Rooted in tradition.
Trained for the present.
Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy teaches Kajukenbo Tum Pai alongside Tai Chi and Qigong — hard and soft arts, practiced under one roof, for students of every age and background.
Two soft-style arts, one lineage
Every student trains under the same roof, both rooted in the same internal principles — one expressed as practical self-defense, the other as pure breath, balance, and stillness. Many students study both.
Kajukenbo Tum Pai
A soft-style internal art — the internal side of Kajukenbo, blending traditional martial arts with Tai Chi principles and body mechanics into practical self-defense. Real skills, real confidence, for teens and adults alike.
- Self-defense that works
- Improve focus & stress management
- Build strength, flexibility & endurance
- Teen & adult classes, ages 13+
- Herbal medicine studies
- Outdoor survival training
Tai Chi & Qigong
Slow, deliberate forms and breathing practice drawn from internal Chinese martial arts. Builds balance, joint health, and calm focus — welcoming for beginners and longtime martial artists alike.
- Traditional open-hand forms
- Qigong breathing & standing practice
- Low-impact, all-ages friendly
- Optional push-hands for advanced students
Youth program
Building strong bodies. Strong minds. Stronger lives.
The youth program offers a modified Kajukenbo Tum Pai curriculum, scaled to their age and energy. Every stripe and belt is earned, building focus and self-control that carries over far beyond the mat.
- Focus
- Discipline
- Confidence
- Respect
Limited-time offer. New students only. Not valid with other offers.
Real skills. Real confidence.
Train your body, strengthen your mind, build an indomitable spirit.
Kajukenbo Tum Pai is the internal side of Kajukenbo — blending traditional martial arts with Tai Chi principles, body mechanics, and practical self-defense.
- Self-defense that works
- Improve focus & stress management
- Build strength, flexibility & endurance
- Teen & adult classes, ages 13+
- Building a solid community
Limited-time offer. New students only. Not valid with other offers.
Move. Breathe. Find balance.
Strengthen your body, calm your mind, energize your life.
Tai Chi & Qigong at Heritage build balance, breath control, and calm focus through traditional forms — including weapons work like straight sword — welcoming to every age and fitness level.
- Reduce stress
- Improve balance
- Increase energy
- Open-hand & traditional weapons forms
New students only. Limited-time offer. Call today to claim your free week.
Class schedule
Find your class below — all classes are held at the academy in Chehalis.
| Day | Time | Class | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 4:00 PM | Tai Chi & Qigong | All ages & fitness levels |
| Tue | 6:00 PM | Youth Program | Ages 6–12 |
| Tue | 7:00 PM | Kajukenbo Tum Pai | Teen & Adult, 13+ |
| Wed | 4:00 PM | Tai Chi & Qigong | All ages & fitness levels |
| Wed | 6:00 PM | Youth Program | Ages 6–12 |
| Thu | 6:00 PM | Youth Program | Ages 6–12 |
| Thu | 7:00 PM | Kajukenbo Tum Pai | Teen & Adult, 13+ |
| Fri | 6:00 PM | Youth Black Belt Club | All ranks |
| Sat | 9:00 AM | Kajukenbo Tum Pai | Teen & Adult, 13+ |
| Sat | 10:00 AM | Black Belt Club | All ranks |
| Sat | 11:00 AM | Advanced Class | By invitation only |
Instructors
Sifu Cindy Johnson
Sifu Cindy began training in March 2003 under Grand Master Doug Bailey in Vancouver, Washington — a birthday gift to herself that became a lifelong commitment to martial arts, teaching, and service. She earned her First-Degree Black Belt in April 2009 and began teaching youth and adult students under Grand Master Bailey's guidance.
When Grand Master Bailey relocated to LaCenter in 2010 and entered semi-retirement, renaming his school The Mountain School, Sifu Cindy continued her training at the Longview Academy of Kung Fu — training alongside her son, Brandon, for more than three years. There she served as Program Director, overseeing marketing, introductory classes, and student enrollment, and earned her Second-Degree Black Belt in 2012 under Professor Steve Larson.
