Looking for Martial Arts Classes in Ottawa?
Looking for martial arts classes in Ottawa?
Kung Fu Ottawa offers traditional martial arts training for kids and adults in a welcoming and challenging environment. We teach Chan Family Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu—an authentic Chinese martial art with a rich history, powerful techniques and a complete system of training.
Whether your goal is fitness, self-defence, confidence, discipline or mastering a traditional martial art, our Ottawa martial arts classes can help you get there.
No experience is necessary. Your first class is free.
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Martial Arts Training in Ottawa
Martial Arts Training for Adults
Our adult martial arts program offers much more than a workout.
Students train in traditional Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu while developing strength, speed, coordination, fitness and practical martial arts skills.
Training opportunities include:
- Traditional Kung Fu forms
- Practical martial arts applications
- Self-defence
- Sparring
- Weapons training
- Wooden dummy training
- Competition training
- Qigong
- Lion dance
You don't need previous martial arts experience to begin. Whether you're completely new or have trained in another style before, you'll be able to progress at your own pace.
Explore our Adult Martial Arts Classes
Kids Martial Arts Classes in Ottawa
Our kids martial arts program helps children develop more than physical skills.
Through structured Kung Fu training, children build:
- Confidence
- Focus
- Discipline
- Respect
- Coordination
- Fitness
- Resilience
Kids learn in a positive and supportive environment while developing real martial arts skills.
Explore our Kids Martial Arts Classes
Martial Arts Competition Training
For students who want to take their training further, Kung Fu Ottawa offers competition opportunities in forms, weapons and fighting.
Our athletes have earned 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes at regional and national competitions and have competed locally and internationally.
Learn About Our Competition Team
Authentic Traditional Kung Fu
Kung Fu Ottawa specializes in Chan Family Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu, a traditional Chinese martial art with a history stretching back more than 200 years.
Our training includes the traditional aspects of Kung Fu—including forms, weapons and cultural traditions—while also developing practical martial arts skills through application and sparring.
We believe martial arts should be more than simply memorizing techniques. Training should challenge you physically and mentally while giving you the opportunity to continually develop your skills.
Train in an Authentic Martial Arts Tradition
Kung Fu Ottawa teaches Chan Family Choy Lee Fut, a traditional Chinese martial art with a history spanning more than five generations of the Chan family. Our school follows the curriculum and traditions passed down through Grandmaster Chen Yong Fa, the fifth-generation keeper of the system.
Try a Martial Arts Class in Ottawa
The best way to find out if Kung Fu Ottawa is right for you is to experience a class for yourself.
We welcome beginners and experienced martial artists.
Try Your First Class Free
Contact us today to get started.
Which Martial Art Is Right for You?
Not sure where to start? Here's an honest comparison of the most common options in Ottawa.
Kung Fu (Traditional Chinese Martial Arts)
A complete system combining striking, forms, weapons, conditioning, and often qigong or lion dance alongside self-defense training. Best for people who want depth — not just fighting technique, but a lifelong practice that builds discipline, body control, and cultural tradition alongside practical skills. Progression tends to be less rigid than belt-testing sports, which suits students who want to go deep rather than move fast.
Karate
A striking-based Japanese martial art with a structured belt system and strong emphasis on discipline and etiquette. Good for kids who thrive on clear, frequent milestones, and for anyone who wants a very standardized, widely available program. Sparring is typically point-based rather than continuous.
Taekwondo
Known for its kicking techniques and speed, with an Olympic sport pathway for competitively minded students. A strong fit if your main goal is competition, athleticism, and flexibility, especially for kids and teens. Less emphasis on grappling or weapons than Kung Fu or traditional Karate.
BJJ / MMA Gyms
Focused on grappling, ground fighting, and (for MMA) a blend of striking and wrestling. Excellent for realistic self-defense in close-contact situations and for adults specifically training for competition or fitness through live sparring. Generally less focused on forms, weapons, or traditional practice — the emphasis is almost entirely functional.
So, what should you actually pick?
- Self-defense as the main goal: BJJ/MMA for grappling-heavy realism, or Kung Fu for a broader toolkit that includes striking, joint control, and weapons awareness.
- Fitness first: Any of these will get you in shape, but Kung Fu and MMA tend to involve more full-body conditioning; Karate and Taekwondo are excellent for agility and cardio.
- Discipline and structure for kids: Karate and Taekwondo offer the clearest, fastest belt progression; Kung Fu offers a similar structure with a stronger emphasis on tradition, respect, and patience over quick advancement.
- Competition: Taekwondo has the clearest Olympic/international pathway; Kung Fu, Karate, and MMA/BJJ all have active regional and national tournament circuits if you want to compete without going the Olympic route.
There's no wrong answer here — the right style is the one that matches what you actually want out of training. If a complete traditional system with real depth sounds like your fit, here's what that looks like at Kung Fu Ottawa.
Why Traditional Kung Fu for Self-Defense, Kids, and Fitness?
Additional Information
For self-defense
Choy Lee Fut was developed as a practical fighting system, blending long- and short-range striking, joint locks, and weapons-based principles into one curriculum. Unlike sport-focused styles that train primarily for point-scoring, our sparring and application training are built around real, functional response — so what you learn in class is meant to actually work outside of it.
For kids
Kids in our program don't just learn kicks and punches — they learn a complete traditional system that rewards patience and focus, not just speed to the next belt. Structured forms and progressive skill-building build genuine discipline and body awareness, while a supportive, respectful class culture helps children grow in confidence over time — the kind of steady, character-building progress that traditional martial arts have offered for generations.
For fitness
Choy Lee Fut is physically demanding in a way few modern fitness programs replicate — dynamic striking combinations, weapons forms, and conditioning work build strength, coordination, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously. And because the system also includes qigong, you get a training approach that balances hard physical output with breathing and internal conditioning work most gyms don't offer at all.
What makes our approach different
At Kung Fu Ottawa, you're not just taking a class — you're training in a complete, authentic system with a 200-year lineage traced through five generations of the Chan family to Grandmaster Chen Yong Fa and Sifu Dan Walls. Alongside forms, sparring, and weapons, students can train in qigong for internal strength and breath control, and lion dance — a living cultural tradition that few other schools in the region teach at all. It's martial arts training with real depth, not just a workout with punches in it.
No experience necessary. Try your first class free.