Sifu Michael O'Leary - 4th Higher Grade

Sifu Michael is the instructor for the Blanchardstown school. He began his Wing Tsun training on the 5th of February 1993 in the Manchester headquarters of Grandmaster Leung Ting's British/Irish Wing Tsun Association under Sifu Nick Smart. He trained there for about three months and was awarded his first student grade. He then moved back to Dublin where he continued his training with Sifu Aidan Canavan. He received his 2nd student grade at a Dublin seminar given by Grandmaster Leung Ting

In 1995 as a 5th student grade, Michael entered a full contact competition, fighting under Sanshou rules. While he beat his opponent, a Thai Boxer from Galway, the experience highlighted the difference for him between training for competition and training for self defence with the latter being his area of focus ever since.

In early 1997 Michael travelled to Hong Kong where he trained for ten weeks in the headquarters of the International Wing Tsun Association under Grandmaster Cheng Chuen Fun. This experience gave him an appreciation of the finer details behind Wing Tsun's forms and the important role that they play in the system as a whole. He returned to Dublin, continued his training with Sifu Canavan and after completing a one week intensive training course with Sifu Nick Smart, he was awarded his 1st instructor grade which is the equivalent of black belt in Wing Tsun followed by his 2nd instructor grade in 1999.

During this time Michael trained to be a fitness instructor and this changed the way he viewed teaching Wing Tsun. Rather than relying on vague metaphors to teach Wing Tsun, he would now identify the specific muscles used to do a movement as well as the type of contraction that the muscle was under.

In 2001 Michael began to attend seminars given by Dai Sifu Rainer Tausend who was the EWTO representative for Ireland. As well as attending seminars with Dai Sifu Tausend and classes on a Tuesday and Thursday in Dublin with Sifu Canavan, Michael would also travel to Northern Ireland each Saturday to train with Sifu Paul Devenny. In 2004 Michael opened his own school in Blanchardstown, Co. Dublin. While teaching he initially continued to attend classes under Sifu Canavan. He also travelled to Germany on a regular basis to attend seminars with Dai Sifu Tausend as well as England to attend seminars with Grandmaster Keith Kernspecht, the founder and head of the European Wing Tsun Organisation. 

Michael also helped to organise seminars in Ireland for Dai Sifu Tausend three times per year and attended all student and instructor seminars as well as semi private lessons during each visit. He brought many students to blackbelt level and beyond, some of whom went on to open schools in Belfast, Maynooth, Navan, Sligo and Wexford and he supported them by providing regular seminars and gradings. He was awarded his 3rd instructor grade in 2006, his 4th instructor grade and the title of "Sifu" in 2012.

Since then he has trained in other martial arts and is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as a qualified instructor in Kali/Escrima. He also taught both of these arts and brought students up to instructor level. Michael resigned from the Irish Wing Tsun Organisation at the end of 2015 and on the 1st of January 2016 along with Micheal Preston the instructor for Wing Tsun in Sligo, founded Wing Tsun – Ireland.