Updated on Jan. 9, 2024

About

Who are we

We are a Chinese martial art school with locations in downtown Toronto (Entertainment District), Scarborough (Agincourt) and Markham (Unionville).

We see ourselves as a premier artisanal traditional martial arts organization. We are passionate about teaching martial arts as an art form of leveraging biomechanics for practical physical application.

What we do – offer training in Choy Li Fut kung fu and Essentrics™

Bamboo Kung fu offers training in Chinese martial arts and Essentrics™. We teach the Chinese martial art style called Choy Li Fut kung fu. We are also offering classes in Essentrics™ - a Tai-Chi and ballet-inspired flowing movement exercise program for rejuvenation and restoration of the whole body.

Who do we teach

We teach Choy Li Fut kung fu to adults, children.

We accept children from ages of 6 years old and up to 12 years old. Check out children kung fu class

We welcome all adults, with or without previous martial art training to the adult Choy Li Fut kung fu classes. Check out adult kung fu class

Our Essentrics™ classes are suitable for adults of all ages. Check out Essentrics™ classes

We welcome international participants from all over the world. Kung fu sessions for international participants are offered through online sessions.

We welcome experienced martial artists from other disciplines, e.g. Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA, Wing Chun, BJJ, judo to a knowledge exchange workshop and interactive technique application ITA sessions.

We also want to welcome all levels of athletes of other sports disciplines to our program. Choy Li Fut kung fu shares some common biomechanics principles that are transferable to or from other sports. For example, abdominal bracing is needed for both, Choy Li Fut kung fu techniques execution and the successful lifts in Olympic weightlifting.

What is Choy Li Fut kung fu? What does it look like?

Choy Li Fut is a Chinese martial art discipline that originated from Guangdong province in southern China.

It is a kung fu style that primarily uses a variety combination of hand techniques for striking, hooking, seizing and leg techniques for kicking, leg tripping.

Unlike Wing Chun kung fu, a Choy Li Fut kung fu stylist postures with one’s body sideways-facing the challenger to minimize exposure of the body’s vital targets. From the side-body posture, the practitioner launches a variety of combinations of direct and swinging techniques of multiple angles and positions.

What is Essentrics™

Essentrics™ is a dynamic, full body workout to be fit at every age and any stage of your life. The program simultaneously combines stretching and strengthening while engaging all 650 muscles. This class will increase flexibility and mobility for a healthy, toned and pain-free body.

How we teach kung fu

Any new trainee to traditional kung fu, will find that rooting balance to the ground, which is called "ma" (or horse stance) is the most challenging and seems unachievable.

Our kung fu program will accelerate your progress, small progressions in several months, (not years, certainly not 5 years). Through our guidance in a gradually progressive manner, a lot of our trainees will most likely discover, the "a-ha" or "light bulb" moments. With more and more small signs of success, trainees will become more excited and more motivated and see that the goals are achievable.

Our disciplined objective approach will effectively help you achieve your goals in a reasonable time. The steps of progression in the program:

1. Anatomical adaptation - increase strength, flexibility, range of motion
2. Basic foundation techniques Introduction - principles of Choy Li Fut kung fu
3. Achieve ability to protect personal perimeter space
4. Achieve ability to execute offence and encroach into challenger perimeter space

We will identify and address issues especially when presented with challenges to achieve successful technique.

As a trained engineer with an understanding of mechanics, human anatomy and kinesiology knowledge, our main instructor, Sifu Kin Sze, will help foster an understanding of the biomechanics of various techniques and provide proper guidance and in accordance with the sound kinesiology principles. Otherwise, you will end up training incorrectly and possibly result in spending an unnecessarily long time to discover or never discover the essence of the techniques. More on Sifu Kin Sze

More on training philosophy.

Our kung fu lineage

We are descendants of 2 branches of Choy Li Fut kung fu:

• 雄勝蔡李彿
  Hung Sing (Chan style)
  Chan Heung to Chan Siu Hung lineage, Toisan City, China
• 北勝蔡李彿
  Buk Sing
  Tarm Sam to Tam Fei Pang lineage, Hong Kong, China