POWER. FOCUS. CONFIDENCE.

For those who want to learn an effective Martial Art for Self-Defense, Columbia Kung Fu Center is truly a rare find.

If you are interested in martial arts or self defense–whether it’s Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mixed martial arts, or traditional martial arts like Judo, Karate, or Taekwondo–Chinese Kung Fu is considered the “Grandfather” of Eastern martial arts. Real Chinese martial arts (these days more often known as Kung Fu or Guo Shu rather than Wu Shu) is highly respected by those who know and understand the martial arts at a high level.

Many of the students here are focused on cultivating the mind, body, and spirit through Tai Chi training, and that’s great. However, many students here wish to develop a real ability to defend themselves. Finding a place where you can learn true Kung Fu combat skills is extremely rare.

But, even more important than physical skill, getting home alive when confronted with a violent attack is a matter of mental training. Though I had wrestled in high school and studied various martial arts in college, I didn’t realize that I had not developed a realistic mindset for protecting myself when in real danger. That is, until I began training under Master Eric Sbarge at The Peaceful Dragon.

I have been practicing and refining the skills that I learned from Master Sbarge for over 20 years, and I teach these skills to those students here at Columbia Kung Fu Center who are up to the mental and physical challenge of learning to defend themselves.

Columbia Kung Fu Center’s Approach to Kungfu

Over 1500 years ago, the Shaolin monks of China began studying martial arts as part of their lifelong journey of enlightenment. They knew that the body, mind and spirit are inseparable, and so they followed these three essential pillars in their training. This included martial arts and Qigong to strengthen the body, meditation to clear and focus the mind, and spiritual inquiry for answers the deepest questions of their being.

At Columbia Kung Fu Center, we adhere to this traditional Shaolin “three pillar” approach, teaching authentic lineage Kung Fu styles, Qigong, and Meditation. The journey is a demanding one, and requires self-discipline and dedication, but the rewards are always more than worth the effort.

We constantly motivate our students to strive to reach their full potential. Traditional Chinese martial arts have no “belt rankings” or other competitive grading systems; the only test is whether you’ve made a little more progress today. True martial arts mastery as a lifelong process and we aim to help you build a strong foundation for optimal progress. You’ll receive personalized instruction in Qigong, forms, breathing methods, conditioning, meditation, self-defense applications, sparring, weaponry and more:

• Diverse kungfu styles and forms including the Shaolin styles of Mei Jong, Lohan, Shuai Chiao and Kenpo, and the internal styles of Bagua and Hsing I.
• You progress at your own pace – no standardized pace that rushes some and slows others
• Day, evening, and weekend classes in clean, spacious studios with bathroom and  dressing room
• Positive, motivated fellow students to train with

The Taoist arts of Pa Kua and Hsing I

Although not as well known as Tai Chi or other forms of Kung Fu, Pa Kua is an effective internal art, focusing on circular movements as well as on methods of meditation and qigong that are a perfect complement to Tai Chi training for health. At first Pa Kua is practiced slowly and gently, making it ideal for people of all ages and health conditions. If you are interested in cultivating high-level fighting skills, you’ll benefit greatly from the evasiveness, efficiency, and speed that comes from mastering Pa Kua movement.

Hsing-I is based on the five elements of metal, water, wood, fire and earth. In this art one develops great internal power and goes directly to the opponent to attack. Even though Hsing-i looks like an external art, it’s power is truly internal. However, many call it ‘The Bridge Art’ because in some ways it is a middle ground between an external and internal style.

If you want to fully understand the depths of Taoist philosophy, Tai Chi introduces the first of the three conceptual pillars–“Yin and Yang”–and Hsing I and Pa Kua represent the other two–the “Five Elements” and the “Eight Trigrams”.