Our Self Defense Instructors
At the Academy of Kung Fu, we take our instruction seriously and want to offer the very best to our students. Sifu O’Brien has carefully selected and trained the following students to be sifus and instructors. He continues to train and evaluate their instruction so that they can offer you the best Martial Arts available.
Sifu Barry O’Brien
Sifu O’Brien, Moy Lung, has been studying Ving Tsun for 30 years under Sifu Moy Tung. In 1991, he joined his Sifu’s inner circle. At this point he began training in the traditional method, up to 20 hours a week. At the age of 23, he became a Ving Tsun Sifu. He was personally certified by Grandmasters Moy Tung and Moy Yat on November 11, 2000. The following day, he was formally initiated into Moy Yat’s Grand Special Student Association, the GSS, by the Bi Ze ceremony. During this time, Sifu O’Brien earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2011, after over a decade of teaching at his Sifu’s Headquarters school, he founded the Academy of Kung Fu in Richmond’s West End. He currently teaches private and adult classes Monday-Friday.
Sifus
The following people are certified Ving Tsun sifus (teachers) in the Moy Lung Kung Fu lineage. All of our sifus have at least 10 years of experience. Any sifus claiming to teach in our lineage that are not in this list are fraudulent.
Marco - sifu
Marco has been training for the past 10 years and is also a part of Sifu O’Brien’s inner circle. He runs several classes at the Academy of Kung Fu and has also teaches as a sifu in a school in Fredericksburg.
Zach - sifu
Zach began training under Sifu O'Brien in July 2010. He had previously trained in other martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and Muay Thai, but had not yet found a home. That changed when he started training Ving Tsun. Zach went on to be inducted into his Sifu's inner circle in August 2014, and was made a member of Sigung Moy Tung's Grandstudent Association later that same year. In early 2017, he became Sifu O'Brien's first student to start taking students in his own right. Zach currently teaches the morning class, while continuing to train and assist with instruction during the evening classes.
When not doing kung fu, Zach is employed as an attorney with the federal government.
Instructors
All of our instructors have at least 10 years of experience in the Ving Tsun system. Our aim is to teach students at their own pace while maintaining a safe and fun training environment. All instructors claiming to teach in our lineage that are not in this list are fraudulent.
Amy - instructor
Amy has studied Ving Tsun since 2008. She is currently the Children Program’s Director and Instructor. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011 with a degree in Elementary Education. She worked for four years as a Montessori teacher until she opened her own sewing school, Sew Fun in 2016. She also teaches Ving Tsun classes and camps to children at Collegiate School. She has undergone a background check through the state of Virginia to be certified to teach children. She is dedicated to teaching and loves watching her students improve.
Ed - Instructor
Ed is an instructor at the Academy of Kung Fu and has been training for 10 years. He is also a part of Sifu’s inner circle. He has his own law firm that keeps him busy when he is not training.
Bucky- Instructor
Clayton- Instructor
We are located in Richmond’s West End.
Conveniently located on W. Broad Street close to Parham Rd. in the Gold’s Gym shopping center.
8904 West Broad St.
Suite E
Richmond, VA 23294
Phone: (804) 301-4181
Email: moyyatkungfu@yahoo.com