Brian began studying Tang Soo Do in 1985 and has also studied Yang style Taijiquan. He began studying under Shifu Ferreira in 1996. Brian is an experienced Sanshou and Taolu competitor since 1998. He was a member of Team USA for the 1st Pan-American Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (2001). He is the principal lion dancer for the Zhong Yi Lion Dance Troupe. He has had the opportunity to study with great teachers such as Shifu Lima and Shifu Kleppe. Currently he is the Referee General for Light Contact divisions at the USKSF North Region Tournament. Brian is also a certified judge (national) through the USCKF. He is also the current Da Shixiong (eldest brother) at ZYKFA.
Rachel began studying under Shifu Ferreira in 1997. A competitor in Taolu since 1998, she has gone from a beginner to an advanced competitor in three years and she was a member of Team USA for the 1st Pan-American Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (2001) and again for the 2nd World Kuoshu Championships held in Singapore (2006). Rachel became a ZYKFA certified Instructor in 2005, becoming the first certified female Instructor in the association. Besides her competition activities, she is one of the dancers in the Zhong Yi Lion Dance Troupe. Currently she is an Instructor for Basics Shaolin classes. She is currently the Da Shijie (eldest sister) of ZYKFA.
Jeff began his martial arts training in 1982, under the guidance of his father, studying Tae Kwon Do and later on also studied Aikido. In 1999 he began his studies at ZYKFA under Shifu Ferreira. Jeff also participates in the ZYKFA Taolu Team, the Zhong Yi Lion Dance Troupe and was a member of Team USA for the 1st Pan-American Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (2001), World Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (2003) and at the Second World Kuoshu Championships which was held in Singapore (2006). Always looking to expand his knowledge of Chinese martial arts, Jeff studies Taijiquan under Shifu Elizabeth Jones. Jeff is also a certified judge (national) through the USCKF. Currently Jeff teaches Bei Shaolinquan to a youth group at the Hope Chinese School and Taijiquan on Madison's westside.
Neil began his martial arts training in 1981 in the Korean art of Tae Kwon Do under Master J.B. Chung. He also studied Judo and Kendo during his youth. Neil began his study of Chinese martial arts in 1996 under Shifu Ferreira at the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association. He also has researched Bei Shaolinquan, classical Chinese weapons and Chinese martial arts in general for college projects. Neil is currently an Instructor for the Shaolin Youth program.
Davron began studying under Shifu Ferreira in 1997. He also studied many other disciplines including Boxing, PFS (Progressive Fighting System), Wing Chun, among others. He has represented ZYKFA as both a Lei Tai fighter and Taolu Competitor. Davron also is a part of the ZYKFA Lion Dances in which he enjoys being one of the Big Headed Monks. He continually pursues the Northern Shaolin fighting applications as he is very interested in the study of sport combat. Davron became a certified ZYKFA Instructor in 2008. He currently teaches the Qing Da (light contact sparring) class at ZYKFA.
Kevin has been studying under Shifu Ferreira since 1999. He also studied Wu style Taijiquan. Kevin is an accomplished Taolu competitor in both national and international events. He also performs with the Zhong Yi lion dances as an instrumentalist. Kevin was a member of Team USA for the 1st Pan-American Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (2001). He has had the opportunity to study under great teachers such as Shifu Lima, Shifu Kleppe, and Master Kwan Sai-hung. Currently he is an Instructor for the Youth Shaolin classes.
Kimba started his martial arts training at age 7, practicing judo for a short time. Eventually,he turned to Tae Kwon Do in 1986, devoting approximately 13 years to its study - while occasionally wrestling for his high school. In 2001, he joined ZYKFA and became a student of Bei Shaolinquan under Shifu Ferreira. Kimba has competed in local, national, and international events and is currently the Lei Tai Team Coach. He has earned medals as a member of both the Taolu and Kuoshu Lei Tai teams. Kimba represented the US in the World Kuoshu Championships held in Brazil (2003) and again in Singapore (2006) becoming a World Champion.
