Authentic traditional martial arts given to you in its purest form taught, by great teachers.read more

I have been training at the SKFTC for about 10 months. Shifu Hengxin and Shimu Arlene have been…read morenothing less than spectacular teachers. The school is fairly small and individual attention is given to all students. Every class is lead and overseen by Shifu Hengxin, Shimu Arlene, or in most cases by both. What I noticed right away when I began training at the SKFTC is that Shifu Hengxin has no interest in convincing you, or selling you on his martial arts practice. There are no frills or exciting welcomes when walking into the school.. it's simply a matter of getting to work. To me this was refreshing, and says a lot about the sincerity Shifu has in his teaching, and the type of students he wants to acquire. The vibe is true, the vibe is authentic, those who are interested can stay, those who are not can leave. It sounds cold but I think in reality it is a warm and genuine way to teach. No student receives praise, you never hear "great job!", and your always asked to do more. They treat every student the same, which keeps everyone humble and connected.. not divided. Trying the free introductory class at the SKFTC was the best decision I have made in a long time. Being a student has revitalized me, and brought so much more balance into my life. The classes are very demanding and Shifu and Shimu work together to bring the best out of every student. This place has become a second home for me and will continue to be for a long time. p.s. Read the filtered reviews. You can find them in the bottom left of the page. Yelp needs to relax with the censoring. What's the point of having a review site if you can't leave a review???

I've been studying the restorative Qigong (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) and highly recommend this…read moreclass. Small group with lots of attention to detail which means you learn fast. Within 3 sessions I had something that I could start to practice at home on my own. Veronica is an exceptional teacher. I'm making progress each week and looking forward to progressing further.

This was my first time practicing kungfu and i really like it! The teachers and students here are…read morevery nice, although there are not many students, which surprises me because it's a really enjoyable class. However i'm also kind of glad about it since fewer students = more personal attention ;) I'm someone who hates to exercise; so the only "exercise" i do often is walk, dance, hike, and sometimes yoga. I find that kungfu is really nice for stretching and strengthening the body in a balanced way. The practice space on Spring street is simple but suitable for practicing. I think that as the weather gets warmer, there will be more practice meetings outside as well.

I love this place! I've been coming here for Practical Wing Chun Kung Fu for almost two years, and…read moreI have to say the atmosphere here is like a second home to me. The instructors here are amazing! Sifu Kwok has an attentiveness to detail that seems rare in today's distracted world, and his dedication to the success of his students, paired with a very organized and structured curriculum, creates an atmosphere conducive to optimized learning. As his standards are high, it naturally follows that everyone teaching at the school is very knowledgeable, patient, friendly, and fantastic at imparting their knowledge. The school truly embodies its mottos, "Improvement of Mind and Body", "Ethical Self-Conduct", and "Unity Among Members" which are printed across the top beams of the dojo where people entering can easily read them. It is emphasized that one should use their heads when practicing self-defense. This flows into conducting oneself ethically, and learning what amount of force is necessary to mitigate a potential threat (learning that, perhaps, it isn't necessary to break this person's arm and blind him/her, maybe I can just put my arms up non-threateningly and say "Sorry! [Didn't mean to bump you]!", or even, "Get away from me!"). Ethical self-conduct also falls in line with Unity Among Members in that there is a strong emphasis within the school that the fellow students are your training partners: treat them with respect, both inside and outside the classroom. The classes are all mixed-level, and within the curriculum, everyone is encouraged to work with one another, whether a first-day beginner to a seasoned, 10-year practitioner. Because the school and its members are collectively interested in each individual's improvement and learning, this creates a safe space that fosters empathy for everyone. As for the physical setting, GMA has a nice front lobby for checking in/ collecting your attendance card, clean facilities for the changing rooms (one room for male, one for female). The dojo itself has nice padded floors, as well as the walls with many mirrors on 2 sides to check your stances-- all of which allow for a very helpful learning environment! All in all, I highly recommend this place!

