| About
Sifu Ha Sifu Ha began his training at the age of seven in a Chinese Taoist temple in South Vietnam. There Master Hoang Ca Cuong, a (Fukien branch) Shaolin monk and master of Hung Gar Kung Fu, recognized his potential and accepted him as his disciple. Thus, as is rarely allowed, Sifu Ha was trained in the traditional Chinese Family Arts disciplines of Hung Gar Kung Fu, including traditional weapons forms. He also studied under Master Lam Duong Hoa, master of Choy Lay Fut and Northern Long Fist Kung Fu, and learned Yang Style Tai Chi Chu’an and Qi Gong Meditation from Master Li Wei Ming.  Sifu Ha began teaching in Vietnam in 1978, and has since continued in
the United States, in Oregon since 1988, and in Colorado since 1996. He
has won Chinese Kung Fu competitions in Hong Kong (1974) and Beijing (1970).
He was the Director of the Chinese Kung Fu and Tai Chi Association at
the Nghia An Cantonese Temple before he was compelled to flee due to the
political unrest in Vietnam. Since his arrival here in the U.S. Sifu Ha
has taught both private and group lessons in local gyms and various Martial
Arts centers. He has also conducted seminars and workshops in Community
Colleges and Community Centers in Oregon and Colorado. Along with his
dedicated students he has demonstrated Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and the
traditional Chinese Lion Dance at City and County events in Parker and
Denver. Most recently he was recognized together with his students, for
superior demonstrations at the University of Denver and at Regis University.
 Since
moving to Denver, Colorado, Sifu Ha has become a respected associate
of both the Vietnamese and Chinese community. In support of the victims
of 9/11 his school supported the Unified Nationalist Vietnamese Committee
of Colorado (UNVCC) in its contributions to the relief fund campaign
(Oct 2001). More recently in Feb, 2005 in support of the victims of
the Tsunami in South/South East Asia, his school donated proceeds
from performances at the University of Denver (sponsored by the DU
Vietnamese Student Association) as well as at the George Washington
High School in Denver (these fund raisers were able to contribute
almost $11,000 to the Tsunami Victims' Relief Fund!). Sifu Ha is closely
connected with the Nhu Lai Temple and the Buddha's Light Temple in
Denver. Today, as the founder of the Tai Kung Ha Holistic Fitness
Center, LLC., Sifu Ha continues to support, demonstrate and teach
these traditional arts of discipline and holistic healing to all who
are willing to learn. |
 Sifu Ha's PhilosophyHaving learned in a traditional environment from several great Masters including Ly Que Minh and Hoang Ca Cuong, Sifu Ha is a firm believer in self-discipline and dedication to the art. To him learning Kung Fu or Tai Chi-Qi Gong is a life-changing and life-enhancing experience, where the tenets of Taoist and Buddhist philosophy are not only learned but put into everyday practice. Chinese philosophy emphasizes the importance of harmony within the natural order of things (symbolized by the Yin/Yang circle of dark and light - both sides are in perfect balance). In the same way Sifu Ha believes in the importance of balance between the hard and soft and in the flow between the two opposing forces, one balancing the other. In his practice the ‘soft’ movements of Tai Chi balance the ‘hard’ stances of Kung Fu. In fact he often points out that there is hard and soft in both arts and that is how each is kept in balance within itself. He prefers to think of and teach these martial arts as healing arts that is - Kung Fu as a means of self-defense, discipline and mental/physical training as opposed to winning competitions or trumping rivals. His style of teaching emphasizes character building as much as physical skills training. He values dedication, honesty, loyalty and respect in his relationships with his students. He realizes and teaches that the essential challenge of Kung Fu (a word that translates to “hard work”) lies in balancing all elements of one’s life, the mental, the physical, the emotional and the spiritual. It is believed that the harmony that exists within an individual Kung Fu student affects the harmony within the school and it also extends out into society. As such a teacher of Kung Fu bears social responsibility by taking on and teaching a Kung Fu student and this is a responsibility Sifu Ha does not take lightly. Although considered a Master (or Sifu) by many he considers himself the perpetual student. He dedicates himself daily to a rigorous and disciplined regimen of practice and study, believing that this is the only way to truly overcome obstacles and absorb the true meaning of the arts he practices. He has thus achieved a level of fluidity, strength and agility in Hung Gar Kung Fu, Yang style Tai Chi Ch’uan, Qi Gong, and traditional Chinese weaponry among other forms of self-discipline and holistic healing. In his practice Sifu Ha has also learned the use of traditional internal healing medicines, as well as the sites of acupressure points in the body sensitive to natural healing methods. In every way he strives to live his philosophy and encourages others to do the same. |
