Temple Kung Fu Ontario Closes

There is a very simple explanation for all of this: ninjas!

From Mr. Abell:

Couple of things to clarify.

The toronto studio is still in operation.
You can contact the Toronto Studio @ 416-604-4140 regarding further info. of that location. Mr. Marinic has all of the Toronto student files. Mr. Cuthbert has the Mississauga files & I have the Hamilton files. As assigned by Master Sparrow.

For students there are 3 choices.

1. Cancel your membership.
2. Remain with TKF. (Speak to Mr. Marinic)
3. Continue with Mr. Cuthbert & myself, and as stated we will honor all contracts as best we can.

We can be contacted at tkfmississauga@hotmail.com for Mr. Cuthbert & tabell@quickclic.net for myself.

Thanks so far to Mr. Abell and Mr. Benaszak for the info.

The purpose of this page, as stated, is to get the facts straight. If I had the memo, I would post it, or if it’s only available in paper format, perhaps someone can mail it to me (email me and I’ll send you my mailing address).

I would have liked to attend the meetings mentioned, but no one told me they were happening.

I will contact Mr. Marinic as suggested, however.

I would love to continue training.
I think about the art a lot. I think it is efficient and effective.
I sometimes think the progression of knowledge is a little to coveted.
I feel sometimes it is not advanced enough or real life enough.
I do understand why we go slow. I just want to train on my own.
That means waiting for the knowledge. Paying for the knowledge.
I would like a solid information package as to my options.

I have noticed that there have been few comments on this site recently.
What is going on?

Please give my e-mail to anyone who knows me.
Thanks to my friends I have made.
I hope I see you again.

Just for the record…[the remainder of this post has been removed – please see the comment directly below for why.]

The page has been updated with a letter from Troy Sparrow to all students.

the winnipeg studios are closed but there is an amature club operating in winnipeg, anyone intrested in training can contact me @(204)-257-6207 or @ rharrington@shaw.ca struggle and emerge!

My gratitude and thanx to all the students and officers of TKF. I trained from around 1995 to 2000 (I moved out of hte area) with the Toronto school – Elesmere and Kennedy. before this I trained witha former teacher of Simons’, and before that another teacher. I have kept with Simons’ style for about 10 years, and I have always loved it.

All of you have enriched my life, given me hope and kept me strong at times when I would fall.

My love to all of you, and I can be reached hallucitania@hotmail.com, it’s full of spam so be smart about your topic, eh?

again my love and support, write me anytime to see about possibly training.
Adrian Marek

Whats bugs me is how expensive TKF is compared to other martial arts schools yet Trow Sparrow plays the blame game about out of date business models and such…like he was set up to fail. There are a million schools that manage to keep there heads out of water without having to charge there students over and over for different classes of appreciating costs……I’d rather go to a school where i pay my monthly dues and don’t have to listen to my own teachers try to upsell me on buying the “great new book by Grandmaster Simon” after each class.

hi everyone I am sorry to hear that your schoolshave closed winnipeg’s studios are also gone I was an insructor and built our south side studio. I was around when they fired richard shergold one of the best martial artists I have ever seen. once he was gone the studios went downhill and it was only a matter of time before everything went bad. the best advice i can offer is get together and try to keep up your skills if that is not possible try to find an american kenpo shchool you will find it an easy transistion and will not have to relearn your basics. lots of luck

I left Temple Kung Fu a few years back due to work with a sad heart as I enjoyed the work outs and the commeraderie of the instructors, staff and students. I have just recently started working just around the corner from T.K.F. in Mississauga which was my home base. I passed by the studio and I was extemely surprised when it wasn’t but thought the studio had relocated until I searched the net today to find all this grief posted albeit, with glimmers of hope, for all affected. I had a thoughtMy heart goes out to you all.

Please feel free to pass on my e-mail to all of my friends and acqaintances.

Best Regards…
Mr. Robert Ferguson

What news of Mr Murray? He signed me up in 1998 and I trained with the club for about four years. Just curious.

