Just curious to know if there are any Kung Fu schools here that anyone knows of that aren’t listed? There is the Hsing-Yi school on Nellis. There is the United Self Defense Studios, pretty much everywhere in town.(although I have yet to find out what styles they teach) The Lohan school on Spring Mountain. The Wing Chun school that Watchman (what ever happened to him?) told me about. There is a teacher of Tai Chi, Yang style who also teaches Pushing Hands, he teaches at the community college and at UNLV. I also heard there is a teacher who teaches Hung Gar at UNLV. ( There is the Shaolin-Do school, but I chose not to list that one:D ) Are there any other CMA schools I left out? Or teachers?
There is a school, I cant remember the name exactly, its located right next to that big Chinese mall, north of the strip. The Chief Instructor and Owner is Migel Hiero. He is highly qualified and is a very powerful instructor,
In which style?
A former student of Wai Lun Choi teaches in Las Vegas. His name is Jack Soderburg. He teaches a mixed bag of martial arts with a base of Lama Pai. Jack’s students train extremely hard, and learn how to fight. Period. I don’t have a number, or an address, but the Count does. He’s an admin on the Internal Arts board. Contact him, and I’m certain he can get you in touch with Jack. Good luck!!! 
HHHHMMMMM, interesting. Ima look into that.
Jaguar Wong, TigerStyle, WatchMan, do you know of any others?
taomonkey,
what style does he teach. The only school I’ve seen near the chinatown mall is a Karate school. Of course I haven’t been to the area in a little while.
swmngdrgn,
Yes, that school is another good one. I didn’t know the address, but I know Sifu Jack, and a few of his students. They were pretty much the only other kung fu school at all the tournaments we went to. I’ve never sparred any of them, but I did compete in forms competitions against several of them. We used to cheer when they would get DQ’d for excessive contact. It’s not their fault, they just didn’t train for “tapping”, so it was nice to see another school losing points for “fighting like they trained”.
As for other schools, I wouldn’t trust the Tai Chi taught at the community college. It’s not the best around (people just go for one semester for PE credit, so the cirriculum, sp?, isn’t as in depth as an actual school). I never heard of anyone teaching Hung Gar there. I do know of a couple of good Hung Gar sifus from the Buck Sam Kong lineage. I can get you some more info, if you give me some time. They are hard core instructors that take their training very seriously. I was probably going to go to one (or both, they’re affiliated with each other) to start learning Choy Li Fut, and Hung Gar. There was another very talented Wing Chun guy that had a school near where Watchman was mentioning, but he no longer has the facilities, and only offers private instruction now. It’s more that worth it, though. He sticks to the basics when he teaches, and it’s all about function, and use…not how good the “masters” are. It’s all about how good you will be.
Other than that, I’d probably have to do a much more intensive search. If you’re interested in Karate, though. There is a great school (Universal Kenpo) off of Jones and Spring Mountain. They have some of the cleanest technique I’ve seen. Also, I know you’re looking for kung fu, but there is a great Muay Thai instructor, Master Toddy, that coaches several amateur champion Muay Thai fighters (mostly women, but Marvin Eastman, of King of the Kage fame trained with him). Also there is the JSect Academy (BJJ) headed up by John Lewis (poor John, they’re going to keep showing that Jens Pulver KO every time they advertise a UFC now ;)). He turns out some very impressive fighters and grapplers.
I’ll be in Vegas if anyone wants to get dinner on the 28th. We can have a bite, exchange ideas, concept, whatever. I’, be mad busy the rest of the week, but I get in a day earlier then eeryone else.
Thursday night, late as well, but I’ll probbaly be down for more fun.
United Studios teaches Shaolin Kempo Karate. It is not Kung Fu in the traditional sense, but if its a good instructor its a good system.
HHHHMMMM. Thanks JaguarWong, please do get back to me on that info on Hung Gar, please! The schools I’m currently looking at are the Hsing-Yi school,and sifu Jack’s school.( I just need an address ) But if there is a Hung Gar school here I would definately look into this as well.
I can personally vouch for the Lohan school.
One of my friends from shooting “The Mummy 3 aka The Scorpian King” is an instructor there.
The sifu is one of my sifu’s first black sash recipients. They are, if I am not mistaken, a Five Animal/Five Family and Tao Tan Pai school, as my school is one. They are in direct lineage with Ark Yuey Wong and Share K Lew.
Good people, very generous and hard working. Tell Sifu “Ross” Gonzaga that Giacomo said hello, if you stop by there.
JaguarWong sometimes trains there, he might even know them. I’m also considering them.
Yeah, I know “brotha” Ross (we all just call each other “brotha”, but he says “bruddah” sometimes). He’s easily one of the most “deceptive” CMA guys I know. He doesn’t look or act like he can kick some serious butt. He doesn’t have the build of what most people think fighters should look like, but he’s got more power than people much larger than him, because of his technique. I love watching him do his Tiger stuff, and watching him pull off his acrobatic stuff is just amazing to me (diving handsprings…I mean DIVING).
