Mimi Chan is one of the world’s foremost martial arts instructors and performers. The trailblazing Kung Fu ‘Sifu’ operates the Wah Lum Kung Fu Temple in Orlando, Florida, the worldwide headquarters of the Wah Lum Tam Tui Praying Mantis system, which has 15 schools across the USA, Brazil, Germany, and Switzerland.
Mrs. Chan began her martial arts career at the age of 3, training with her father, Grandmaster Chan Pui. She has hosted Wah Lum events that have raised over $30,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the past several years.
She believes in preserving her heritage through the teachings of martial arts and sharing the Chinese culture with others. The Wah Lum team began the celebrations of Lunar New Year in Central Florida in 1980, and Mrs. Chan carries on that tradition today. In addition, she has led educational student tours to China.
She paid tribute to her father and teacher, writing, producing and directing the acclaimed documentary, Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer. The film tells her father’s journey as an immigrant seeking to achieve the American Dream and won 10 awards during the 2012 film festival season.
Mrs. Chan has performed, and choreographed martial arts shows for all of the major theme parks in Central Florida. She was an actor and stunt performer in Hollywood television and films. She cemented her place in animation history as the life model and martial arts video reference for Disney’s animated classic, Mulan (1998). Working with prominent animators and directors over a period of several years, Mimi helped bring the character of Mulan to life with her extensive martial arts expertise and her ability to blend traditional technique with creative improvisation
In 2000, Mrs. Chan was inducted into Inside Kung Fu Magazine’s Hall of Fame as 2000’s “Woman of the Year” and has been featured in numerous international martial arts magazines, including Kung Fu Magazine, Filipino Martial Arts Magazine and Inside Kung Fu.
Mrs. Chan remains dedicated to the preservation of the Chinese culture. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Mrs. Chan has found her passion in activism. She is the state lead for Make Us Visible Florida, which is part of a nationwide coalition dedicated to develop a preventative solution rooted in education as a response to anti-Asian American violence. She passed legislation to include AAPI history in Florida’s curriculum in 2023.
At the invitation of Mayor Demings, she served on the 2021 Orange County Citizen’s Safety Task Force to help prevent gun violence. She is also the host of The Sifu Mimi Chan Show which explores a variety of topics that are inspiring thought-provoking.