During the 1970s and well into the early 1990s, crime was an everyday reality in New York City. Robberies, muggings, and gang-related violence were commonplace, particularly in many of the neighborhoods where Cho grew up and went to school. By the age of 17, he had already experienced three separate mugging attempts and endured repeated bullying throughout his school years. Many of his childhood friends had also become involved with, or been recruited into, the numerous gangs that were prevalent during that era. For Cho, learning practical self-defense was therefore more than simply an interest—it was becoming a necessity. However, his parents were highly protective, and he knew they would strongly oppose his decision to pursue martial arts training. After turning 18, he quietly began searching for a martial arts school, keeping his decision to train a closely guarded secret from his family.
As he explored different schools, he quickly discovered that many placed considerable emphasis on preparing students for karate point tournaments, with comparatively little attention given to practical, real-world self-defense. He was looking for something different: a martial art rooted in efficiency, practicality, and the ability to function under realistic conditions.
In December 1993, at the recommendation of a colleague who was also a martial arts practitioner, Cho was advised to enrolled at a local Wing Chun Gung Fu school. There, he began his training under Sifu Michael Militano, a direct student and disciple of the renowned Wing Chun Grandmaster Jason Lau.
Discipleship
After years of demonstrating his diligence and commitment, Sifu Militano selected him to become a disciple. After becoming a disciple, he continued his training and learned the more advanced aspects of the Wing Chun system. Eventually, he was awarded the Assistant Instructor rank and began to help teach in the school. .
Teaching
In 2012, after 19 years of consistent studying and dedicated practice, Cho was eventually told to establish his own school. It was also that same year when his Sigung formally presented him with his blessings to teach Wing Chun to the next generation of the Lau Wai Wing Chun family.
Further Training
In addition to Wing Chun, Cho has also trained in Muay Thai for 3.5 years at Evolution Muay Thai in Midtown Manhattan under Kru Brandon Levi.
Recently, Grandmaster Jason Lau, one of the world’s foremost Wing Chun instructors, has graciously offered to further refine and complete Cho’s training. For the past several years, Cho has traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, every month to continue his studies, dedicating significant time, effort, and commitment to his training. He was also one of only two students under Sigung Lau to learn the complete Wing Chun Baat Cham Dao (Butterfly Sword) form.
Despite having trained in Wing Chun for more than 30 years, Cho considers himself incredibly fortunate to have the rare opportunity to continue learning and refining his skills under the guidance of Grandmaster Lau. He is deeply honored and sincerely grateful not only for Grandmaster Lau’s instruction and guidance, but also for his friendship, encouragement, and continued support.
To further expand his knowledge and application of Wing Chun beyond traditional martial arts training, Cho has also completed several firearms tactics courses with the private military company Academi (formerly known as Blackwater) in Moyock, North Carolina, as well as at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire. Through these courses, he was taught and shown how the principles of Economy of Movement could be applied in practical situation such as in close-quarters battle (CQB) exercises, emphasizing efficiency, positioning, and purposeful movement.
Beyond martial arts, Cho is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), as well as holding both the Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) certifications. He has also completed the Functional Trainer and Sports Performance Specialist certifications through the American Council on Exercise (ACE Fitness). His education and credentials reflect his commitment to developing a comprehensive understanding of human movement, physical performance, strength, conditioning, and injury prevention.
He has trained clients at Bally’s Total Fitness and at Work Train Fight in Noho, NYC.
A short bio about Sifu Cho Cheung and his wing chun journey
The Instructor