He’s one of the instructors at the Lohan school. My Sifu is a Black Sash under African Tiger’s Sifu, so we have a pretty good relationship going. African Tiger’s Sifu is also one bad mutha. Our school is mainly Northern Shaolin, but Sifu still teaches a lot of the stuff from Sifu Carl, and Ark Wong. I personally prefer Northern, but I’ve learned the Crane, and Dragon sets from Sifu Carl’s 5 Animals stuff.
I’ll see what I can dig up about the Hung Gar schools, though. Their CLF is also some good stuff. I think Sifu Jack’s school is in the phone book. The style is listed as Tibetan Lama Pai, I believe. I’ll check that out as well.
I just lookked it up in the phone book, and nada. JaguarWong, is the Lohan school like a forms school?
I know I’ve already asked this once before, so please refresh my memory, what are the different styles they teach at the Loahn school? I also just looked up your bio, did you train in praying mantis at the Loahn School?
Basically the type of training at the Lohan school is all dependant on what your goals are. It’s not a “hard core” fighters school anymore, though. Not that it could have competed in the UFC, but most students there nowadays seem more interesed in forms, instead of using what they’re learning. They’re all good people, and it’s not their fault, cause most of them are young and impressed by “cool looking stuff”. There are still a few good guys there that like sparring, train hard, and care more about using what they’re learning, instead of learning the next form.
Everything in my profile I learned at the Lohan school (including the wrestling/BJJ, because we used the facilities when there wasn’t a class going on). I learned different stuff from different people, but the Praying Mantis, Tai Chi, and Northern and Southern Shaolin, I learned from the Head Sifu in the school. He also gave me a little exposure to Hsing I, and Bagua, but the school’s strength is Northern Shaolin, Southern Shaolin, and Praying Mantis (IMO, that order, but others will differ ;)).
The Lohan School also has a pretty good lion dance team.
Don’t quote me on this, but I may have heard that Sifu Jack Soderburg no longer teaches (at least not from a formal “school” type location). The last location I remember him at is on Sahara Ave. (somewhere around the Valley View area, I think).
If anyone else has any more acurate info, please post here to correct me.
I found sifu Jack Soderburg’s school in the phone book.
The school is called Create Develop & Flow
The address is 101 S. Rainbow Blvd.
The phone number ( in case yall want it ) is: (702) 251-1111
JaguarWong, at the Lohan school, does the praying mantis teacher teach “low mantis” and does the teachings go in depth? ( it’s 7 star mantis, right?)
Also any word yet on the Hung Gar schools?
Anyone feel like training, a friendly show you mine if you show me yours. I’ll be landing at the airport at 2:45 on the 28th and have the whole day open. Unfortuantely I’ll be working the rest of the week.
Peace
Ray
Had to be a Monday, huh?
I’ll see what’s cookin’ on the 28th, but I can’t make any guarantees. Angel is on that night 
I’m not sure what “low mantis” is, so I can’t say whether or not he does teach it. I know the stuff he teaches is 7* influenced, but I’m not a “mantis guy”, so I only did a little stuff here and there. I learned a few of the forms, and kept track of things like the principles (12 character principles), techniques, and other stuff I thought I might be able to use with my Northern Shaolin.
As far as the depth of the mantis taught there. It goes about as deep as it can for a “mixed style” school. I’m sure you could grill Sifu for more stuff other than what he shows, but the way he teaches is to give the students a good understanding of each of the styles, and let them decide what’s right for them, so they can approach him for the “deeper” stuff. I’m a Northern S. guy, so I grilled him about that, so I can’t say how deep the mantis would be. I’ve seen a couple of guys that really like the mantis stuff, and really try to get deep into it, but I’ve never really seen anyone excel at it. I think a lot of what’s missing may be on the student’s end, though. Sifu likes sparring, and he’s not against it at all, but he doesn’t have a regular scheduled sparring class, or session. But the students don’t really take an initiative to set a group up outside of the regular cirriculum (sp?). The guys that spar now (Tigerstyle and myself included), were part of the “older group”, since we were there when he first started teaching in Vegas, and we sparred all the time, but we don’t see many of the younger generation guys willing to put the gloves on.
It’s not like we hurt them, or they’re cowards, it’s just that some of them have the wrong idea about sparring (I’m figuring they got it somewhere in the school, but I haven’t found the “source” yet), developing bad habits, and incorrect technique usage. They have too much faith in their forms. It wouldn’t be so bad if I saw them doing more drills, and practice their kicking and punching more often (I’ve noticed a few cases of “flowery fists” and “embroidered feet” if you catch my meaning). Again, that’s only a small “clique” of guys. There are still a few hard core guys that I still learn a lot from, just by talking to them.
I haven’t been down to the school, so I couldn’t ask around about the Hung Gar guys, but I’ll let you know as soon as I can.