Chinese Kung-Fu, Wu-Su Association

Highly recommended! After trying out a few other for-​profit classes, it was nice to have instructors who are genuinely interested in teaching and not just clocking-​in and clocking-​out. Admittedly it’s not for the faint of heart but I think that it really builds strength and endurance, as I have noticed myself getting stronger after just a month or so. Great place to train whether you want to learn self defense, or just have a great workout session.

The Chinese Kung Fu Wu Su Association is one of the few traditional Chinese Kung Fu schools left in New York, the East Coast and the United States in general. The school is located in the Flatiron District in the heart of NYC and has been open for over 47 years and still going.
Many schools teach a particular style or technique. Such is not the case with Grandmaster Alan Lee’s system. Here we do not teach a particular style, rather we teach a system that is composed of many different styles of Kung Fu, which is merged together into a complete curriculum that includes Exercise, Breathing and Meditation, Forms, Self Defense, Weapons, and Fighting.
The school is a northern style Kung Fu school, and as such, the system is about 70% legs, 30% hands. This isn’t to say that you will spend most of your time kicking. Our system includes techniques that will require more usage of your legs by way of varied stances, stepping, rolling, falling, tumbling, etc. The system also includes body conditioning, throwing, grappling, wrestling, and when you are ready, groundfighting.
Class typically begins with a 35 – 45 minute workout consisting of calisthenics and other exercises that don’t require any equipment whatsoever. This is followed by drills, and then usually an activity that focuses on the topic or lesson of the week. However, while the system itself is homogeneous across every class in the school, the flow of every session is different. While some classes follow the routine that was mentioned before, don’t be surprised if you walk into a totally different game plan for that particular session. Also be aware that this is a traditional martial arts school, meaning that the amount of chatter or socializing during class time will be at a minimum.
After about 6 – 12 months of consistent attendance AND practice, not only should you be able to defend yourself on the street, but you can expect to begin fighting within class with your other classmates and instructors. It is recommended that you pay careful attention to your instructors and senior classmates during this introductory phase, to not only to get a better understanding of what exactly you’re doing, but what you’re getting into with regards to fighting. We are a full contact fighting school and we do not use any protective gear save for cups for gentleman and chest protectors for ladies. This may be intimidating at first but just remember that every instructor or student no matter what age or skill level, has gone through what you may experience. We’re also very aware of the dangers involving concussions, blows to the head, and CTE, so don’t let the full contact aspect discourage you!
You should also understand that you will move at the same pace as everyone that has ever come before you in the school. This means that ultimately, your level of skill is wholly dependent on how much you put into your training. You cannot expect to practice once a week or only when you are in class, in order to be able to participate in class or defend yourself on the street. Unless you put time and effort into your journey as a martial artist, you will NOT progress. If you want a particular style or technique or aspect before you have earned it, or if you want to get into fighting right away, you may want to consider another martial arts school or organization.
The school offers a Children’s Class on Saturday mornings, as well as Adult classes during the week in the early morning, afternoon, and evening. As of the writing of this review, I have been an Instructor for 6 years and a member of the school for 8 years. I have learned a great deal in my time here and I have used what I have learned in my training in everything I do, from communicating with others to simply dealing with the stresses and complexities of modern living.
I would highly recommend this school to anyone who has an interest in learning a martial art, or anyone looking to execute a change in their lives. If you are interested, feel free to visit the school during the hours that we are open and observe at least two classes before you make a personal and financial commitment. I would recommend visiting during the 1^st and 3^rd week of any month to get get a good understanding of the ins and outs of a typical class session.
And be sure to stop by in November, when the school gives it’s annual Demonstration to the public!

Excellent traditional Kung Fu school! If you’re looking for a martial arts class that teaches traditional Chinese styles, gives you an intense and tough workout, and balances it out with meditation and longevity lessons, I can’t imagine there’s a better option out there. CKFWSA is fun, challenging, and an outstanding education in traditional Chinese martial arts. Be warned though: this class is not for the squeamish. Although the sparring here is probably not as full-​contact as you’d find in an MMA school where you wear gloves and protective gear, the fighting is hard at CKFWSA and everyone always ends up with bumps and bruises (kids classes are of course lighter though).
CKFWSA is the oldest martial arts school in New York and one of the oldest in the country. It was founded in 1967 around the time Bruce Lee was first introducing Kung Fu to America. The style and method of training are definitely old-​school. The masters and senior instructors at CKFWSA prefer to refer to their style not as a style but as a «system» because it is in fact a conglomeration of many different traditional Chinese Kung Fu styles put together, including Northern Fist, Shaolin, Hang Gar, and others.
There is great diversity and camaraderie among students. However, talking and laughing in class is kept to a minimum (at least in the adult classes) so people can genuinely focus on training. The training method also requires a good deal of patience, as students are expected to master one technique before learning the next one. There have been times when I have gone one or two months without learning a new technique. However, the amount of time you spend mastering the techniques you have and learning ways to apply it will absolutely pay off. I have been amazed at how effective this school’s training method is in improving health, strength, toughness, and fighting ability.
It is worth mentioning that CKFWSA is a non-​profit. This makes the school very inexpensive and means that the instructors are all volunteers who are very dedicated to the school and the training system taught there.
CKFWSA is a hidden gem among NY’s many martial art schools. If you are shopping around I would highly recommend that you at the very least come observe a class or two to see this unique and awesome school. And of course, I would recommend you to join.