Regards,
Mr. de Costa

I trained at TKF in Calgary in the late 90’s.

I enjoyed some aspects of it but found the entire experience to be negative.

One thing everyone should remember is that there is no such thing as getting a belt in a prescribed timeframe. I saw many students get belts that didn’t deserve them and I didn’t need to be an experienced student to see this. You get a belt when you are ready. If that takes 1yr or 20, it doesn’t matter.

Was anyone ever refused acceptance into Kung-fu club? Those workouts were good I must admit but it was disappointing to finish them only to be ushered aside at the end to see if I could go get a loan to pay my fees in full instead of in payments. One instructor went as far as advising me how I could better my financial situation to accomplish this. Lets be honest…this is not appropriate in adult life.

I found Simon to be amazingly sexist, and am surprised there wasn’t more outcry from women regarding this.

All in all, the comraderie and physical benefits were good. The constant badgering about money and the completely unnecessary 3 different gi’s needed (etc,etc)were not. I stopped going when I realized that it wasn’t my skill or dedication that would make me progress….but the amount of money I could spend. It seems a great idea was ruined by a ‘business model’ that was geared to the accumulation of wealth and not the education of students.

I welcome any responses to this post positive or negative.

I know some time has passed since the closures of the schools, and in spite of my own personal issues that I had to fight through during my tenure at TKF, I can honestly say that I have only good memories. I especially enjoyed training with Master Sparrow, and until coming upon this web-site, I had no idea as to what really happened. Now that I know, my heart goes out to Master Sparrow even more so than when I had last spoken to him as he was going through his marriage break up at that time. I continue to train on my own, having turned my basement into somewhat of a sanctuary for training. If any other former students wish to train, I would be more than happy to open my doors to them in friendship.

Mr. Daeryun Meyers; I believe Mr. Stone was attempting to keep the old Toronto studio going under the name of Tiger And Dragon Kung Fu. I tried to attend his classes a few times, but due to location and work, I was never able to get there. I don’t know if he is still there, but if you are familiar with the area, perhaps you should pop in and see if he is still operating. I apologize for having no further information as I have misplaced his phone number.

Regards,

Anthony.

I was a student of Grand Master Simon’s Temple Kung Fu in Mississauga, Ontario in the late 80’s early 90’s. Before it became franchised .The chief insturctor was Mr. Tonsi. I wonder what happened to him? he was great. I had to leave after becoming a student instructor, but because I was 5’8″ and not a good selling feature. It was taken away from me. I really wanted to go all the way. I actually remember Master Piercy yelling at Mr. Tonsi in the office beacuse he was generating enough money in a new studio. He was told to push the sparring club to members that normally would not recieve it.

I must say the training really helped my personally. The students were great. I remember training so much that I was actually better and out sparring the instructor, because he was a yellow belt from Calgary. Not Mr. Tonsi, he was a 2nd or 3rd degree black belt. I spent alot of personal training time with Mr. Tonsi, no cost involved. I learnt alot of stuff that I should not have learn’t. It payed to be a good student. Then one day Mr. Tonsi was gone with no explanation. I never liked Master piercy, he seemed cocky and cold. Not a humble modern monk.

It is sad that this has happened, but it seems greed overtook the true meaning of training an amazing system.

Sorry, forgot a few things.

I forgot to ask about the franchising. It sounds like this was a model that was introduced at some point. Can someone help me understand when that was introduced, who had some of the franchises?

Also, what was the model before the franchising? Did GM Simon own all of it?

Also, I see that Master Piercy is operating the south studio in Calgary. Has anyone joined up again? How is it going?

Thanks,
Noel Roberts

Such a good idea…..so much potential. Oh well, poorer of cash but freer of some illusions. I have never returned to martial arts and likely never will. I’m very disillusioned.

Do a bit of research, people (Google’s a wonderful thing) – Grand Phoney Simon admitted to never having gone to China, only learned kempo karate from his uncle and made up most of his stuff.

