The post <em>Grading Time!</em> YOUTH Red Belt, Yellow Stripe, Yellow Belt & JUNIOR Red Sash – Sat. Dec 5, 2026, 2:00pm appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post <em>Grading Time!</em> YOUTH Orange Stripe and Up & JUNIOR Yellow Sash and Up – Sun. Dec 6, 2026, 12:00pm appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post <em>Grading Time!</em> YOUTH Red Belt, Yellow Stripe, Yellow Belt & JUNIOR Red Sash – Sat. Oct 3, 2026, 2:00pm appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post <em>Grading Time!</em> YOUTH Orange Stripe and Up & JUNIOR Yellow Sash and Up – Sun. Oct 4, 2026, 12:00pm appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

If the experience is a positive one, do not hold onto it. Enjoy it, experiencing every moment of joy it provides. Then, allow it to pass. Do not mourn for positive moments which have passed. Instead, remember them as they were, and know that more will come. Much like clouds in the sky they come and go. What matters is being in each and every moment as fully as possible.

Sifu Neel

From his book report on how to stay present.

The post Twenty Years Honouring the Memory of Our Founder, Sigung Bob Schneider appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Editorial

by Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg
Fu For You Summer 2026

Defending yourself does not mean that you are immune from arrest, detention, and prosecution! Police lay charges and make arrests based on the information available to them, it’s not their job to take sides or pass judgement. And, as a skilled martial artist, you are (rightly or wrongly) likely to be held to a higher standard than others in a similar circumstance. But there are ways to mitigate your risk, and much of this happens because of your training at WKFA.

Instructors often talk about the progression of response. Simply put, this means that you can exert as much (but not more) force as necessary to protect yourself or others. It is also the way that we teach self-defense at WKFA. We begin with defense against nuisance situations and, as your skill increases, progress to more lethal situations and defenses. There is a big difference between someone getting pushy at a bar and someone actively attacking or threatening you with a weapon – and your response must reflect that reality. Here is some important advice to use:

1. Be Vocal: If you find yourself in a confrontational situation or if an assault has already begun, speak loudly and clearly and say things that make it clear that you are the victim. It may not stop an assault, but if there are witnesses, some of them will likely be recording the encounter. Police will have information that works in your favour after they interview witnesses. Hollering “NO” may momentarily startle the aggressor but does not indicate to witnesses who is at fault.
2. Critical Distance: Two arm lengths or more. Unless a gun is involved, the aggressor cannot harm you without moving. That gives you plenty of time to step back again or move to a defensive stance.
3. Passive Stance: Face your attacker (from critical distance) in a natural stance with hands open at your side. This position is passive and non-aggressive yet allows you to quickly take a defensive position if necessary. You could also rub or scratch your chin which allows you to remain passive while covering much of your center line.
4. Avoid Eye Contact: Focus your eyes on a point where you can take in the whole body of your attacker and be ready to react accordingly. Staring someone in the eyes is a sign of aggression.
5. Strike First: Don’t react unless you think the threats are real! The threat of physical violence against you or another person is grounds to strike first, if necessary. You don’t have to wait for the aggressor to throw the first strike if you feel confident that a physical confrontation is unavoidable.

Before a physical attack begins, body language is your most effective defense. I often mention during self-defense seminars that 80% of SD is body language. Non-threatening body language can de-escalate a situation before it becomes physical.

An even better option is “don’t be there”. Be aware of your surroundings, listen to your intuition and if you feel uncomfortable in a place or situation, leave. Listen to your instincts and not to your friends, especially in a situation where alcohol or other forms of impairment may be involved.

The post Be Street Smart About Self-defense appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

by Sije Chantal Moylan
Fu For You Summer 2026

In Kung Fu, we are always learning, even the black sashes! One of the most important parts of improving is learning how to accept corrections. Sometimes getting corrected can feel embarrassing or frustrating, but corrections make your martial arts stronger.

When a leadership team member or a Sifu gives a correction, it is because they want to help you succeed. They are not trying to be mean or pick on anyone. They pay attention to all the students because they care about helping them improve their Kung Fu. If someone takes the time to correct you, it means they believe you can do whatever it is that you’re doing even better. Remember, even small mistakes in your stances or your technique can make the more challenging moves, sequences and forms a lot harder to learn later.

