Since 1981, Tree of Life Dojo has been Atlanta’s home for Cuong Nhu
About Us
Atlanta’s Cuong Nhu dojo is officially known as “Sung Ming Shu,” which means “Tree of Life”. We have been teaching Cuong Nhu martial arts in Atlanta for over 40 years.
The school grew from a handful of dedicated beginners to over 100 students, including children and adults. At our dojo, you’ll find more than 15 black belt instructors, led by Senseis Gordon Eilen and Rachel Gowan. Together they have over 30 years of experience teaching Cuong Nhu.
Our instructors are dedicated to teaching martial arts in an open and positive way. None of our instructors are paid for teaching – the payment for their hard work is the joy and satisfaction that comes from helping our students learn and grow as martial artists and as people.
We often refer to the dojo community as our second family, and if you choose to train here, you’ll immediately see why. We support each other in and out of the dojo with a spirit that starts from our workouts and grows with our friendships through the years.
No one has ever signed a contract at Tree of Life Dojo; we’re here because we want to be. We’re a non-profit and proud of it, doing our best to keep our dues affordable.
There are no long-term payment contracts at Tree of Life dojo. Students pay month-to-month.
Cuong Nhu’s 7 Styles of Influence
Founded in Vietnam in1965, Grandmaster Ngo Dong (also known as O’Sensei or “great teacher”) developed the Cuong Nhu (pronounced “kung new”) curriculum from a combination of 7 styles of different martial arts.
-
Founded in Okinawa Japan by Funakoshi Gichin, Shotokan Karate is a hard style comprised of hand and elbow strikes, kicks, and strong stances.
-
Founded by Kano Jigoro in Japan, Judo is a martial art focused on upsetting an opponent’s balance and using controlled throws.
-
Aikido, loosely translated as “the way of combined energies,” is a soft style martial art from Japan centering on using an opponent’s energy and momentum against them with a combination of joint locks and throws.
-
Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art practiced by millions around the world. It focuses on groundedness and expressing your body’s energy (“chi” or “ki”) through soft, but strong movement.
-
Wing Chun is a martial art developed by a Chinese nun named Ng Mui that uses the principles of efficiency, practicality, and economy of movement. Strikes and blocks are focused on the “centerline” of the body.
-
Cuong Nhu uses the principles of Western style boxing for its practical applications in self defense and sparring.
-
Vovinam, or “Vietnamese martial arts,” draws its inspiration from the movements of four animals: the tiger, snake, crane, and monkey. Many of the upper level Cuong Nhu katas are comprised of this very expressive martial art.
History
Tree of Life dojo was founded in 1981 and held the first classes at the former Morningside Recreation Center. In 1983, the dojo moved to an old warehouse building in Inman Park where it stayed for 27 years. In 2010 the dojo moved to the current location on Boulevard in the Grant Park neighborhood.
Our current location is conveniently located just off I-20 on Boulevard. The 4,800 square foot facility was built in 2010. It’s an open and light space with a beautiful maple wood floor, designed and built by the Tree of Life community.
Our facilities include locker rooms with showers and restrooms, mats, weapons racks and other fitness equipment. Parking is available in a lot behind the dojo building.
O’Sensei Ngo Dong and Master Mary Davis Cates circa 1991
Former Grandmaster Quynh Ngo 1965 - 2021