Welcome!
A Message to New Students, Parents and Potential Student Candidates
Like any physical skill, Kung Fu takes time. Coordination, timing, balance, and technique must gradually learn to work together. But Kung Fu goes beyond physical training—it also develops awareness, confidence, self-control, and instinctive responses.
The first few traditional techniques can sometimes feel difficult or frustrating. That is completely normal. To keep new students motivated, I mix traditional training with practical “Learn Today—Use Today” self-defense skills that students can understand and apply immediately.
Everyone Learns at a Different Pace
People learn physical skills at different speeds. Physical coordination has nothing to do with intelligence. Some students pick up movements quickly, while others need more repetition. With consistent practice, everyone improves.
I know this personally. I was a slow starter myself, yet through persistence and decades of training, I eventually reached the rare level of 8th-Degree Black Belt.
The same applies socially. Like joining any new club, it may take a few weeks for a student to become comfortable and for the group to mesh. Please feel free to approach me with any questions or concerns. I have decades of teaching experience and have worked with hundreds of students from several countries.
Give Yourself Time
One of the most common regrets I have heard from former students over my decades of teaching in Asia and America is:
“I wish I had stuck with it.”
Some later watched friends, family members, or former classmates develop impressive skills while realizing what they could have accomplished had they continued.
Others returned after experiencing a frightening incident or simply reconsidering their decision. By then, students who had originally started alongside them had become highly proficient—and in some cases had become instructors themselves. I have seen this happen more than once.
An Essential Life Skill
My personal philosophy is simple: real-world self-defense is an essential life skill.
We require children to receive an education because we understand that knowledge prepares them for adulthood. I view practical self-defense in a similar way. In my own family, I insist that my children learn how to recognize danger, avoid unnecessary conflict, protect themselves, and respond effectively when there is no other choice.
Children in particular may initially resist something unfamiliar. Kung Fu can seem like a strange “Asian thing,” and movies, sport fighting, social media, and unqualified instructors have created many misconceptions about what traditional martial arts and real-world self-defense actually are.
Give it time.
Like any worthwhile activity, interest naturally has peaks and valleys. Some weeks you may be excited to train; other weeks you may not feel like coming at all. That is normal. As your understanding, confidence, friendships, and abilities grow, training usually becomes much more rewarding.
For beginners, I work hard to make classes interesting, encouraging, practical, and fun. But I also want students to understand that what they are learning is more than a hobby.
They are developing skills, awareness, confidence, and habits that may someday help protect themselves or someone they love.
Stay with it, give yourself the opportunity to improve, and you may eventually find that learning Kung Fu and real-world self-defense becomes one of the most meaningful achievements of your life.
Before choosing a martial arts school, ask yourself what you really want: a passing fad, a competitive sport, or real-world self-defense.
Sport martial arts can offer excellent fitness, discipline, and competition, but many sport-based techniques and training methods do not transfer directly to a real street confrontation. The environment, mindset, rules, and mental preparation are very different.
At Chuntian Academy, our focus is practical, real-world self-defense—methods developed through decades of training, teaching, research, and real-world testing.
We may not always look as polished or form-perfect as some traditional or sport-oriented styles, but a real fight isn’t pretty, controlled, or predictable either.
We train for reality—not trophies.
BUYER BEWARE
Before joining us—or any martial arts school—please read the information below.
Bad teachers create poorly trained students, and poorly trained students can eventually become bad teachers themselves. This cycle allows misinformation, ineffective training, and false claims of expertise to continue from one generation to the next.
Know what you are paying for. Know your instructor’s background. Know the difference between proven skill and marketing.
10 Signs a Martial Arts School May Not Be What It Claims
I’m Matt, the teacher.
After more than 20 years of martial arts training in the United States, I originally went to Japan intending to stay for six months to further my study. Six months turned into more than 22 years living, training, studying, and teaching in Asia.
That experience changed the way I look at martial arts—and especially the difference between sport, tradition, entertainment, and practical self-defense.
