Sifu Matthias

Biography

Sifu Matthias Klenk has more than 20 years of martial arts experience and has studied Shaolin Kung Fu since 2004. He has been teaching since 2014 and received his first black sash in 2015. At that time, he was already one of the lead instructors for several years under the guidance of Sifu José Guillén. Besides Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, he studied Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and traditional acupuncture. His Sifu, José Guillén, still guides and teaches him. Before studying Kung Fu, Sifu Matthias trained in Shotokan Karate as a teenager and later in Philippine Esgrima, Boxing, and Modern Wushu with Shifu Shi Yan Hai, nephew of the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple. Besides that, he competed and won multi-disciplinary tournaments in Mexico and Canada. He also studies Baguazhang in Vancouver. Sifu Matthias has studied martial arts before at: Shotokan Karate Leipzig, Shaolin Zentrum Bielefeld, Dragon de Fuego, and Dragon Dorado. Since 2021, Sifu Matthias is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer. He holds a Blue Belt in BJJ. He now holds a 2nd Degree Black Sash in 5 Animals Shaolin Kung Fu.

Outside martial arts, Sifu Matthias studied Political Science and Film in Germany and Mexico and holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Communication Studies. Besides his efforts to teach Shaolin Kung Fu in Vancouver, he follows his passion for film, the arts, writing and design.

Sifu’s teaching philosophy

Training at Immortal Dragon is hard and disciplined but also fun. During classes you will hear interesting German jokes, sometimes only Sifu understands. A sifu is not only an instructor but as an instructor, Sifu Matthias tries to find the best way how to teach each student individually. That is important for traditional martial arts and separates us from modern arts where you have a coach. Sifu means skilled person, teacher, mentor, and father. Because of that, the relationship with the students is of the essence. That all said, the main concern at Immortal Dragon are our students and their growth.

Chinese martial arts and specifically kung fu at Immortal Dragon represent a tool for personal development but also a spiritual journey that can endure a whole life. As a kung fu instructor, Sifu Matthias is here to support you on either journey you want to go. If you want straightforward exercise where you sweat, well that will also be a part of our training here. The training combines internal and external aspects.

Immortal Dragon

Overview

At Immortal Dragon Vancouver, we seek mental training through physical exercise. Respect, compassion, humility and fortitude, are among the values we strive to foster and nurture. Through the rigorous practice of Shaolin kung fu, we want to achieve control over our body, mind and spirit.

Learning Shaolin Kung Fu at Immortal Dragon, students will develop confidence, strength, positive social skills, mindfulness, discipline, an “I can” attitude, and improved self-image. It´s a strong training set which includes basic work-out and stretching.

Sifu José Guillén

Sifu José Guillén founded Immortal Dragon over more then 35 years ago in Guadalajara, Mexico. He studied 5 Animals Shaolin Kung Fu, in lineage of Ark Yuey Wong and GM Ralph Shun, with Sifu Amarillas, who is still guiding him. Since Sifu Amarillas has retired as a kung fu teacher, Dashi Steven Baugh from the Lohan School of Kung Fu in Las Vegas took over the guidance. Today there are more than 10 Immortal Dragons in Mexico (Guadalajara, Zapopan, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Puerto Vallarta, Toluca, and more), and Immortal Dragon is part of the Lohan School International.

Grandmaster Ark Yuey Wong

Grandmaster Ark Y. Wong was born in 1900 (some sources claim 1902), in Canton, China, to be exact in Toysun Tien Sum Chien village, Guangdong Province. When he was only seven years old he started training in kung fu and martial arts under the supervision of 14 masters. One of his first teachers was the Choy Li Fut master Lam Ark Fun. He and Ho Yeng (Mok Gar) were the most influential masters for GM Wong. At the age of 12 he also started to learn about herbalism with his master, and later on, Chinese Medicine. For a short period of time, when GM Wong went to college in Guangzhou, he first started to teach martial arts, in the form of private lessons. There he also studied Qi Gong. Back in his home village he started to accept students of his own, and he was recognized as a great lion dancer. Anticipating the start of a civil war in China, he made his family emigrate to San Francisco (USA) in 1921 where he taught kung fu (although not publicly). In 1931 he received a request to come back to his home village to teach martial arts in his own family. He stayed there until 1934, when he left again for Los Angeles, where he opened his own shop, focused on herbalism and martial arts. Until the 1950s/60s his teachings were restricted to the Chinese community. In 1958 GM Wong accepted his first non-Chinese students. This was the start of the open kung fu schools era which still exist today. GM Wong appeared in TV and movies like "Kung Fu". He passed away in 1987 but left a legacy, and thousands of students still training according to his instructions.

Vision

Immortal Dragon creates a community around martial arts where everyone is welcome. At the Temple of the Immortal Dragon, we seek to support people of all ages in their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth.

In an ego-free and safe environment, Sifu Matthias and all the members create an atmosphere for fun and enjoyable training and learning without judgment. We pride ourselves to teach traditional arts in a modern way without denying our heritage. The system taught provides the tools and strategies to support individuals to live healthy, inspirational, and meaningful lives.

At Immortal Dragon Vancouver, we seek to train the mind and spirit through physical exercise.
We value Respect, Compassion, Humility, Fortitude, Patience, Loyalty, Discipline and Confidence.
Through the rigorous practice of kung fu, we want to achieve control over body, mind, and spirit.

Lineage

Immortal Dragon lineage

As you can see from the image, our lineage goes back to Grandmaster Ark Yuey Wong in Shaolin Kung Fu and Master Hsu Hong Chi/ Master Han yu Lin. Tai Chi and Chi Kung are in the lineage of Grandmaster Zhao Jin Xiang and Si-Gung Steven Baugh (Lohan School of Shaolin/ Las Vegas). Si-Gung Steven was also a direct student of Grandmaster Ark Yuey Wong. The spiritual part and acupuncture relate back to Kim Hong Kyung.