Hung Tao Choi Mei Leadership Institute — Local services in Washington

Visited this place a while back, during my search for a legitimate Sanda/Sanshou, or Wushu-based sparring course. Sat in for one class, and didn't feel the junior instructor really had a solid grasp of the fundamental kung fu techniques, let alone, the bag-work (ie. punching correctly with hip, leg, and guard). Moreover, seeing Islamic imagery placed in a Chinese kung fu place (a Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian space) next to traditional incense bowls just screamed "mis-blending", "bastardization", or "misappropriation" to me. The combination of these two did not convince me that this place was philosophically authentic enough, nor would it offer combat-practical training.

Frame of reference: lifetime background in Shaolin wushu, Shotokan karate, Muay...

Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute is a community-oriented martial arts school teaching Jow Ga Kung Fu to children and adults in lion dance, dragon dance, sparring, forms, techniques and drumming. Hung Tao Choy Mei teaches DC residents ages 6-18 for free thanks to city funding. Summer and after-school programs include instruction in Mandarin, Djembe drumming, Balafon. The founder and chief instructor is a native Washingtonian. It's always a good idea to meet the chief instructor to ask questions about heritage, mission, experience, curriculum. This school offers a free trial class. It has welcomed visitors in the same...

I have been with Hung Tao Choi Mei for a little over 2 years now, and even at 41 years of age, I feel confident in what I have learned.

Sifu Rahim has a pedigree of knowledge having trained with Dean Chin. He is such a significant part of spreading Jow Ga Kung Fu through DC, that he is featured in Sifu Ronald Wheeler’s book, The Power of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Sifu Ken is also a great instructor and knows how to explain techniques and forms so that they’re easy to understand. This class is very community based and it’s great to be...