Realization of a Vision: The Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts
July 24, 2002

Almost 10 years ago, Shifu ("master") Howie Solow arrived in the Denver metro area. A mechanical engineer who designed of high-end fitness equipment, Solow was already a high ranking practitioner of Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu.

In short order, Shifu Solow began to acquire a dedicated following of students who asked him for Kung Fu instruction after observing him practicing at the Boulder Recreation Center near where he lived. Solow was not content with simply training his students in the Chinese martial arts. He wanted to – as he was taught by his teacher, Tonny Kho – connnect the Kung Fu instruction within the Chinese culture in which it was devised and promulgated.

Within a few years, the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association was an eagerly anticipated and increasingly integral part of Denver’s Chinese New Years celebrations. The Association started with a couple of Chinese Lions for the traditional "pai nien" dances for restaurants and shops along Federal Blvd.. Also, the group performed for many of the private parties hosted throughout the New Years period. Constantly innovating, the group added more Chinese Lions and created various portable apparatuses for more difficult, agile and spectacular performances. Several years ago, the Association acquired a 75-foot Chinese Dragon.

As the reputation of the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association grew, so did its student body. Solow and his senior students began teaching at the Chinese Language and Culture schools sponsored by the different Chinese community groups such as the Chinese Language School of the Chinese American Council of Colorado. Today, the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association’s Kung Fu classes are predominantly attended by students of Chinese descent.

Throughout this entire period, Shifu Solow continued to offer classes in whatever available locations could be found. Most of his classes were offered at the Boulder Recreation Center.

But he and his students had a dream. They dreamt of a place where they could practice and work on their Kung Fu skills without having to carry in all the necessary equipment for each session and where they would hold workout sessions or seminars at their convenience. Moreover, they envisioned a need for a community center where other practitioners of Chinese Martial Arts such as Tai Chi or Chi Kung, healing arts or cultural arts could congregate.

Two years ago, the Association began its search for a new location in earnest. In November, a suitable location was found. After some extended contract negotiations and a favorable zoning by Boulder’s City Planning Commission, retrofitting the space began.

On Sunday, July 14, 2002, the Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts was officially opened with the dedication of its Academy’s shrine. Solow was quick to say that this was only a "soft" opening to dedicate the shrine so the Academy could begin offering classes and other events. In the near future, probably in the early Spring, the Academy will have its "grand" opening with the entire Denver metro Asian Pacific American community invited to visit the Academy and join in the festivities.

"The Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association and now the Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts could not have enjoyed its success and popularity without the full support of Denver’s APA communities. I want all of our community partners to see the Academy when all of the renovations are complete in the early Spring. Also, by then, the other tenants of the Academy should be settled and be able to fully participate in the grand opening," Solow said.

The vision held by Solow and his students is quickly becoming a solid reality. The Guo Feng Tai Chi club has already committed to holding its practices at the Academy. Additionally, Ken Cohen, a renowned practitioner of the Chinese internal arts, is soon to join the Academy. A Chinese dance instructor is also seriously looking at the Academy’s facilities.

The Academy’s purpose of being a cultural center is also being realized. There has already been one seminar on BaGua by He Jinbao, lineage carrier of the Yin Style of BaGua. A number of other events are being planned including a presentation on one woman’s -- Yu Juanjuan – travels who between 1987 and 1989 bicycled around the perimeter of the entire country of China over 25,000 miles. Others include a photojournalist’s display of China images and a Chinese papercutter’s art demonstration.

The Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts is 1750 38th Street, Boulder, and the phone number is (303) 507-3800, and the Web site is at http://shaolinhungmei.org.