Woody has studied at ZYKFA under Shifu Ferreira since 2003 and received his instructor's certification in 2010. Woody's first martial arts experience was with the Aikido Club at NC State University in 1993. He began studying Northern Shaolin Gong Fu and other aspects of Chinese martial arts in 1997 with Sifu Kenneth Yung at Qi Elements, in Herndon, VA. He has also taken seminars with Dr. Yang Jwing Ming, Shi Yang Ming, Luo Dexiu, Kisu, and Lu Wejia. Woody teaches intermediate and advanced Shaolin classes at ZYKFA and is a member of the Taolu team.
Paul started his formal martial arts training in 1986, learning the modern Yang style Taijiquan short form. Over the next decade, he explored many styles including Shotokan Karate, Sanchin Ryu Karate, Northern Long Fist, and modern Yang style Taiji swordplay. In 2004, Paul returned to the UW-Madison Chinese Wushu and Tai Chi club to continue to both study and teach the Chinese martial arts. In 2006, he competed at the 1st North Regional Chinese Kuoshu Tournament in the Taijiquan division. Impressed by the level of skill displayed by the ZYKFA competitors, Paul began studying Bei Shaolinquan under Shifu Ferreira the following week. He has also had the opportunity to study under great teachers such as Shifu Kleppe, Zhang Xiaoling, Liu Yu, Norm Petredean and Wang Yu. He has travelled to China and studied at Shaolin, Wudang and Emei. Paul is an Instructor for the intermidiate and advanced classes at ZYKFA, he is also the Taolu Team Captain.
Andrew began his study of Chinese martial arts in 2003 with Yang and Chen Taiji Quan and Chang Quan (Wushu). He has studied Bei Shaolinquan with Shifu Ferreira since 2006 and competes on both the Lei Tai and Taolu Teams. Andrew is a personal trainer and teaches the Strength and Conditioning class at ZYKFA. He became a ZYKFA certified Instructor in 2010. Recently Andrew received a gold medal in Lei Tai fighting at the 2011 UMAI Kung Fu Championships.
Andy began his training inTae Kwon Do as a youth, and then, at age 12, wrestled for 2 seasons in the YMCA youth league. He began studying Bei Shaolinquan under Shifu Fereirra in april of 2000, and joined the Lei Tai Team in 2001. Andy is currently an Assistant Instructor/Coach for the Lei Tai Team and has competed in regional, national and international Lei Tai tournaments.
Sven has been studying Bei Shaolinquan under Shifu Ferreira since 2004. He is an Assistant Instructor at the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association specializing in Duanbing and Changbing (long and short weapon sparring). Sven is a USKSF National Certified judge, a Lei Tai judge for the USKSF North Region, and the head referee for the weapon sparring division at the USKSF North events.
Andrew first began his martial arts training in the art of Tae Kwon Do in 1995. In 2000 he began studying at the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association, under Shifu Ferreira, in the art of Bei Shaolinquan. After about two years of study at ZYKFA Andrew left for college. He returned in 2007, this time with a more serious and focused approach to his studies. Andrew is an important member of the Lei Tai Team and is also a Taolu Team member. In 2010 he represented the ZYKFA at the Brazil International Championships held in Sao Paulo, Brazil and in 2011 became the UMAI Heavyweight Lei Tai Champion. Currently he is back in school, working as an Assistant Instructor for the Stregth & Conditioning Class and preperaring for the ZYKFA Instructor exam in 2012.
Wesley began studying martial arts in 2006 with the Platteville Aikido Club at the University of WI Platteville. In 2007 he moved to Madison and continued his training at Aikido of Madison adding training in Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu swordsmanship. In 2008 he began studying Bei Shaolinquan at the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association and has also studied Bajiquan with Instructor Lu Weijia. He is an Assistant Instructor with the Youth Shaolin program as well as an active member of the Lei Tai and Taolu competition teams. He has competed at the USKSF international tournament in Baltimore MD as well as internationally at the TWKSF World Championship Tournament in Ulm, Germany and the TSKF International Tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
