Monastery when it was burned by the Manchurian army in China.
Sifu Wong also learned Wuzu Kungfu from Sifu Chee Kim Thong, and Wing Choon Kungfu from Sifu Choe Hoong Choy, who were patriarchs of their respective kungfu styles.
Sifu Wong has taught kungfu and chi kung for more than twenty five years, to more than twenty organizations. Regretting that many masters were withholding “secrets” of kungfu and chi kung with the result that these arts might lose their essence, in 1982 he founded the Shaolin Wahnam School of kungfu and chi kung, naming the school after the two teachers who had influenced him most, Sifu Lai Chin Wah and Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, with the aim of transmitting genuine Shaolin Kungfu, Shaolin Chi Kung and Shaolin philosophy.
Having won championships himself, Sifu Wong has trained champions in kungfu (demonstrations as well as all styles sparring) and lion dance competitions. But he has always insisted that while Shaolin Kungfu and Wahnam Taijiquan are exceedingly effective martial arts, their greatness lies in enriching our daily life and in spiritual development.
Since 1987 Sifu Wong has spent more time teaching chi kung than kungfu, because he believes that while kungfu serves as a fascinating hobby, chi kung serves an urgent public need, particularly in overcoming degenerative and chronic illness. Sifu Wong is one of the few masters who have generously introduced the once secretive Shaolin Chi Kung to the public, and has helped literally hundreds of people to be relieved of their so-called “incurable” diseases like hypertension, asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, diabetics, migraine, gastritis, gall stones, kidney failure, depression, anxiety and even cancer.
Now he has devoted more time to writing and teaching overseas, having successfully taught in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. He stresses the Shaolin philosophy of sharing goodness with all humanity, and is now dedicated to spreading the wonders and benefits of the Shaolin arts to more people irrespective of race, culture and religion.
