International Director: USA, Japan, Singapore
Current Chief Carrsville Club Teacher. Matt ran several commercial schools over the past 2 decades and intentionally back at a small club status as he approaches his retirement years.
About:
Matthew Plewes, 8th Rank/Degree, 45 plus year martial artist. As a child Matt studied Seikukan Karate-do, under Terumasa Ogawa. As a young adult Matt trained in Shaolin Wu Xing (5-Animal) Kung Fu, achieving Master Instructor status by Samuel Cheeks from 1984- 2001
Matthew was introduced and learned the fundamentals of Wing Chun by Art Wong of Chinatown Imports in Norfolk, Va. in the mid 1990’s, and Escrima and Jeet Kune Do basics at F. Cucci’s FDC Academy in Va. Beach also in the 1990s.
Matt is a Two time Hall of Fame Inductee.
2010 IIMAA HALL OF FAME-Grandmaster of the year 2010 (グランドマスター-国際的な殿堂)
and
THE ULTIMATE WARRIORS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022.
Matt has trained and taught in America 27 years and Japan 22 years. Matt trained with and taught police and active military at his school in Suffolk, Va. in the 1990’s before moving to Japan. Our Short Programs were designed based on these professional training experiences receiving real world application feedback.
Matt also studied Chi and Chin’na and Yang Style Tai Chi and Qigong in 1998-99 under Li Sun, a member of The Shanghai Taichi quan Association.
Matthew moved to Japan in 2001.
Matthew and his Japan school was featured on TV in Japan.
Matthew has also done promotional commercials for TV in Japan for martial arts movies. Matt teaches full time at various locations in Shizuoka, Japan.
Matt had been referred to as a “Big Fish, in a small pond” meaning he is highly skilled, but in the tradition of his teachers, keeping smaller clubs with high quality students, rather than trying to over commercialize with less talented students. This also keeps the programs pure and not watered-down by “partially” trained students moving on..
Matthew founded ICMAIA (International Combat Martial Arts Instructor Association) A moderate sized association for Chuntian related program instructors to help regulate the programs and to have a share and communication portal.
As of March 2022, Matthew Plewes was inducted into the 2022 Ultimate Warriors Hall of Fame by the living martial arts legend Ron “The Black Dragon” Van Clief.
Sihings (Assistants) in Virginia
S. Bradshaw (Assistant)
Sumner has been with the club since 2024. He recently was accepted as a Formal / Closed door student. He is certified in the short programs R.A.T.T. and B.E.A.R.. Sumner is also and experienced wrestler and is currently a high school wrestling coach.
F. Shipp (Assistant)
Freddy has been with the the Carrsville club since 2025. Freddy was an original student of Matt’s first solo class, he also trained under Master Cheeks. He has a back ground in Kung Fu and Karate. He has over 15 years of accumulated training. He recently was accepted as a Formal / Closed door student. He is certified in the short programs R.A.T.T. and B.E.A.R..
In Shizuoka, Japan
Sihing K.Nakamoto is the leader of CAI in Shizuoka. Matt advises via Zoom on Wednesdays. Nakamoto has been a private student training under Matt Plewes for a few years. He is the class liaison and student leader at the new Shizuoka city – B.E.A.R. instructor certification in April of 2022. Mr. Nakamoto speaks English and Japanese.
中本は静岡市新足久保口組のマット・プルーズの私立学生です。 彼は日英の連絡係になります。 彼は新しいクラスの新入生のリーダーになります。 彼はカンフーの学生であり、彼のB.E.A.Rを受け取っているショートプログラムの学生です。 彼は2022年4月に認定されました。中本氏は英語と日本語を話します。
In Singapore
Instructor: Sheikh Azmir Ally. Bodyguard and Security Certified. SACT certified instructor. 10 years with Chuntian Academy Japan under Master Instructor Plewes. Special program teacher approved. Given General Instructor Status to operate independently Chuntian Academy Singapore. Mr. Ally has permission to adjust programs to the needs of his operational area.
Master Plewes’ Teachers.
Listed and pictured are Matt’s Two main teachers in which he spent several years with each. In addition of these two, Matt also had training with Art Wong in basic Wing Chun, and Frank Cucci’s FDC Academy in Escrima and Jeet Kune Do. In Japan, Matt trained under Tatsuo Sato (Shoriji Kempo and Iaido). Matt learned a lot if the mental combat strategies from legend and friend Ron Van Clief. Matt was the chief teacher in Japan for over a decade.
