My bio is of little importance really.  It’s been all my friends and teachers that have brought me to where I am today, and I sometimes feel like I’m just getting started, myself. I will showcase some of these teachers in the future on our NGCF Journal web page.

I have trained consistently for over 50 years. I’ve trained in most all the arts, from a young age of six. Starting in Judo through traditional Martial Arts and migrating over to Chinese arts in the late 60’s. I am founder of Nei Gung Chuan FA – internal arts.

My key instructors were unlike other instructors at the time, they encouraged me to study as many additional arts as I could. Often traveling throughout many states and even sleeping on dojo floors. At the time I thought it was to learn how to defend against other systems, but what they had in mind was to help me to ultimately understand that all the Martial Arts are very similar, and to just focus on the training. The more I continue to learn and teach - I can see they were right all along.

The martial systems are all very similar, many based on about 13 core postures for training, and for practical use.
They left me with just one mandate to “never stop training” so no matter what is available, or wherever I’m at, to always be the eternal student first, then teacher.  It has become an important principle to live by. To this day I am still traveling and learning.

SIFU
I have various degrees of Black Belt ranking at a higher level and would be glad to talk further about that, and my teachers, if it’s of interest. I prefer to just be called Sifu in Class. I try to encourage not only martial skills, but life skills to carry outside of the school.  I will be posting and updating further information for Internal arts classes on a separate page titled NGCF Journal, in pdf format, which can be downloaded to your own internal arts journal or PCD.

We encourage diversity in class, with all ages, backgrounds and cultures.  Don’t let anything hold you back.  We explore solutions to all life challenges and we find that internal arts provide tools to actively meet these life challenges.  We find its about opening doors – not closing them. We learn to embrace change, and new experiences, even welcoming them, while gaining confidence in who we are. We look to expand our future, while finding the rewards of helping others with this process – both inside and outside the school.

Always the best to you,
Sifu Dave
Founder of NGCF