When you receive corrections, it is important that you listen carefully and respectfully. Instead of getting upset, accept the correction and make sure to ask any follow up questions. If you don’t understand why, the instructor will be happy to clarify the correction. This shows us your willingness to learn and it will help you stay focused on learning. And remember, it is okay to make mistakes; everyone does, the most important part is what you do after the correction.

After listening, try your best to apply the correction right away. For example, if someone tells you to bend your knees more in your horse stance, put some extra focus into concentrating on bending them right away, but also during the next time you do your horse stance. If they remind you to chamber more on your punches, focus on that every time you throw your next punch. The most improvement happens when you are actively working on the advice you are given. It also sticks better in your memory if you do it right away, at least a couple of times. If you get corrected on a section in your form, take some time to work on only that section. When I get a correction, I like to do it many times before moving on to make sure I really get it down.

It is also important not to take corrections too personally. Instructors are correcting the skill, not the person. Getting corrected does not mean you are “bad” at Kung Fu. In fact, the students who can accept and apply corrections are normally the ones who improve the fastest because they are willing to learn and grow.

So, the next time an LT member or a Sifu gives you a correction, remember that they are simply sharing their knowledge to help you become a stronger martial artist. Listen carefully, stay positive and practice the correction as much as you can.

Over time, those small improvements will help you grow into an even better Kung Fu student!

The post Embrace Corrections appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

by Sifu Charlie Romeo
Fu For You Summer 2026

I’ve recently been re-watching the Netflix show Cobra Kai, which is a continuation of the 1984-1989 Karate Kid movies. If you haven’t seen these films, they’re classic examples of an underdog rising to the top through hard work and determination. In watching martial arts shows and movies, you’ll see impressive technical skills that make you think “I want to do that!” What you might not notice are the unrealistic details added to make fight scenes more intense. Yes, they’re “just movies” but we’re going to dissect them anyway.

Have you ever noticed that the heroes in martial arts movies never seem to get tired or even break a sweat? The protagonist will fight ten enemies for ten whole minutes, only getting stronger as the fight progresses. Ten minutes may not seem long but consider how you feel after a one-minute 1v1 sparring round. If you’re in a fast-paced round while moving, punching, and kicking consistently, one minute is enough to gas you out. Now imagine that round with ten times the people and ten times the length. The odds of winning that fight are slim, to say the least. I don’t have any advice for defending against ten people at once, but to quote Cobra Kai, the defense is “don’t be there.”

Almost every fight scene in a martial arts movie will have at least one outrageously fancy technique meant to make the viewer go “whoa!”. In reality, throwing a 720° jump-turn roundhouse kick in a fight is not only a huge waste of energy, but also a great way to telegraph your kick—allowing your opponent to evade and counter. Advanced techniques can work well in sparring when controlled and used strategically, but having a good foundation of the basics is the real key to holding your ground. With a strong guard and a balanced stance, you don’t always need to be flashy to perform well. Remember: fancy moves fail when you’re tired.

Perhaps the least realistic aspect of martial arts movies is one that nearly all of them are guilty of, and that’s the image of a newly trained martial artist defeating the big, bad, lifelong fighter. Let’s face facts: a person who has only been training for six weeks has very little chance of defeating someone who has trained for decades. Developing your martial arts skills takes much longer than these movies will imply, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t perfect something right away. Instead, put in the time and effort necessary to build a solid foundation before building on top of it.

The point of this article is not just to highlight flaws in martial arts media; rather, it’s to set realistic expectations for your real-life training. These movies and TV shows are meant to be exaggerated—that’s the fun of it! Still, if you’re watching with the intent of learning more about being a martial artist, be sure to consider what is realistic and what might be played up for the screen.

The post Martial Arts: Movies vs Reality appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

by Sifu D’Arcy
Fu For You Summer 2026

The old saying goes “Variety is the spice of life”, which means to keep things interesting, you need to keep things different. Applying this saying to Kung Fu keeps that main aspect intact but adds an additional benefit. But let’s start with the obvious meaning: use variety to keep things interesting.

