Having tried a few nearby schools, I can say for sure that Sifu Brian Hester is the real deal. He may not be the most experienced instructor in the area in terms of time spent with the martial art, but he has a knack for explaining and breaking things down that tells you beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knows his stuff. If you have doubts about his experience, then he definitely makes up for it by being present. I have yet to see him whip out a phone during lessons and always see him watching or fixing something with someone in class. Wing Chun requires very nuanced instruction and I am sure this is the only studio that gives you this right off the bat. At Gary Lam's own studio, for instance, you'd sort of be at the mercy of whoever you're partnered with that day until you move up the ranks and Gary or his son start to notice you. Basically, Brian has everyone on their own "track", almost like he's giving private lessons to a dozen or so students at once. He gives you something to practice for a few minutes before he comes back to tweak something for you. This ends up being a very good pace, actually. I've asked him about getting privates and he says that for beginners, it would essentially be the same thing. He also seems innately perceptive. In just a few sessions, I've seen him pick out some small things that I've seen other instructors miss or that I wasn't able to get satisfactory answers about when I asked. I may not be an experienced Wing Chun practitioner, but I do come from a background of dance, exercise, and medicine, so I can often see things like arms that are disconnected or a palm landing too far off center to be effective. I've also seen other instructors discourage some common sense things like working out, which just tells me they are probably too focused on tradition and not thinking things through. Brian seems to understand that you can still lift weights and get ripped without sacrificing your Wing Chun. ***Ian Tseng