I’ve been with the school for 8 years and I consider it one of the best deals in NYC. The school has been around for over 40 years and it’s prices are incredibly reasonable. It offers very traditional martial arts training as well as education in martial arts and Chinese culture. People of all ages are members of the school from 7 year olds in the children’s class to 70 year olds still doing martial art techniques. The place is very inviting and feels like being a part of a big family. I would recommend it to any person who seriously want to learn martial arts. I will say however that people who are only interested in learning martial arts for a very short time or only want to learn a technique or two will be sorely disappointed.

This has to be one of the best martial arts schools in NYC, if not the whole country. The school has been around since 1967 and the style of teaching is still as pure and rigorous as it was back then. As a member, I feel as if the instructors have really been able to push me to be the best martial artist I can be. While there, I’ve seen people do some amazing things like chops that break bricks and flying kicks that break cinder slabs. And best of all I’ve been encouraged to do those things myself. It’s a place where people from all walks of life doctors, lawyers, accountants, construction workers, you name it all come together to learn this ancient discipline. I’d recommend it to any person who is seriously interested in learning a martial art. The school also has some great videos on YouTube for anyone who wants more info.

This school — or temple as it is referred to by its members — is not for the faint at heart. This is not a McMartialArt dojo headed up by some recently hired teachers. This is a physical, mental and cultural program designed for individuals who seek the extraordinary and are willing to commit to the process.
Read the other reviews!
It requires an extreme amount of discipline, commitment and definitely an above average amount of physical activity to participate in this environment. Not to worry, if you are lacking in any of the aforementioned, you will soon be on the path to change.
The masters of the school are dedicated. The students are fanatical. The results are astounding.
Any doubts? Sit through a class and watch. If you like what you see, give it a shot.

I went to this school for 8 months before I got a little burnt out and stopped going. It is a really great workout and they teach you a lot of technique. The price is the best in the city, since it is a non profit organization and none of the teachers actually get paid. The class is intense & military style (be prepared to not laugh or chit chat & get yelled at). It took a bit of getting used to, since at first I thought all the teachers were mean, but eventually I realized they are actually nice people, they are just trying to get the job done & are very serious about their style of martial art & discipline.
Before joining I had taken Taekwondo for ~2 years, so I was a little frustrated at how slow the techniques were taught. You can not get the next technique until the first one is learned to near perfection. I went from practicing all sorts of fun kicks (trying to learn a 720) to doing just the groin kick for a full month (plus some basic punches) and it was extremely frustrating. I understand why they do this, and I did feel my basic punches had improved significantly, but it was still frustrating. Students are allowed to show up early & stay late to practice, which is very nice, but they are not allowed to practice any techniques not taught at that school. I was however, allowed to practice some gymnastics, which was great.
The class is 2 hours long, the first 45 minutes are a strenuous workout and the last half is technique. Class time is usually twice a week but the longer you go there the more classes you can attend without paying extra. Because I work a lot at my job, this time schedule eventually burnt me out (and I hate not showing up for something I’m paying for). Some days I would have liked to skip the workout & just practice technique, or vice versa. I’m more a fan of hour long classes.
Pros:
— Technique
— Workout
— Seriousness
— Discipline
— Price
— Nice gym, good room for the amount of people
— Good class size (not too small, not too big)
— Plenty of teachers for individual attention.
— Camaraderie
— Eventually (+8 — 12 months) you will learn sparring
Cons:
— Class time length eventually burnt me out a bit.
— Slow teaching new techniques
— I like the taekwondo style better (more kicks, this is just a personal opinion though)
— I liked the kicking bags at my old gym better (the ones they have I think are mainly for punching)
— I would have liked more bag/​pad practice (but at least they had some which I’m sure a lot of gyms don’t in the city).
— I would have liked to spar sooner.