When I returned to the United States, I was surprised by how difficult it can be for the average person to determine an instructor’s actual experience and the practical value of what is being taught. Social media has made the problem even greater. Impressive videos, titles, certificates, trophies, and demonstrations do not necessarily prove that someone can teach effective self-defense.
Before choosing a school, ask yourself one important question:
What do I actually want—sport, traditional martial arts, fitness, competition, or real-world self-defense?
There is nothing wrong with any of these goals. The problem begins when one is marketed as another.
SPORT VS. REAL-WORLD SELF-DEFENSE
Martial arts trends have changed considerably over the decades:
- 1970s: Point fighting and tournament karate
- 1980s: Kickboxing
- 2000s: UFC/MMA influence
- 2010s–Present: MMA, BJJ, and grappling
These sports can develop excellent athletes and valuable skills. Timing, conditioning, balance, striking, grappling, pressure testing, and the ability to remain composed against resistance can all have practical value.
But combat sports and real-world self-defense have different objectives and rules.
In competition, there are weight classes, prohibited techniques, referees, rules, prepared opponents, defined fighting areas, and a clear beginning and ending.
A violent confrontation may involve weapons, multiple attackers, confined spaces, surprise, uneven terrain, legal consequences, or someone who has no intention of fighting fairly.
Likewise, excessive force can turn a successful defense into a legal problem.
In sport, the goal may be a trophy or victory. In real-world self-defense, the goal is to recognize danger, avoid it when possible, survive it when necessary, and get home safely.
10 WARNING SIGNS TO WATCH FOR
1. Mystical or Unverifiable Claims
Be skeptical of instructors claiming supernatural abilities, invisible energy attacks, effortless control of resisting opponents, or other abilities that cannot be demonstrated under realistic conditions.
Traditional concepts such as Qi, Chi, or Ki may have historical, cultural, breathing, meditation, or body-mechanics interpretations. The warning sign is when mystical explanations replace testable technique and realistic training.
If a technique only works when the student cooperates, ask what happens when someone doesn’t.
2. They Cannot Demonstrate What They Teach
Age, disability, injuries, and body type should never automatically disqualify an instructor. Many outstanding teachers are older or have physical limitations.
However, an instructor should understand the mechanics of what they teach and be able to demonstrate, explain, or safely validate it.
Be cautious when someone teaches physical abilities that neither they nor their experienced students can demonstrate against meaningful resistance.
3. Their Techniques Cannot Be Tested
A good instructor should welcome reasonable questions.
Students should eventually experience resistance, unpredictability, pressure, and realistic movement in a controlled and safe training environment.
No training can perfectly reproduce a violent assault, but techniques should not depend entirely upon a cooperative partner.
If everything works perfectly only during rehearsed demonstrations, ask why.
4. They Rely Entirely on Famous Names or Lineage
Lineage can be historically important, especially in traditional martial arts. However, lineage alone does not prove ability.
Statements such as:
“My teacher trained with…”
“My lineage comes directly from…”
“Our founder was…”
may be interesting, but ultimately you are paying to learn from the instructor standing in front of you.
Ask about that person’s training, teaching experience, qualifications, and ability.
A famous teacher’s skill does not automatically transfer to every student several generations later.
5. Marketing Is Stronger Than the Training
Professional advertising does not make a school illegitimate. Martial arts schools are businesses and need students.
The warning sign is when branding, exaggerated claims, titles, uniforms, merchandise, and salesmanship become more important than substance.
Be especially cautious of claims involving “secret,” “lost,” “deadly,” or previously unknown martial arts that cannot be independently documented.
A new system can certainly be legitimate. Martial arts have always evolved. But instructors should be honest about what they created, what they inherited, and where their material originated.
6. Their Ranks Cannot Be Explained
Ask:
Who awarded your rank?
In what system?
When and where did you train?
Can your history be reasonably verified?
