SAN FRANCISCO
Lee Heidhues 12.6.2025
A heartfelt plea to the Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy.
It is totally shocking and uncalled for that Master Jeff Chow has been cast aside and no longer providing his mastery of martial arts.
It appears the only reason for his expulsion is office politics at the Tat Wong Academy. There’s no question about his competence and ability to motivate the students.
It’s hard to understand why an institution which prides itself on improvement of the body and mind can be so petty and venal. Totally ignoring and disrespecting the opinions and feelings of its student population.
The following messages sent to Tat Wong from long time student Liz Heidhues and her husband blogger Lee are heartfelt pleas to stop this petty political posturing and return Master Jeff Chow to his rightful place in the martial arts world.
Dear San Francisco Team
I have been attending Tat Wong Academy since 2018 and have been taught by many different sifus – including Joe, Philippe, Brandon, and most importantly the best – Master Chow.
Master Jeff Chow has been a student of Grand Master Tat-Mau Wong for more than twenty-six years, and has been a chief instructor at the Tat Wong Academy since 1998. He was awarded the title of Master in 2013 and is currently ranked internationally by The World Organization of Wushu Kung Fu Masters at 8th degree Black Belt.Master Chow has been fighting Sanshou for the past 15 years and is a competition champion. He was the Silver Medallist for the 2006 Pan American Games in the Sanshou 65-kilo weight category, and proudly represented the USA in 2007 as a USA World Team member. In 2009 and 2011 he served as the official USA Sanshou team coach.He is also a Gold Medallist from many International traditional form and lion dance competitions. Every day Master Chow passes on his skills and passion for Kung Fu to our students, our Sanshou fighters and our Lion Dance performers. Master Chow says, as both a teacher and a martial artist: “I will never stop my kung fu and sanshou training, because they continue to teach me about myself. I hope to inspire my students to feel the same.” He also adds: “Nothing is worth doing unless done well. So stay focused and dedicated and the results are always worth it.” – Featured in the Tat Wong website https://www.tatwong.com/ |
I also have a cordial relationship with Grandmaster Tat Wong, having met him when the school was housed in the old Hibernia bank at 7th Ave & Clement.
I would like Grandmaster Wong to know I am not happy with Master Chow’s ouster.
Master Chow delivers a class worth paying for.
He makes us work our muscles and our minds, inspires us to practice the different forms with passion and speed, and I walk away from his class feeling a sense of accomplishment from a good physical workout.
Master Chow grew up at the Academy. He know his stuff.
There has been no outreach to the students about the removal of Master Chow as our teacher. This is very poor customer relations. I do not want to continue the program if he doesn’t return.
Legacy Customer
Elizabeth Heidhues
Black Belt Club
Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy
I am writing on behalf of my lifetime partner and wife Liz Heidhues.
Liz is extremely upset and disappointed that Master Chow is no longer the instructor.
In talking with Liz over the past seven plus years since she joined Tat Wong it is evident that the physical workout and coping skills Liz has learned have become an essential part of her life.
Now this has suddenly and with no warning been yanked away from Liz.
It’s not right.
Why Master Chow has been eliminated is impossible to understand and hard to accept.
He needs to be at Tat Wong to continue his work and making life in San Francisco safer for all of us.
In Solidarity,
Lee Heidhues
Lifetime partner and husband of Liz Heidhues
Top photo: Liz Heidhues on the way to Black Belt status is awarded her Red Belt by Master Chow – 2.4.2025
Lee's Perspective 