Ving Tsun Self Defense Academy

Charles Gamble

Sifu Matt Johnson is patient and cares about the art/ progress of his students. I left feeling more empowered....ready to meet whatever challenges that come my way.

Holly Lau

I’m so glad I found Sifu. He is passionate about his art and sharing it with students.

Guy Dor

Sifu Matt is an exceptional practitioner, teacher, and overall human being who embodies martial arts in his everyday life. He guides our practice every step of the way and fine tunes his teaching style to our individual challenges in the art of Ving Tsun. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in Chicago that has more skill, experience, and understanding of kung fu than him. At this academy, you learn far more than just self defense. You learn more about yourself, how to overcome everyday challenges, and how to be more mindful of and in-tune with your body. Every time I walk out of the school, I walk out a better person than when I came in.

Theresa Bragado

Somewhat recently, I was asked what I have gained from practicing Ving Tsun with Matt Johnson over the last 10 years. I could state the obvious- self defense techniques, fitness, confidence, etc. But, upon further reflection I came up with so much more than that. Originally, I started learning and practicing Ving Tsun for self defense purposes. That is still my primary goal. But, I did not realize there was so much more to it than that. Of course, first, you have to learn how to throw a punch and block. But, what I learned after obtaining some of the skill was surprising to me. It's not as much about "How" to throw a punch as it is about "When." Or, rather, when not to, which is most of the time. Knowing the skill of kung fu, actually, puts you in a much stronger position that enables you to NOT use the physical attributes of it. You don't, actually, get into "fights" where you have to use blocks and strikes. You walk different. You look different. On a primal level you put out "signals" that you are not a victim and the "predators" sense that and stay away. Kung fu has, also, made me more compassionate. When I'm practicing regularly, I find I have more patience and tolerance in frustrating situations. I think this is because my tools are sharp and I feel a responsibility to not unleash them unnecessarily. I’m very fortunate to have found a school that fosters this positive kind of mindset. My original purpose of learning to defend myself remains. But, the additional perks were unexpected and are even more valuable than what I thought I was going to gain from this school. If you’re even just a smidge curious about this, I encourage you to come and check out the school for yourself. You have nothing to lose and more to gain that you realize.