I’d just like to say highest compliments to the akma folks for this quote:

“Moh Kempo is a blended style of Karate and Kung Fu.”

Starting off with honesty is definitely the best policy and I commend for you it.

Happy new year and best wishes.

I trained with Mr. Trevor Tonsi after he was booted out of TKF for a good number of years. Too bad he still found it difficult to throw away many of the ways he learned from TKF of how to run a business and teach martial arts. I haven’t seen him for about four years now, but still love him, faults and all. I got a good education about life from my time spent around him, but in ways he never intended to teach.

Please, don’t let any bad experiences with TKF stop you from playing martial arts. Just consider it part of the price of your education. There is some quality martial arts instruction in the Toronto area, which is better and deeper than the kempo that was taught at TKF. Educate yourself.

I just found this site and like what is being said. I want to say I have no hard feelings about my time at TKF it gave me a strong basis to discover what was missing in my training. I now go my own way. I read a lot of books from some really awesome masters whose ideas and experiences helped point me in the direction I needed to go. I have discussed theory with other artists I have met. I found this is the true path to follow and eventually you have to go your own way because answers run out and all that is left is you. It’s not that I don’t want to teach I just don’t know how to teach what I have learned ( A style with no style and no forms) when I figure that out I will teach again. David I am really glad you found a new home you know what I mean. I am happy for you, others should follow your lead with no guilt and no worries. That is the way, tha only way. It’s all about the journey nothing else exists except learning.

Hello.
My training was only a short period of time. I began in Hamilton in Apr’03. Then transferred to Toronto in Jan’04. I gave my letter to put my lessons on hold in May’04 due to overtraining. I received both my yellow and orange belt in that time and was training for my green when I left. I have no negative feelings toward anything related to Temple Kung Fu. I have read statements on the internet from sources that criticize Temple Kung Fu. Some do not agree with price of the program – Do they not like the private instruction to get taught the correct way to execute a technique and have the opportunity to learn new techniques every class. Some also question the content of the progam, if it is Kung Fu. The information I have read is that many Kung Fu styles originate in the Siu Lum Monastey (Shao Lin in Mandarin dialect and Shorin-ji Kempo in Japanese). I have had the opportunity to read a article based on the history of Grand Master O.E Simon and was very informative. There are other articles I have found that when I review them I definitely do not doubt Grand Master Simon.
Thank You.

Hey,

First and foremost I would like to give my regards to
Mr. Sparrow, Mr. Banaszak and all the instructors whom I had the great pleasure of working with.
I remember all of you fondly as men of honour who had great heart.

I trained at the Hamilton Studio of Temple Kungfu for a number of years with my father(Craig Corbett) till the end of 2005. To this day I still train and meditate in an attempt to bring my body and mind to closer unison.
Without Temple Kungfu I would not have the calm of mind and ease of body I find in my everyday life.

Though this is years after the fact, I just stumbled upon this site and wanted to give my regards to a group of people who greatly improved my outlook on life.

On the random chance that any of you receive this message I’d love to hear about any training groups or studios you would recommend. Sparing with the old man is good when I visit him, but as I’m sure some still remember, he fights dirty. I will of course also check on the links in this forum, hopefully some are still up to date.

The very best to all former students and instructors.

Cameron M. Corbett

Hi Everyone,

I know some of you, and I hope some of you remember me. The majority of the comments are great to read. Some are plain disappointing though. I understand the need to vent hostile feelings to make yourselves feel better, but please don’t blame your own failures to learn and train properly on the system or GMS. Also, don’t blame failures of your specific school or instructor on the system or GMS.

A few of you complained about the instructors always trying to sell you the books. First of all, there are worse things that could be wrong with a martial arts school. I’m guessing some of you are discovering that as we speak. Part of the reason it was suggested to buy the books was because some of the advanced elements of training are taught from within the adventure series. If you don’t believe it, read the books. If the instructors did not explain that to you then please do not blame the entire system for that instructor’s lack of understanding or tact.

