Sifu Ben Stanley
Chief Instructor of White Dragon Martial Arts Clairemont
Ben Stanley is a native of San Diego, California and has been practicing Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and Yang Family Tai Chi since 1994. He is the Chief Instructor of the White Dragon Martial Art School located in Clairemont (San Diego), California under his teacher Master Nathan Fisher, a long time student of the famous Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong.
Sifu Stanley has competed successfully in a variety of national and international martial art competitions over the years, winning gold medals in both forms and combative divisions. He has also been the coach of several individual gold medalists on the national and international level. His educational experience includes a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from California State University, San Diego (SDSU) and a graduate degree in Education from National University (NU), San Diego.
In 2002 Ben Stanley was promoted to the level of Sifu, making him a Seventh Generation Sifu in the Choy Li Fut Kung Fu lineage and Fifth Generation in the Yang Family Tai Chi lineage. In 2009, Sifu Stanley earned his 5th Degree Senior Black Sash, the highest rank in Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong's international federation.
Sifu Stanley is head of the White Dragon Lion Dance Team. Under his instruction, the team has become one of the largest and most active Lion Dance Teams in San Diego County.
Mr. Jerime VanDergriff
Chief Instructor of White Dragon Martial Arts Clairemont
Jerime VanDergriff has been studying Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and Yang Style Tai Chi since 2001 under Sifu Ben Stanley, student of White Dragon's Founder, Master Nathan Fisher. He has earned both the Senior Black Sash in Choy Li Fut and the Black Fringe in Yang Tai Chi making him one of the highest level instructors at White Dragon Martial Arts. In 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Chief Instructor by Master Fisher to recognize his outstanding achievements as both an outstanding senior instructor and student at the Clairemont school.
Mr. VanDergriff has a passion for the study and teaching of authentic Chinese martial arts. This has led him to constantly strive for improvements in himself and his students. A multiple gold medal winner in Tai Chi push hands at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championships and the Plum Blossom Championships, Mr. VanDergriff has a successful track record in tournament competition. Over the past 10 years, he has also won gold medals both in Tai Chi and Kung Fu forms divisions.
On top of his successes in competition and rank achievements, Mr. VanDergriff has also been one of the top performers on the White Dragon Lion Dance team since 2001.