Creating or modifying a martial arts system does not automatically make someone fraudulent. Many respected instructors have done exactly that.
The concern is when someone awards themselves impressive ranks or accumulates numerous high-level black belts without a credible training history.
Ranks should represent experience and achievement—not simply marketing.
7. They Demand Impressive Titles
Terms such as Sensei, Sifu, Master, Shihan, Kru, and others have legitimate cultural and martial traditions.
The issue is not the title itself.
The warning sign is an instructor who appears obsessed with titles, demands excessive reverence, discourages questioning, or uses rank to place themselves beyond criticism.
Respect should develop from knowledge, character, ability, and leadership—not intimidation.
A good teacher should remain a student throughout life.
8. The Head Instructor Rarely Teaches
Senior students and assistant instructors are a normal and valuable part of martial arts education.
However, if a school is heavily marketed around one famous or highly ranked instructor, determine how often you will actually train with that person.
There is an important difference between buying instruction from an experienced teacher and discovering that most classes are routinely delegated to inexperienced assistants.
Know what you are paying for.
9. Expensive Seminars Offer Little Substance
Seminars can be extremely valuable, and experienced instructors deserve reasonable compensation for their time and expertise.
But price and celebrity do not guarantee quality.
Students should leave a seminar with something they can understand, practice, evaluate, and continue developing.
Be cautious of extremely expensive events consisting primarily of speeches, compliant demonstrations, vague concepts, or opportunities to stand next to a famous instructor for photographs.
Pay for knowledge—not mystique.
10. A Sport Is Marketed as Complete Street Defense
Boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, judo, BJJ, MMA, and other combat sports can produce extremely capable fighters.
They can also provide attributes useful for self-defense.
But sport fighting and street survival are not identical problems.
Ground fighting, for example, is an extremely important skill to understand. However, deliberately remaining on the ground may become dangerous when weapons, concrete, additional attackers, or environmental hazards are involved.
Likewise, techniques appropriate inside a ring may be excessive—or insufficient—in a particular real-world situation.
A serious self-defense program should address more than fighting. It should include concepts such as:
awareness, avoidance, de-escalation, positioning, escape, proportional force, multiple threats, weapons awareness, environmental hazards, and legal responsibility.
OTHER RED FLAGS
Be cautious of instructors or schools characterized by:
- Unverifiable ranks or histories
- Claims of supernatural abilities
- Constant bragging or belittling other systems
- Guaranteed or extremely fast black belts
- Excessive testing and promotion fees
- Pressure to sign lengthy contracts immediately
- Techniques that are never practiced against resistance
- Cult-like loyalty to the instructor
- Claims that one system defeats everyone
- Military or law-enforcement claims that are exaggerated or deliberately vague
- Demonstrations presented as proof of actual fighting ability
Also remember:
Being Asian does not automatically make someone an authentic martial arts expert, just as being American does not make someone unqualified.
Judge the individual’s experience, knowledge, teaching ability, integrity, and results—not ethnicity.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Before investing years of your life and thousands of dollars, investigate the instructor and school.
Watch a class.
Ask questions.
Look at the instructor’s background.
Speak with experienced students.
Understand exactly what is being taught.
Determine whether the school’s training methods match your goals.
A tournament school should proudly call itself a tournament school.
A fitness program should proudly promote fitness.
A traditional school should preserve its traditions.
A combat-sports gym should train athletes for competition.
And a school advertising real-world self-defense should be prepared to explain how its training addresses real-world violence.
The danger is not that different martial arts have different purposes.
The danger is believing you are being trained for one purpose when you are actually being trained for another.
FINAL THOUGHT
Belts, trophies, certificates, titles, uniforms, social-media followers, and awards can represent genuine accomplishments—but none alone proves practical ability.
Research the teacher.
Research the system.
Test reasonable claims.
Know what you are buying.
And most importantly, understand why you are training.
In competition, you may be fighting for a trophy.
In a real emergency, the trophy is your life.
— Matt Plewes