Dean Chin's Jow Ga Kung Fu Federation

One of the biggest puzzles we must solve in the west as Kung Fu men and women that is unique to the west is the answer to the question: What can I do to ensure the multigenerational life of this system? It would seem that all that is needed is to write books, create YouTube videos, teach students, and we would have our answer. The key term in this question is “multigenerational” life; meaning how can I *ensure* that this art lives through multiple generations of practitioners? I could produce martial arts media–write books, submit articles, record videos–which will certainly ensure that my art is remembered through history. However, none of that is a guarantee that the art is enjoying a vigorous, active, ever-growing in strength life many years after my students and I are dead and buried.

Yes, it is true that not everyone cares about this. Some of us simply want to make our mark on the community while we are here, and what happens when we are gone is up to our students. This article isn’t written for those folks. We are addressing those who want our arts and lineages to continue to prosper through multiple generations of students and teachers, for many generations. I am in no way an expert. However, I do have some suggestions you may find interesting and helpful. Let’s get right into it.

My philosophy is based on the idea that we must have strong schools. At least one, and that school’s operations should be able to carry on long after it’s owner has passed on. Please keep this in mind while reading this article, and also know that I am not diminishing other forms of promotion, like teaching in small groups or producing martial arts media.

1. Draft a logical curriculum that both imparts the most important skills in a reasonable amount of time, while is effective in producing the best skilled students. Too often in Kung Fu, the term curriculum is not much more than a list of forms. While this has worked for many years, I would argue that a techniques/skills/forms/goals curriculum would work better. Today’s beginning martial arts student has far more options to choose from than those of 30-40 years ago, and the schools producing the highest caliber students will most likely draw the most interest. Our curricula should be well-thought out and well-planned, even if we have to make major changes from the way the masters of the past taught. What our Sifu did was good for his time; we live in a modern world with modern needs. Regardless if we are looking to simply preserve an art, build fighters, teach philosophy, or train rebels–we must find an efficient, effective way to teach our arts that builds upon and improves upon the past.
2. Make producing tomorrow’s teachers a top priority. In the past, teachers were very patient in the way they taught classes. We turned our noses up at schools we considered a “Black Belt Factory”, and took our time in producing new Sifus. Problem is that too many of us taught for decades and produced only 2-3 Sifus–some may have promoted even fewer! Life has a way of passing us by quickly, and if we aren’t careful, running our schools with a “business as usual” mindset we may find that we have nothing to show for our time in business. Many schools are centered on the teacher’s personal goals for himself, like achieving rank or popularity. Many are profit-driven. Many are so competitive, as long as students are bringing back medals and trophies, the Master believes he is successful. But when you are on your deathbed, and you know you will never teach a class again… who will carry the torch for you? Don’t wait until you are old and retired to ask yourself that question. From the moment you begin teaching, developing tomorrow’s school owners and Sifus will ensure that your system is here to stay. Ask yourself, if you passed away today, will your school continue to thrive or will it shut down?
3. Cater to the goals of your students, not just your own goals. Martial arts have a way of bringing out the narcissism we all have within us. I repeat–the narcissism we all have within us. Don’t feel bad, we all have at least a small degree of narcissism. We have to, because as human beings our self-interest, self-esteem, and self-preservation are what keep us alive. But most of us have this trait under control and in check. However, once we are in a position of leadership, influence, power, and admiration, we could easily get sucked in and lose control of our selfish tendencies. When we open schools, we mostly do so as sole proprietors, basically absolute authorities, of our own little kingdoms. Nothing wrong with that… my school, my rules. It backfires when we run the school that we’d want to join and we don’t run the school that our students and potential students want to join. This leads to us only being able to recruit a tenth of the potential students out there. You see, there may be as many as ten reasons a student will choose a kung fu school. If our school philosophy appeals to only one of them, we attract only one type of martial arts student, or 1/10th of the student pool. Not everyone wants forms. Not everyone wants to fight. Not everyone wants to be in class with 9 year olds. Some students are mainly interested in fitness, some want self defense. Some want to wear cool Kung Fu uniforms, while others want to train in comfortable workout attire. Offer classes and teaching goals that all ten types of students are attracted to and you will recruit 100% of those who visit your school. And don’t just offer the classes, find ways to excel at teaching those classes so that their needs are met.