In 2013, she briefly reopened The Mountain School and took part in a Back to the Roots training experience in Hawaii, studying alongside Grand Masters representing all four major branches of Kajukenbo — an experience that continues to shape her teaching today. After relocating to Chehalis, Washington, she founded Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, with a crest inspired by that Hawaii experience and its principles of heritage, tradition, balance, and continued learning. The academy's first classes were held in Adna, Washington, inside the Sandrini Gym.
In February 2024, she received her Fifth-Degree Sash from Professor Larson, marking more than two decades of continuous training and teaching. Beyond Kajukenbo Tum Pai, she teaches archery under NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) guidelines, spent three years as a 4-H leader with the Arrowhead Club in Cowlitz County, and is a practicing herbalist with a focus on field study, wildcrafting, and the sustainable use of responsibly sourced herbs — work she sees as guided by the same respect for tradition and lifelong learning that shapes her martial arts practice.
"My goal as a teacher is to preserve the traditions I've been entrusted with, while helping each student build the skills, character, and confidence to carry those traditions forward."
Sifu Brandon Johnson
Sifu Brandon began his martial arts training at age seven in 2002, after receiving a one-month free pass from Sifu Doug Bailey during a school presentation. What started as an introduction to martial arts quickly grew into a lifelong commitment to training, discipline, and personal growth.
In his early years of training, he competed in a number of local martial arts tournaments as a color belt, gaining valuable competition experience while continuing to develop his skills and understanding of the art.
Sifu Brandon has trained under Sifu Cindy Johnson for many years of dedicated study and practice, earning his Second-Degree Black Belt in 2024 — representing more than two decades of martial arts training.
Today, Sifu Brandon continues to train and teach at Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, teaching Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, bringing his experience, dedication, and passion for martial arts to the next generation of students.
Upcoming events
Belt Testing — Kids
Thursday, October 15th at 5 PM.
Belt Testing — Teen/Adult
Saturday, October 17th at 11 AM.
Back to School Martial Arts Party
Saturday, August 29th, 6–8 PM. Free event, includes a Bully Proof class. 249 NW Chehalis Ave, Chehalis WA. RSVP: 360-520-9128.
Internal Arts with GM Jerry Weldon
Held Saturday, August 1, hosted here at the academy. GM Jerry Weldon brought over 52 years of training and teaching to this seminar — a first-generation Tum Pai practitioner and student of the late Great Grandmaster Jon Loren, trained directly under his direction in Tum Pai, the internal branch of Kajukenbo, with additional background in Ng (Wu) Style and Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan and Paqua Chang (Bagua Zhang). Attendees covered internal arts fundamentals, body structure and alignment, core internal principles, and developing balance, sensitivity, relaxation, and internal power.
"Deep roots hold the tree steady — the branches are free to move."
The tree on our crest carries the same idea we teach on the floor: everything grows from the same internal root. Kajukenbo Tum Pai puts that root to work as practical, real-world self-defense. Tai Chi and Qigong cultivate the root itself — breath, patience, and body awareness. Different branches, same tree. The tree also honors where the roots began — the traditional training on the island of Oahu, the birthplace of Kajukenbo.
Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy trains students of every age in Chehalis, from first-time white belts to longtime practitioners returning to the internal arts.
ʻOhana
Family — not only by blood, but by bond.
In Hawaiian culture, ʻohana reaches beyond family in the traditional sense to include close friends and a wider community, bound together by love, responsibility, and teamwork. The word traces back to ʻohā, the shoot of a taro plant — and like taro shoots, family members grow from the same root and stay connected even as they branch out on their own.
That's the spirit we build on the mat: training side by side, showing up for one another, and looking out for our elders and our kids — together.
At Heritage Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, you become ʻohana.
Visit the academy
First class is on us. Fill out the form or call the studio directly to reserve a spot.
Studio info
Chehalis, WA