If you say that the style was unrealistic, then we can automatically conclude that you did not train long and you did not reach the advanced level of training. The intermediate levels of training were for the specific purpose of physical and mental development in preparation for the advanced level. Once a solid understanding of the advanced level is attained, the real art lies in revisiting the intermediate techniques to see them in their true combative perspective. Like it or not, this is the system. Please do not embarrass yourself by passing judgment on a system you neither know nor understand. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

Mr. Shaun Barry, I completely disagree with you sir. TFK was good at a lot of things but marketing was never one of them. If you felt a certain “mystique” around TFK then that is a reflection only of your own lack of understanding. There was never any mystique, Kung Fu was defined to us as hard work over a sustained amount of time, period. That is the essence of training and completely mystique-less. I’m not sure what you mean by “magic” kung fu and walking through walls. It sounds very silly to me and beneath us both.

Mr. Scott Moore, yes many people during my time as an instructor were refused entrance into the kung fu club. Mainly, it was people that seemed sketchy in personality.

If you had financial squabbles with your instructors please put the blame where it belongs, namely, in the lack of tact in your specific instructors, not in the system as a whole. If I meet an unpleasant person, why would I ever pass judgment on their entire heritage and background?

Also please site examples of GMS’s sexism because I have never heard anything but deep respect for woman from him.

Mr. Steve, when GMS came to teach us meditation, it was not a money grab, it was an introduction to an integral part of the system. Tell me sir, how many combative schools do you know that teach small circulation breathing (Second Sitting)? This is an ancient type of meditation that is found only at the very best Qigong or Taiji schools. But at TFK we learn this along side of an extremely effective combative system – and then learn to integrate them. This type of training is found at shockingly few places (I know because I looked). Did you train the small circulation breathing? Did you learn this type of mediation? If not, then you can’t really pass judgment on what the sitting was worth in dollars with any lasting authority. If this is news to you then please realize that you never did understand much about your school.

I do agree that for some of us (especially me) all the fees were sometimes difficult to pay or not possible to pay, but it was what it was. Who among us can say that we know the realities of keeping a school open? In terms of average life span, TKF lasted much longer than most schools. This was no accident. And with training cells in operation in Ontario and in the West, we are still thriving.

Also, who ever said that GMS was a monk? I think he would laugh at that.

Mr. Geoff Kerman, there are many definitions of the word “cult.” I believe you mean the negative connotation of the word, which in my opinion is silly and reminds me of the fable of the Fox and the Grapes.

When did GMS ever say he went to China? He told me he fled to Mongolia. And, assuming your source about learning from his uncle is even true, is there anything wrong with learning Kung Fu from your uncle? I will teach my nephew when he is old enough, does that mean he won’t learn “real” kung fu? Nonsense.

Also, you are not rid of us yet; we still endure.

To everyone: A large operation such as TKF will always have crossed wires, misunderstandings and personality clashes. Please don’t let naysayers and people with negative experiences tarnish the great aspects of training at TKF. The sweat pouring down your face, the feeling of satisfaction from a perfectly executed technique, the experience of growth, the steady loss of fear, suddenly catching a falling object without thought, the increased mental focus, the excitement of discovery, the deep calm, the power, the discipline of hard work, the warm afterglow of a good session and the camaraderie of good people.

Regardless of which instructor annoyed you about buying a book or whatever the case may be, no one who truly trained and experienced these things will ever forget them.

Thank you for listening.

Take Care,
Dave Gabriele

Hello Mr. Scott Moore,

I appreciate your response, sir. Thank you very much for keeping this civil. I have tried to answer your questions as best as I can.

“Is it possible you were one of those who’s studio had the right people?”

Yes – I do feel that I was in a studio with the right people. I feel this way because when I started at TKF in the ‘90s, I was a student and had very little money to play with. This is why I told the chief instructor I could not afford the uniform. He said he understood and there was no further asking. I told him that I was not in a comfortable financial situation so I would inform him when I was ready to buy any books. He said he understood and there was no problem. And that was that. I wonder if you tried the same thing. If you did, he should have left it alone – if he did not then your problem is with an individual – not TKF.