4. Understand that Kung Fu schools aren’t just fight gyms, they are also communities and community resources. One of the most famous martial arts schools in history, Jing Wu, was founded to use Kung Fu as a tool to produce stronger, more well-rounded citizens. It was a patriotic organization that offered academics, philosophy, fitness and health, and civics. When you look around each martial arts school near you, how many families does that school influence? Sure, you may teach combat and fighting, but do your students benefit in any other way? Certainly, martial arts schools take children off the streets, give them a safe environment to spend their afternoons around like-minded children, teaches discipline, and gives young people one more adult (or group of adults) who provide leadership, love, and direction besides their own families. There are many ways a martial arts school can benefit the community close to them. We can offer a homework club/afterschool program, offer local organizations a place to conduct their business, pull families together for events and community functions, teach workshops for any number of subjects–the sky is the limit. Or it can simply be an athletic center. Use your creativity and imagination. In what ways can our knowledge benefit members of the community? I know a teacher who offers the parents and grandparents of his students a free exercise class during the daytime when his students are in school. I recently met one who offers language classes. I myself offered a writing class and afterschool tutoring. These things may not directly promote martial arts, but for sure they will expose people to Kung Fu who may not otherwise ever consider studying it. Even if they don’t, they bring many benefits to your neighbors and the loved ones of your students.
5. Learn the art of teaching. Knowing Kung Fu does not guarantee that you are knowledgeable in how to teach the arts. Most of us learned from teachers whose main focus was punching, kicking, and wielding weapons. 50 years ago, that was all you needed, save for a building so students don’t get rained on. Today, martial arts is not a necessity and is done for leisure, so if the teaching is not enjoyable or effective, students may very well trade in their memberships to go and take Jazzercise or something lol. There aren’t many resources to learning how to teach, but they are out there. (NOTE: I am writing a book on teaching, which should be completed by sometime in 2026) Make use of them. Talk to more experienced teachers. Poll your students on their experience with you. Learn to accept suggestions and criticisms. Observe teachers around you, and make mental notes on what learning from them may be like. Criticize and study your own teaching methods. Doing this will help your students get more out of the knowledge you are imparting. I recall a teacher recently bragging on YouTube how most of his students never make it to instructorship because his training was so difficult and his standards were so high. One couldn’t help but to wonder if his students failed to excel because the teaching wasn’t very good. I would argue that a master-teacher is one who can develop the most awkward, most timid, and least coordinated students into a sharp martial artist. This is what real teaching skill is; finding a way to help students get the most out of the training, regardless of the challenges. Incorporate this, and then teach it to your students so that they will become even better teachers than you were.
6. Partner and collaborate with others in your lineage. This is perhaps one of the rarest things we see in Kung Fu. There was a saying I use to hear, that a Kung Fu school is like a den of Tigers. We build warriors, and it is natural that they will fight. The goal of the Sifu, then, is to be the ringmaster and get those tigers working together. You see, a pack of tigers will either fight each other to the death–or they will form the most powerful, unstoppable army and rule the jungle. A hand with its fingers outstretched can slap you and make it sting, but pulled tightly into a clenched fist, it can strike a mighty blow. Kung Fu lineages whose teachers work closely together can form an unconquerable kingdom. They have the benefit of many teachers sharing knowledge with their students. They can negotiate purchases with great leverage to get everyone low prices and excellent terms. They can support each other’s endeavors and ensure success for everyone. I knew of a collaborative in Northern VA of Tae Kwon Do teachers who advertised as one unit (US Tae Kwon Do College)–in ads it looked like a school with around 8 locations but in reality they were all independent schools. They purchased equipment in bulk from the manufacturers–not retailers, but the actual manufacturers. When one threw seminars or tournaments, they all patronized them. Their members could train in each other’s schools, which made membership to any of the schools an added value and reason to join. If one went out sick, he could trust another to guest teach or send an assistant. Imagine if you had that with your own classmates. Working together is probably the most powerful one thing you can do to promote a system.
7. Finally, have a long-term plan and list of goals for your Kung Fu system. It must be more specific than simply “promote new Sifus”… How many instructors do you want to produce? Have you identified future candidates? Will someone take over your school when you retire? Do you wish to have multiple branches in your city or adjacent cities? Which direction would you like your system to go into? It’s up to you, just define your goals and put all your effort into achieving them. Stay focused. Stay disciplined. Good luck.

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