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Kung-fu's fascinating history dates back over 3000 years to the famous Shao Lin Temple in the Henan Province of China. Over time, crude methods of self defense developed into highly refined methods of combat. Combat moves became stylized and the art of kung-fu broadened to embrace spiritual elements. In the last thousand years, many styles evolved. Today, many styles of kung-fu exist but all embrace the philosophy of mind-body-spirit connection.
Owner Sifu David Moylan
Sifu David Moylan owns and operates the Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy. Consistent with his teacher's intentions, he proudly took ownership of the Academy and responsibility for continuing the legacy of its founder, Sigung Bob Schneider, after actively training with him for 16 years. Sifu David holds a fifth degree black sash. He is supported by sixteen adult black sash instructors.
Founder Sigung Bob Schneider (1951-2006)
Sigung Bob Schneider founded Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy in 1987 and operated it successfully until 2006.
An active martial artist for over 25 years, Sigung Schneider held a second level black sash in Kung-fu and continued to study and upgrade his skills throughout his life as a disciple of one of the top Kung-fu teachers in the world, Grand Master Pan Qing Fu. Throughout his training he was exposed to Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kick Boxing and different styles of Kung-fu.
With over 25,000 hours of study, practice and teaching, Sigung Schneider helped thousands of students achieve their martial arts goals. To the profound sorrow of his students, he died tragically in June of 2006.
Our Founder's Philosophy
The martial arts seem to be a paradox. Although a student trains in the warring arts, the ultimate goal is peace. For many centuries, one of the vehicles for that inner peace and tranquility is the art of Kung-fu.
Many people, both men and women, take up Kung-fu, not all of them for the same reasons. Some see it as the perfect exercise for keeping fit; others train for purely self-defense purposes. But whatever it is that they seek, this Chinese martial art will, somewhere along the road of disciplined training, provide it. Because it places less emphasis on sheer physical strength and more on technique, Kung-fu is a discipline open to young and old alike.
Beginning a martial art such as Kung-fu has many pitfalls. Each individual experiences his own problems. For one person it may be the hard training regimens involved in the exercises. For another it may be the frustration at the discovery that her body lacks the co-ordination needed to perform a precise movement correctly.
The key to enjoying the martial arts is perseverance. The practitioner has to get beyond his/her accustomed, Western modes of thinking even to glimpse beneath the surface and understand what Kung-fu is all about. The most important thing to remember when learning the art of Kung-fu is to take your time. Take each lesson step by step. Accumulate movements slowly and assimilate them thoroughly. Do not cast aside a movement that one feels is perhaps a little silly or archaic. The arts of war have been nurtured over thousands of years. They have stood the test of time. So, when a movement is taught to you and you cannot understand the meaning behind it, do it as directed, practicing it a thousand times if necessary. With repetition comes understanding.
Finally, in your study and practice of Kung-fu, never forget Kung-fu's philosophical essence. Let it guide you and encourage you:
"Learn the ways to preserve rather than destroy. Avoid rather than check; check rather than hurt; hurt rather than maim; maim rather than kill; for all life is precious, nor can any be replaced."
Kung-fu must be thought of, in it's final form and spirit, as an expression of humanity's indomitable will to survive adversity in the most direct, self-reliant manner possible. This requires only that which nature gave him, a mind and body, rigorously disciplined as an inseparable entity. Within this framework Kung-fu will be presented as an experience which begins on the physical level and gradually deepens to a pervasive philosophy influencing the totality of one's behaviour.
Interested in learning more about kung-fu? New students are welcome throughout the year; join us for a free trial lesson!
