Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu

I had the great honor of studying with Da Sifu Black for almost 15 years, and he is as authentic a Kung Fu instructor as you will find. His knowledge of both the art and the culture/​philosophy is staggering, and his martial skill is undeniable. Don’t be fooled by his sometimes laid-​back/​jovial personality; he is seriously committed to preserving the arts he teaches, and is always committed to his students. Whatever your reason for wanting to take a martial arts class, you will not be disappointed as long as you show up.

Training at Black Mountain Spirit ranks as one of the most transformative events of my life. I began my study at 19 years old with no background in fighting. I trained for four years, and left a much more confident and competent fighter and individual. Training at Black Mountain Spirit will impart you with not only self-​defense skills, but also respect, diligence, and other important life skills. In the years since, I have found many martial arts schools to be all bluster, which makes me feel all the more fortunate for having found this school when I did.

Black Mountain Spirit is the real deal. Grandmaster Marc Black teaches traditional Chinese kung fu, the way it was meant to be taught: as a Fighting Art. He stresses real fighting application with every movement in every form, and his knowledge of anatomy, training techniques, history, and real-​world fighting is astounding.
The classes at Black Mountain Spirit are intense and very individual, as class sizes tend to be small (4 – 10 students generally). Master Black is adamant about paying personal attention to all of his students, and understanding what they need to be learning, and when.
There are three types of classes at Black Mountain Spirit: traditional forms classes, applications classes (where specific fighting techniques are learned), and sparring, which happens weekly. Weekly sparring classes in particular are where Master Black shines, and his knowledge of fighting and teaching are at their best. Master Black is able to get his students used to the rhythm of hand-​to-​hand combat while keeping things safe and imparting real technical knowledge.
Classes are light-​hearted and motivating. Music plays, and Master Black monologues about any one of his numerous fields of knowledge while the kung fu increases in intensity. Every class is fascinating, and the strides that I have seen myself and my fellow students take toward becoming skilled Martial Artists has been exhilarating under his tutelage. Furthermore, the school repeatedly brings home gold trophies from attendance at yearly tournaments, in every category.
Just as importantly as any of these things is Master Black’s dedication to the school and his students. He NEVER misses classes, he steadfastly gathers the equipment necessary for the class to learn, and he consistently gives his extra time and energy outside class hours to helping out the interests of the school and its community.
Real kung fu, real world fighting, and a Real Teacher. Black Mountain Spirit will always be my Home School, and I cannot recommend it enough.