Master Kwok is truly a master of Kung fu, and he teaches his art step by step. His style of…read moreteaching is interactive, immersive, as well as by example. If you want to learn from the best, try Master Kwok's class. His students are friendly, and no egos are welcome. It's a great atmosphere and a great learning opportunity to learn practical wing chun.

Amazing instructors to help create balance and fitness at any age and skill level . A great balance…read moreof form , discipline and history.

At 67 years of age, & barely 4 months after joining), I am still SMH at the astonishing increase in…read moremy energy & my health-awareness. The (volunteer) Kung Fu Masters are paying forward a priceless gift bequeathed them (& to countless others) by Grandmaster Alan Lee, himself a figure of unquestionable international repute atop the martial arts world. The boot-camp style old-school physical workout would (admittedly) challenge an 18 y/o marine recruit (I know, I was one half-century ago), but the lessons in breathing, form, and movement have improved my bearing, overall confidence, health awareness, and inner strength. "Fighting" is 10% of Kung Fu, mental and physical health being the main goal. Most priceless of all, students are allowed to attend the rare Sunday afternoon health lectures offered by (92 years old) world renowned Grandmaster Lee as he shares 3000 years of Chinese martial arts & health wisdom accumulated by his 8 decades + of vigorous research, pursuit, and practice. IMHO this "once-in-a-lifetime" (albeit under-the-radar) treasure to be VIGOROUSLY pursued by anyone seeking an alternative to doctors, drugs, and expensive "gyms".

Shifu Yan Ming is a wonderful man, genuinely interested in the people he interacts with and is as…read moredown to earth as a human can be. I had an incredible night hanging out with him last night and SHARING wisdom back and forth. He is not stuck up at all or full of himself at all. He is open, jolly and quite approachable. There's a reason stars like RZA and Jackie Chan are enamored by him too. He is incredibly skilled and full of ancient wisdom, yet he knows how to laugh and enjoy life. This, I would say is what BALANCE is all about! If you want a stoic, lifeless monk, go up to the mountains of Dengfeng County and sit in a cave for 8 years. If you want the real deal mixed with NYC spirit and swagger, this is what New York is all about. I love it. Train harder yall ~

Pros: 1) very nice teacher; 2) beautiful decoration; 3) have a trial classes;…read more Cons: 1) smelly room; 2) to hard understand the teacher he speaks very low, can't even hear him;

this isnt the school to learn tai chi in a month this is the…read moreschool to celebrate the gift of tai chi and other various internal energy programs. Ive been learning for almost 2 years and the strength/ balance and mental clarity has helped me in almost evert aspect of my life ive been playing softball for 10 years+ and after a year of tai chi and Nei kung i can regularly hit the ball over outfielders heads

After 8 years of karate and 8 years of salsa dancing (On 2) I'm studying Tai Chi at CK Chu Tai Chi…read more I don't know why, but my health is better and my head seems clearer. All great teachers with patience, good form and communication . . . the real deal!

I have trained and been a student of Master Marlon Ma for 30 years. Having been a Long Fist Student…read more17 years prior to joining. The Wutang brand is known and respected throughout the world.

Wutang is a great Kung fu school that's been opened for decades. They also teach tai chi, &…read moreweapons. I guess not many people know about this school because of the location. It's sort of hidden away along Northern Blvd, but definitely close enough to main st to commute to. This is the first school I've been to that actually enables you to apply what you learned in action. During class there is legit hand-to-hand combat. I was awkward about it at first, but slowly got the hang of it. If you're not careful you might break a finger #js. Not only will you use your body, but also your brain. My teacher is David and he teaches M & W from 7:00-10:00PM. He teaches not only kung fu, but also explains the science and physics behind a movement. I took lessons here for a short while but stopped going because the time is a bit too late for me. However, I am planning on going back in the future. The students here, especially the black belts, are friendly and willing to help if you're confused. If you're looking to learn self-defense, then def check out Wu Tang.

