About Us
Wong People is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting both the Martial Arts and DC Chinatown communities. Our classes are inside the Chinatown Community Cultural Center in the Gallery Place Mall. We are a community driven organization that aims to teach our students the history and culture of Chinese Martial Arts as well as fighting and self defense skills. By offering classes free of charge every week we aim to make learning martial arts accessible to everyone. All you have to do is show up.
Wong People is entirely volunteer-run — our instructors donate their time and expertise. We help sustain the school through lion dance and martial arts performances available for hire at community events, weddings, and festivals. See our Contact page for booking inquiries.
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Owner
Raymond Wong
Sifu Raymond Wong is a forth generation student of the Jow Ga style of Kung Fu who helped establish the art in Washington, DC. He is a DC native and has been studying Kung Fu for over 50 years.
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Class Instructor
Ndaba
Ndaba has been a student of Sifu Wong for over 30 years. He is an experienced fighter with numerous fights on the US kickboxing team under his belt. Sihing Ndaba teaches kickboxing classes every Sunday and Tuesday. He is also well versed in the numerous forms within the Jow-Ga system.
Class Instructor
Anick
Anick teaches Tai Chi classes every Saturday. He has been Sifu Wong's student for nearly 10 years and is an excellent teacher for both new and experienced students alike.
Class Instructor
Christina
Christina teaches Kung Fu on Saturdays and Tuesdays. She competes in full contact sparring and forms. Christina is also the instructor for our supplementary lion dance classes.
Our History
Wong People practices the Jow Ga style of Kung Fu. Jow Ga is a southern style and focuses on close combat and grounded stances. The style was developed by the Jow family ('Ga" meaning family) at the end of the Qing Dynasty in the early 1900s. It was taught to the Chinese Army by the five founding brothers who became known as the 'Five Tigers of Canton'.
Jow Ga was brought to the United States in the early 1970s by Dean Chin, a 3rd generation disciple of Jow Biu, one of the founding brothers. One of Dean Chin's students is our Sifu, Raymond Wong. After Dean Chin's passing Sifu Wong took over the school and taught his own students in the basement of his home. The school was founded in 1987 and named Wong's Chinese Boxing Association. Since then, the school moved into the Chinatown Community Cultural Center where it currently operates as Wong People Kung Fu Association.
Since taking over the school, Sifu Wong has remained a well respected and well known martial arts instructor and community member. Some of his students have gone on to teach their own students while some clients and friends have passed down the Wong People name through generations.