Have you ever found yourself falling into a rut with your training? Find it difficult to maintain the motivation to keep showing up and putting in the effort to improve? Well, you are not alone. At WKFA, your martial arts journey is not a short one. In the case of advanced students – training has already spanned many years, with an even longer road ahead. While it is important to have a consistent training plan, it’s equally important to keep things interesting by adding some variety. Here are just a few suggestions on what you can do:

Sparring Strategies: You can make every sparring class a lesson in variety by sampling different tactics. Are you a default hand-fighter? Try some kicks! Do you typically spar like a Tiger? Try out counter-fighting! The strategies are virtually endless and you can mix-and-match things to keep them new and interesting.

Technique Training: In your daily practice, if you find yourself defaulting towards your favourite techniques, just switch it up. Rotate between training your kicks, and punches and add a variety of your favourite combinations. Or, try randomly picking multiple techniques and work them into a new combination.

Varying Strength Training: Rather than constantly working through the same strengthening routines, explore alternatives. Tired of pushups? Use weights, or various plank-style movements. Bicycles got you down? Work a variety of ab exercises that achieve the same results. On your own time of course, not in class.

Different Classes: Sampling different classes is another great way to keep things fresh. You’ll experience the teaching methods of different instructors and train with different classmates. Changing your regular class routine always keeps things fresh and interesting.

Speaking of different classes; this is where we find the additional benefit I referred to at the beginning. Every instructor takes their own approach to structuring their classes. We all bring different teaching methods and strengths to the table and instruct students with our own unique styles. Experiencing a variety of instructional styles allows you to determine what teaching style works best for you. It may even help you find ways to improve your Kung Fu by experiencing a different teaching style.

At the end of the day, following a schedule for your training is extremely important. It lays the foundation of discipline and helps keep you accountable to yourself along your journey. Within that schedule, there is always room for variety. Personal growth never happens in your comfort zone; it happens when you step outside it and challenge yourself.

The post Variety, the Spice of Training appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

by Sije Veronica Sas
Fu For You Summer 2026

Lately, some of my social media videos have been about the ‘McDojo”. In this article, I talk about what that means and how the Waterloo Kung Fu Academy is different from those schools. Each family has their own reasons for joining WKFA. When your child first wanted to start their martial arts journey, one of the biggest decisions you, as a parent, needed to make was where to sign your child up. However you came to your decision, you’ve picked a school that’s well respected and gives quality, in depth martial arts instruction.

Sometimes, a martial artist might refer to a rival club as a McDojo, but what does that mean? A McDojo can be thought of as a club that prioritizes profit over quality of teaching. These schools usually have rapid, guaranteed belt promotions and sometimes won’t even tell you the style they teach or who they studied under. At WKFA, we only teach 5 Animal Shaolin Kung Fu, but I’ve seen club websites that will teach 4-5 different martial arts styles. How can the instructor be proficient in all those styles to teach others?

There are no rapid rank promotions at WKFA. Your child works hard to earn each rank. However, these rapid promotion schools really do exist and promote many young students to black belt in a short amount of time. A black belt earned this way is meaningless. When my son was young, he had a friend that went to one of these schools. One day, I was talking to his mother, and she told me her son was going to test for this black belt soon. When I wondered how that could be, as he was only 8 years old at the time. Her response was “he’s been in karate for 3 years now! He’s earned it”. This was my first introduction to the McDojo. This would never happen at our school! First, there is a time requirement that must be met for each rank. When a student moves into the Adult program, the highest they can possibly achieve is Adult Blue Sash. All the black sash instructors at WKFA have trained at our school for many years. Look at the instructor bios the average time it takes to get a black sash is 9-10 years, even if they’ve had previous martial arts experience. And nobody under the age of 16 (this is often closer to 18) can test for black.

Many Martial Art schools value the idea of giving back to their art. Our instructors volunteer their time each week, they are not paid to teach! Instructors love passing on their Kung Fu knowledge. Out of all the clubs in Waterloo Region, you picked the best one for your child to train at. Our instructors are proud to help your child on their Kung Fu journey!

The post The McDojo Phenomenon appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.