Kung Fu Club

Absolutely Amazing. I have trained there for several years and will continue forever. Great exercise and wonderful people. Very effective martial art style for anyone of any size.

Love it.

I’ve been a student at Kung Fu Club of Issaquah for about 2 years and my son, age 10, for about 4 years. Sifu Sasynuik has created a school where students of all ages learn incredibly effective self-defense martial arts skills, leadership skills, as well as internal health.

I’d like to share my own experience to help others that may be in a similar situation when I started. I’m currently 42, slim, more of an intellectual type than a physical thug. I played tennis and basketball in my early years and began to get a little frustrated when playing young adults…my body simply wasn’t as fast as it used to be. I felt it was time to try something new to keep in shape and have fun and began a search for something that I can get better at as I get older. My son had been taking martial arts for a while and it occurred to me that maybe I should try that. Not only would I stay in shape, I would also get a chance to learn a life skill with my son. Way cool.

I decided to observe an adult class to check it out. The day I decided to observe an adult class just happened to be a day full of some of the most senior students in the school, and the day one of senior students was training for an amateur MMA fight that weekend. It was intense and I was scared to step onto the floor.

Anyway, I collected my courage and stood up to begin the class. Each of the students came over and introduced themselves to me. That was great. It broke down some of my nervousness when I felt all of them were aware I was new and took a moment to say hello. We began the class and Sifu Sasynuik asked the senior students to pair up with the juniors including me. We practiced a very basic technique called pak sao with our partners. Although a very basic technique, the senior student I partnered with was incredibly supportive and coached me through it. We even began to “spar” using limiting moves to focus on the pak sao technique. Later, the seniors broke off to train in advanced techniques and Sifu Sasynuik took the beginners to work on a few more basic techniques with a bit of sparring using the technique in a very controlled movement so as to not get while getting familiar with the technique on another person. On day 1, students learn a valuable skill and apply it. That process continues for the rest of their training years to come.

I was hooked.

Fast forward a couple years to today and I’m now a more intermediate level student with a set of skills where I feel confident I could handle myself in most situations. I have made solid friendships. In fact, the two senior students that I observed on my first day are now very good friends of mine.

The school is now an extension of my family. It has given so much to me personally I’m proud to be a part of it and consider it an honor to help beginners whenever I can just like the senior students did with me when I started. I encourage you to check it out. I’d be happy to train with you.

There are few places in this world where you can find practical exercise for both the body and the mind, along with sage wisdom that just leads to a better life.

I have been going to Sifu Johann Sasynuik for over 10 years; recently receiving my black sash. Although we have a book of skills to learn over time, the real secret is what Sifu has created in the Tiger Mountain Training Hall next to the Raging River. Beautiful garden mazes and bamboo that facilitates collaborative "one room school house" learning, where you explore "your" kung fu with various levels of students, in a way that makes sense to you.

All of the skills are broken down into steps that are first practiced slowly, and then with more speed and power as you improve your skill. Basic primary skills are coupled together into advanced skills that are effective and powerful.

After 10 years, I'm still learning, still applying my lessons here toward practical self defense and life in general. You won't learn the skills immediately, but you will always have some knowledge to take home at the end of class.

Is Xiong Jiang Wing Chun practical?
Yes. This is a fighting method, created by teachers who were fighters. Form and function, eliminating the unnecessary.

Is this method good for kids?
Absolutely! They probably have the most fun, while also learning to be life long learners and more mindful.

Am I too old for Kung Fu?
It's never too late to learn. The skills you learn can be adapted to fit you and your unique body needs. Pair it with the Dao Dan Pai Qi Gong on Mondays and Wednesdays and you have longevity.

Come out and explore a class for yourself. You'll find Sifu and the other students are probably some of the most welcoming you'll find anywhere.