Matt’s First Teacher (1976 – 1981)
Terumasa Ogawa, 10th Degree Black Belt – Seikukan Karate-do. Terumasa Ogawa trained directly under Tainen Takemori following WWII. After many years of training, Master Ogawa was promoted to “master of the style” and granted the the full ability to teach Seikukan by Takemori. The entire style was passed to Master Ogawa after Takemori’s death. Master Ogawa immigrated to the United States in the 1970’s, where he opened his own Dojo in Virginia News, VA. In 1975 be taught at satellite locations, including the former Birdsong Recreation Center in Suffolk, Va. Matt Plewes started training there in December 1976 until 1981 when the Suffolk class was discontinued. Matt sampled other Karate schools in the area but found most sport based or not what he wanted.
Matt’s Second Teacher (1985 – 2001) Retired
Master Sam Cheeks, 9th Rank. 60 years of Kung fu study. Retired from teaching after M.Plewes completed the system and took over. Master Cheeks is a diligent martial artist. He has a history in Judo and Jiujitsu before finding Nicholas Banks Man-O-War Karate school in the 1970’s. Man o War was focused on practical self defense taught to neighborhood youth, often in parks around town. The top students would be taught the advanced program which was the original fundamental Shaolin Five Animal Kung Fu system. Master Cheeks took on Matt Plewes and taught him several days a week for several years. Master Cheeks preferred to train alone and not have a school. Matt Plewes was granted full teacher status and took over all teaching of the system and called the collective programs “Chuntian Academy” and not really having a style or system name.
Master Cheeks Teacher and lineage
Late, Great Grandmaster Nicholas Banks. Posthumously 11th Rank Black Belt.
(1943-2021) Master Cheeks teacher.
In the 1960s, Grandmaster Ho Lee brought his family’s Five Animal Kung Fu from Guangdong and Hong Kong to New Jersey. There he met Nicholas Banks, an Okinawan Shorinji practitioner and Vietnam-era serviceman. Recognizing a shared commitment to practical martial arts, the two began exchanging knowledge and training.
Banks eventually became one of Ho Lee’s leading students and taught neighborhood youth free of charge to build confidence, discipline, and positive alternatives to gangs and drugs. Advanced students received additional private instruction in the traditional Five Animal system.
In the early 1970s, Banks and several senior students relocated to Tidewater, Virginia to work at Newport News Shipbuilding during construction of the USS Nimitz. There, the Man-O-War Fighting Arts School was established.
Among its notable instructors were:
* James “Juju” Washington
* Lee Grant
* Samuel Cheeks
After the shipbuilding project ended, many students returned north, but Samuel Cheeks remained in Virginia and continued teaching
Obit:
THE LIFE OF WILLIAM NICHOLAS BANKS Jr. aka “Nick Banks”
William Nicholas Banks, Jr. was born to William Nicholas Sr. and Etta Brown Banks on October 21, 1943.
In December 1971, Nick married the love of his life, Alfreda Ward, and that union has stood the test of time. For over 50 years, they have had a solid bond of love, commitment, and devotion. They experienced all the joys and challenges of their life’s journey together hand in hand, and with heart filled love. Five more children were added to their family circle during this marriage.
Nick’s work history included employment with the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company and the Longshoreman Company in Norfolk. Nick was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and mind set and during his lifetime, he embarked on several businesses which reflected his interest in the creative arts and community service.
As a young man, Nick opened the Man of War Karate School, 15 in total, where he taught martial arts and street-smart self-defense to many of the youth in the community. He made sure they learned Christian values, discipline and respect for themselves and others. He delighted in taking the young people to karate tournaments held around the state of Virginia. He had a fighting schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. His goal was to improve the lives of community youth. He responded when they asked him to sponsor dances for them at the Shipyard Building located next to Huntington High School. That he did on Friday nights bringing in a local disk jockey and inviting his Mother to host the snack bar. His commitment to youth in the community was strong and never ending. This was further demonstrated when he created the Etta Banks Scholarship Fund in his Mother’s memory to support young people’s educational pursuits.
Select Photos of Master Plewes, very popular schools he led for many years in Japan.
Matt is also available for seminars in America and Singapore in support of his instructors.
Master Plewes pictured with the legendary Black Dragon, who is pictured with his friend the legendary DRAGON aka. Bruce Lee!