I've been fortunate enough to have been exposed to and involved in martial arts since childhood for…read more38 years. In my lifetime, no one person has influenced my life more than Shifu Chen. He embodies the martial arts through every aspect of his life in his honesty, directness, and artistry. Any closed-door student of his understands that Shifu Chen is nothing short of a marvel of a human being defying all expectations. He's attracted an incredible group of people whom I love dearly and have a spectacular amount of appreciation for who have helped me more than they can possibly imagine. Because of his teachings, I was fortunate enough to find success in opening 2 wildly successful martial arts schools. I continue to carry his lessons with me in running another business, raising my kid, and doing my best to live a life in accord with his teachings. Perhaps the most amazing thing, to me, about Shifu Chen is he somehow makes mastery seem achievable because he is constantly working at his craft alongside his students. He is a disciplined, principled, and passionate example of an incredible life showing what is achievable through time, effort, and care.

Wushu, for the most part, travels below the radar; with the advent of more modern movies like…read more"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" or "Hero" or "Ip Man," it has nudged itself into the spotlight in modern American culture in a manner which Sifu would call "tai ji style," that is to say, slowly, inexorably, and surely. How not? It has a wealth of appealing qualities. It is dynamic, acrobatic, beautiful, fluid. Building strength, basic conditioning, stabilizer muscles, and flexibility, as well as teaching coordination, muscle memory, concentration, and the manifestation of power, it is an economy of and ornate vocabulary of gesture all at once. Most people, in my opinion, who study this art are seekers. They dedicate themselves to it in pursuit not only of its finer qualities as described above, but also because they are interested in the point of contact between health, strength, aesthetic, and wisdom; all in the richness and fullness of the human experience. That sort of self-scrutiny, that sort of questioning, in the vein of Platonic ideals, leads us to ask, "what it is to be a human? What are we humans capable of?" As it turns out, something that we consider regular, everyday, and ordinary -- namely ourselves -- is capable of some pretty amazing things. It's also exhilarating fun. Wushu is an art that it both solitary and social all at once. Solitary because personal motivation is required, and social because it's a joy to train with like-minded individuals. Which finally brings me to Sifu. Wushu is something you cannot learn from books, youtube videos, or hearsay and conjecture. It is a fusion of art and science and the subject of much research. Every art needs a master artist, and I'm privileged to write that Sifu Chen Ying is just such a person. Sifu Chen Ying has complete understanding and fluency of the art of Wushu, from its traditional roots in philosophy, to its fighting applications, to modern performative skills, to the most difficult and arduous of techniques. Trained in more styles than i can count, in traditional Gong Fu and modern Wushu, he has a wealth of information at the ready to guide a student in the art. Bagua? Sure. Drunken? No problem? Tai ji? You betcha. Weapons? Twice a week. In short, his knowledge, memory, and skill is of the highest caliber. If Wushu is the art that thrills you to the core, if you youtube videos and say to yourself, "man, i wish i could do that," this is the man with whom to speak. His precision of movement, focus, power and control are controlled to the tiniest nuance. He not only understands the composition of movement, the language and syntax and ornate vocabulary of gesture on the molecular level, but he will also teach what he knows to you. Do you want to see things no one else can see, and do things no one else can do? Do you want to understand yourself better? Do you want to learn a rigorous physical art that is as deadly as it is beautiful? Cast your lot with this school. It's a group of extremely dedicated and enormously skilled students who stick together through thick and thin. I couldn't imagine a better place to train.

I have been training with Shaolin for 3 years. I was one of the first students when he came here,…read moreand I am very happy with things. I feel like I got much better, primarily because Shaolin and Loro and other visiting blackbelts are there so often (Shaolin teaches every class and when Loro is not training for pro mma he is there all the time as well). The prices are also very competitive for NYC. I believe they are the cheapest considering the extremely high level of quality.

Great environment. Instruction was solid, with a superb workout! What a fun class. Can hardly wait…read morefor more!