About Shanmai
Our mission
To offer authentic and accessible teaching, adapted to each person’s needs, in order to:
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Develop effective and lasting physical skills.
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Strengthen confidence, autonomy, and the ability to act with discernment.
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Create a supportive environment where learning goes hand in hand with respect, safety, and enjoyment.
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Share tools that go beyond martial practice and can be applied in everyday life.
Our values
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Respect — for oneself, for others, for traditions, and for the training framework.
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Discipline — consistency and commitment as keys to progress.
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Kindness — positive guidance that encourages everyone to give their best.
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Authenticity — teaching that stays true to martial principles, enriched by experience and adapted to today’s world.
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Balance — between performance and enjoyment, challenge and accessibility, tradition and modernity.
Meet Michael
I’m Michael Grass, a martial arts instructor originally from the Swiss Alps. My journey began at age 7 with judo and jiu-jitsu, and evolved through Wing Chun Kung Fu, Eskrima, and Qi Gong/Tai Chi — the core of my practice since 1998.
Certified in 2003, I’ve taught in Europe and Canada, working with students of all ages, security teams, and schools. In Montreal, I also worked as a chef and trainer in social reintegration, deepening my skills in communication, leadership, and human connection — all of which shape my martial arts approach.
Over time, a clear vision emerged: to create a living, accessible program that reflects my experience, values, and the transformative power of martial arts.
In 2024, this vision became reality with the creation of Shanmai martial arts, officially launched as an independent business in 2025. “Shanmai” — meaning “mountains” — honors my roots and the steady, sincere path I walk with my students.
Now based in La Prairie, Quebec, I continue to teach and guide those seeking clarity, confidence, and balance — one step at a time, like on the mountain.
Mike Grass
