Sifu Reza Momenan

Sifu Reza Momenan is co-founder and Chief Instructor of the Jow Ga Shaolin Institute. Sifu Momenan started his martial arts training in mid 1970's by taking classes in the Shotokan Karate, which was one of the more popular martial arts in his homeland of Iran. Soon after, his interest turned to Kung Fu. Two years later he moved to the United States to pursue his academic education. Sifu Momenan started his Jow Ga training under the supervision of Master Dean Chin in 1979. As a result of his dedication to the system and, in particular, to Master Chin, he became one of Master Chin's closest students. After Master Chin's untimely death in 1985, Sifu Momenan continued his training with well known Jow Ga instructors such as Sifu Deric Mims and Sifu Raymond Wong. Sifu Momenan has been an instructor of Jow Ga Kung Fu since 1982. In 1986, he founded the Chinese Boxing Academy at George Washington University, where he was a Ph.D. candidate in Medical Engineering. He continued teaching at GWU until 1990, when he graduated.

A founding member and official of the Northern America Chinese Martial Arts Federation (NACMAF), Sifu Momenan served as co-chair of the Certification Committee. In 1996, Sifu Momenan founded the Chinese Martial Arts Club of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Sifu Momenan has competed in national tournaments and judged martial arts competitions at both the national and international levels. Sifu Momenan was the first person in this area to perform a "non-assisted" two-story lion dance.

Starting in 1993 Sifu Hon Lee has generously shared his knowledge of other Shaolin systems such as Cha, Mizong and Qingping Sword, with Sifu Momenan. In June 2000 Sifu Momenan met Sifu Lee's teacher, 6th- generation Grandmaster of Mizong and 9th-generation Grandmaster of Qingping Sword, Lu Jun Hai, in London. During that short period Sifu Momenan impressed Grandmaster Lu so much that Grandmaster Lu has taken Sifu Momenan under his tutelage in training him in both Shaolin Mizong and Qingping Sword. Recognizing his talent and dedication, Grandmaster Lu subsequently made Sifu Momenan his disciple and a 7th- generation Shaolin Mizong heir. As Sifu Momenan puts it his "quest to advance the knowledge of Chinese martial arts continues today with the same enthusiasm that started over 30 years ago."