All I am asking sir, is if your problem is with a specific chief instructor or TKF branch do not pass judgment on the entire organization.

“There are unpleasant responses on this sight from potentially unpleasant people and your judgement of them is that they are venting hostile feelings and blaming their failures to train and learn on ‘the system’ or GMS. Perhaps you can clarify that. It seems that a broad sweeping generalization has been made.”

I was speaking about the individuals who have not learned our combative system (who have not attained an advanced understanding of PHS), yet still take it upon themselves to put it down for others to see. You’re right, what I said was not appropriate for everyone; I should have been more specific. Here are two examples:

Mr. Shawn Barry, Mar. 25, 2008: “The mystique of TKF was clever marketing, only. There’s Martial Life after TKF. In fact, you’ll soon realize that Temple’s system and techniques were not superior to any average/good studio out there, teaching ANY style.”

Kevin, Aug. 24, 2009: “I also felt the traning was unrealistic. I have found other places that teach muay thai and mma.”

As I said before, these comments and others like it seem to be cases of the Fox and the Grapes.

“What do you mean by the system? Does that mean the art itself or the business model? If it’s the art, at no point in my own previous response did I say anything against the training or the art.”

I’m glad we agree.

“If it’s the business model, the fact of the matter is it failed and many schools closed suddenly.”

I’m not exactly sure you have enough information to make the absolute conclusion that the studios closed solely because of the business model. But if that is your belief, then I respect it.

“Many of Simon’s top students including his successor left. Are they all misinformed or in the wrong?”

I can neither speak for other people nor could I know on which basis they acted. But just so you know, many of GMS’s top students are still training with him.

“I only trained in my city’s studios. I can only draw on those experiences for reference. I thought that the training aspect of it was a good idea as I previously stated. The instructors I had were implementing the TKF business model.”

Here is the root of our disagreement. You seem unrealistically certain that both the “business model” was faulty and that your instructors were following GMS’s “business model” perfectly. This claim does not appear reasonable if what you say is true, namely, that the instructors were constantly badgering people for money.

“I will in fact blame the system from the business end because it was the reason I could not continue. I did not fail to learn, I failed to have enough money.”

I do not understand sir. Not continuing to train because you could not pay seems reasonable to me – I did the same at one point.

“The Kung-fu club applicants were considered for acceptance by other students. People who would fit the bill of ’sketchy’ did in fact make it in every time within my period of training. The average student is not going to say no.”

For entrance into the school, the chief instructor first screens students. A sketchy person would rarely even get to the meeting stage. Even if they did, I have witnessed both rejections and deferrals. If your experience was otherwise then perhaps your instructors were not following the spirit of the TKF system.

“If a person is refused, what happens to the money they spent?”

This question tells me you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the system you are criticizing sir. I will not get into details here, but no money that a student pays is ever wasted. That would be completely ridiculous and definitely against the spirit of TKF. Every cent is allocated towards his or her training no matter which stage they choose to stay at or advance to.

“I was present for three of GMS’ visits. I found him to be an interesting person and definitely a presense. I can specifically give examples of sexism. ‘If a person is being abducted into a car they have about x-seconds to react…..no time for the women.’ He continued ‘the women’ phrase into many examples, all made out to be less than men, that I could see red faces and exchanged glances between female students.
Are you going to tell me I imagined this?”

That is unfortunate. English is not GMS’s first language and I can understand where some people might become offended at certain turns of phrase or unintended meanings. Thicker skin goes a long way when listening to someone who has been around for as long as he has.

Sir, if you feel the need to relate your opinions on this website then you are obviously free to do so. I just thought you, as well as the others, should know that some of your experiences are in all probability not judgments on the TKF organization, but on a few individuals who did not do a very good job of representing the whole.

I find you very respectful and it seems to me you are a good man who was dealt a bad hand. I am very sorry for that and I wish things had turned out differently for you. I’m sorry we did not have the opportunity to train together.

Take care,
Dave Gabriele