Tara Murray
An Albanvale kung fu studio is hoping to rebuild after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wing Chun Kung Fu used to have more than 20 students a week, but that number has dropped to just three following the pandemic.
Studio owner Sifu Maurice Ruiz said it had been a hard time since the pandemic started.
“I opened a kung fu studio 10 years ago in order to make kung fu and fighting for children and adults become a sport and not a fight as it would be seen in the school ground or street,” he said.
“The classes lead towards being able to compete in tournaments, which is the closest one can get to a real fight but taking away the fear and hatred and replacing it with camaraderie.
“Over the years we taught six lessons a week, with four adult classes and two kids classes. The COVID-19 epidemic saw us lose 11 kids and nine adults in one swoop last year and we are currently trying to re-establish the club from scratch.”
