Five Animals Kung Fu Academy

What a find! Sifu Alex and Sijeh Cindy teach the kids real valuable life skills which include but not limited to self defense, respect, self confidence and the importance of fitness and health. They are both so dedicated to their students, so encouraging and they really are attentive to keep each and every student engaged in the lesson. They teach them techniques and they also teach the kids the art and history of Kung Fu all at the same time! It was my idea to enroll my kids in a trial class but it was my kids that decided they wanted to continue with the lessons. They enjoy going to class twice every week and this is one sport that I catch them practicing their learned skills at home without prompting. I love that their set up is so open and they are so friendly, we get to sit in on every class and watch. I find it very entertaining as well. Sifu Alex must have been a comedian in his previous life. He adds a lot of humor during lessons and he is so good with the kids, you can tell that he enjoys teaching the kids as much as they enjoy being in his class. This is definitely a family friendly, hidden gem!

This is a fantastic little kung-​fu school! The instructors are warm and friendly, but completely command the kids’ attention! Great impact on young kids’ self-​confidence, focus and discipline! Also more affordable than many similar martial arts classes. My son loves his Sijeh and Sifu!

Great school! Sufu Alex and Seiji Cindy are great instructors. They make everyone feel welcomed no matter what your level. They are disciplined to the arts but make classes engaging and enjoyable. They also now do birthday parties! It worked out great for my daughter’s 12^th birthday. Her preteen girlfriends ran home to boast that they were able to break a board with either their hand or foot. Very empowering for the girls.

Sifu Alex and Sijeh Cindy are fantastic instructors. They have the patience and skills necessary to teach any level of kung fu student.
My son has been with both instructors for 2 years and has always enjoyed learning from Sifu Alex and Sijeh Cindy.
I recommend trying them out if you’re looking into learning martial arts. I’m sure you’ll find this kung fu school the place for you.

Our seven year old son has been taking Kung Fu lessons with Sifu Alex and Sijeh Cindy since he was 4 years old. He started with them at Silver Dragon and then we moved to Five Animals Kung Fu when Alex and Cindy opened. They are excellent instructors, very knowledgeable and disciplined yet approachable and caring. I have watched the kids here (boys and girls) grow and develop and do amazing things. Learning Kung Fu has been a wonderful way for our son to channel his energy in a positive way and learn to be strong, graceful and coordinated.
The school has a creed and a code of ethics that the students must abide by and they teach focus and persistence as part of the training. Also, I value that students are not promoted to the next level until they show that they have progressed and are ready — such an important lesson in this age of trophies granted for just showing up. I would recommend Alex and Cindy without hesitation to any parent interested in exploring martial arts with their child (ren). There is so much to be gained by doing so.

My kids have benefited tremendously from working with Cindy and Alex for the past three years, first at Tat Wong/​Silver Dragon and now in their new space on 19^th Avenue. I can only echo the other positive reviews of their tremendous skill in kung fu and excellent kid-​management techniques. They are absolutely the best at motivating and challenging children to be the best they can be, pushing them without ever denigrating them.
I write a separate review only to highlight that I have a daughter who also loves kung fu at Five Animals. We originally signed up our son, but within a week of watching his classes our then-​6-​year-​old daughter was hooked. This school is terrific for girls as well as boys.

Sijeh Cindy & Sifu Alex are superb martial arts instructors. Our son has been training with them for a few years now and we will follow them anywhere just to keep our son training and happy. He has flourished both physically and in terms of his self-​esteem. He looks forward to Kung fu lessons with Sijeh Cindy & Sifu Alex and can’t even imagine his life without it. Sijeh Cindy & Sifu Alex are highly professional and are outstanding martial arts experts. Moreover, aside for their own superb skills, they both have outstanding personality and an amazing level of patience and care towards the kids they work with. They are both extremely dedicated to what they do! Both my husband and I are grateful to them for training our son, and instilling great martial arts skills, confidence and love of workout/​sports in him. Signing our son up for classes with them was the best decision we ever made (that has and continues to benefit our son’s well-​being in every possible sense). Thank you!

the martial art masters, cindy and alex, are the kind of instructors you want teaching your kids.
both are intuitive to how kids feel and react, while keeping them honest and disciplined. their teaching style is where kids will love attending class, rather than whine about not wanting to go, or worse yet, being afraid. i’ve heard of other schools where kids leave traumatized by the experience. you won’t find it with cindy and alex.
both are black belts with multiple degrees, trained hard for years and are continuing to train, so they can bring the best to their students. they were also head instructors/​directors, in other martial art schools, in the bay area.
we started our boys in kung fu because we wanted them to exercise, learn how to focus [extremely difficult with our kids!], be disciplined, respectful and raise their self esteem and self awareness. our boys received all of that, since they started with cindy & alex over 3 years ago. its one of the best investments i’ve made for my kids.
its also a great sport for girls to get into, to keep them strong and confident. i see it in the girls, in cindy & alex’s kung fu classes. cindy is a great mentor and example, that they can be on the same playing field, in all areas of life.
i highly recommend cindy and alex, to any parent looking for the same… you won’t regret it.

This school is new, but the head instructors, Sifu Alex and Sijeh Cindy, have been training local kids for many years through their appointments at Tat Wong and, more recently, Silver Dragon. Our son originally joined Tat Wong, spent a year at Silver Dragon, and has now moved with Alex and Cindy to Five Animals. They were hands-​down his favorite instructors before, so it was a no-​brainer! They are rigorous and no-​nonsense, but also warm and caring.
An important point for those who have sons: In my opinion, it is important for boys to learn that you can be strong without being a jerk. On that count, Sifu Alex is a wonderful role model for young boys.
The location is convenient, right on 19^th Ave at Taraval. If you are coming from downtown, the Muni L line stops at the corner where the school is. There is free wifi for parents waiting for their kids classes.