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Meet Master Angel Velazquez, the driving force behind Angels Black Tiger Martial Art. From the Kung-Fu School to Cathedral City, his journey inspires discipline, fitness, and fearless focus.
#Hook: "In a city known for its sunshine, one master lights up the heart of disciplined movement. This is the journey of Master Angel Velazquez."
Ng Ga Kuen Kung Fu begins with the Salutation Form, a foundational set that may look simple but contains the system’s core fighting principles: stable stances, coordinated arm movements, precise breathing, and effective punching. Despite numerous variations taught by different instructors, the core concepts stay constant. The form trains you to blend horse stance with center-line awareness, layering blocks, chest-level strikes, and rotational movement. It emphasizes evasion, timing, and direct application, all executed along a single straight line. You remain on the center line; there is no 45-degree stepping—only controlled rotations from a centered position. #kungfu #martialarts #MartialArtsTraining #nggakuen #AngelsBlackTiger
Ready to unleash your inner fighter and transform your body? In this video, we dive into three foundational moves that form the core of our martial arts training: - **Tiger Scratching**: A dynamic, close-quarters technique that builds hand speed, precision, and grip control. - **Sand Snapping Kick**: A powerful, low-to-mid kick that generates speed and momentum, perfect for breaking through defenses. - **Your Stance**: The bedrock of balance, stability, and fluid movement—props you up for both offense and defense. #Why these moves matter - When practiced together, these moves create a versatile offense and a solid defense. - Proper timing and technique allow you to transition seamlessly from attack to defense, keeping you protected while you press the advantage. - Consistent training with these fundamentals builds confidence, discipline, and physical resilience. #What you’ll gain - Increased speed, accuracy, and control - Improved balance, posture, and core strength - Practical self-defense skills that work in real-world situations - A supportive community that motivates you to push further Call to action If you’re ready to elevate your skills, join our martial arts classes today. Our coaches tailor sessions to all levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Learn with a team that trains smart, stays disciplined, and grows together. #selfdefense #nggakuen #karate #combatsport #kungfu
#kungfu #martialarts #MartialArtsTraining #nggakuen #AngelsBlackTiger
Tiger Breaking the Branch — Technique Description ## Core concept Tiger Breaking the Branch is a dynamic, counter-attack martial arts sequence that combines timing, leverage, and decisive finishing power. As your opponent throws a cross punch, you retreat to create an opening, cross your arms to unbalance and overextend their elbow, and cap the sequence with a powerful front kick that ends the engagement. ## Motivation and philosophy - *Principle of timing:* The best defense can become the best offense. By retreating at the exact moment of their attack, you redirect their momentum and set up a vulnerable moment. - *Control and precision:* Instead of overhands or reckless force, you use precise mechanics to disrupt your opponent’s balance and posture. - *Momentum reversal:* The technique exemplifies how a controlled retreat can generate an overextension that is exploited for a decisive finish. #kungfu #martialarts #MartialArtsTraining #nggakuen #AngelsBlackTiger
This sequence embodies speed, precision, and controlled power. By combining a Tiger attack to create space, a Snake grip release to neutralize the grab, and a Leopard finish to seal the movement, it demonstrates how mindful technique can turn aggression into a safe exit.
This powerful technique showcases how calm, focused movement can create a clear path to safety. By using the back hand to control and redirect, it demonstrates precision, timing, and confidence under pressure.

For Adults:
1. *Fitness and Weight Management:* Kung Fu is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and maintain a healthy weight through engaging workouts.
2. *Stress Reduction:* The meditative aspects of Kung Fu provide a break from daily stressors, promoting relaxation and mental clarity.
3. *Self-De
For Adults:
1. *Fitness and Weight Management:* Kung Fu is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and maintain a healthy weight through engaging workouts.
2. *Stress Reduction:* The meditative aspects of Kung Fu provide a break from daily stressors, promoting relaxation and mental clarity.
3. *Self-Defense Skills:* Adults learn effective self-defense techniques, enhancing their personal safety and awareness in various situations.
4. *Community and Connection:* Joining a Kung Fu program fosters a sense of belonging and community, allowing adults to meet like-minded individuals and build lasting friendships.

For Teenagers:
1. *Stress Relief:* Kung Fu provides a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety, helping teens cope with the pressures of school and social life.
2. *Physical and Mental Resilience:* The rigorous training develops both physical strength and mental toughness, preparing teens to face challenges with confidence.
3. *G
For Teenagers:
1. *Stress Relief:* Kung Fu provides a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety, helping teens cope with the pressures of school and social life.
2. *Physical and Mental Resilience:* The rigorous training develops both physical strength and mental toughness, preparing teens to face challenges with confidence.
3. *Goal Setting:* Progressing through belts and mastering techniques teaches teens the value of setting and achieving personal goals.
4. *Self-Discipline:* The practice instills a sense of self-discipline, which can translate to improved academic performance and personal responsibility.
5. *Cultural Awareness:* Learning Kung Fu exposes teens to Chinese culture and philosophy, broadening their understanding of the world around them.

For Kid's:
1. *Physical Fitness: * Kung Fu helps improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall fitness, promoting a healthy lifestyle from a young age.
2. *Discipline and Focus: * The structured environment of martial arts teaches children the importance of discipline, respect, and concentration—skills that benefit t
For Kid's:
1. *Physical Fitness: * Kung Fu helps improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall fitness, promoting a healthy lifestyle from a young age.
2. *Discipline and Focus: * The structured environment of martial arts teaches children the importance of discipline, respect, and concentration—skills that benefit them academically and socially.
3. *Self-Confidence:* As kids learn new techniques and progress through the ranks, they build self-esteem and confidence, empowering them in various aspects of life.
4. *Social Skills:* Training in a group setting fosters teamwork and camaraderie, helping children develop friendships and social skills.
5. *Self-Defense:* Kids gain practical skills in self-defense, providing them with the tools to protect themselves in challenging situations.

Flexible Training Times At our Kung Fu program, we understand that everyone has different schedules and commitments. That's why we offer flexible training times to accommodate your needs, ensuring that you can pursue your martial arts journey without any added stress. *Convenient Class Options:*- *Multiple Sessions:* We provide a variety of class times throughout the week, including mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Whether you’re a busy professional, a student with extracurricular activities, or a parent juggling family commitments, you'll find a time that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle. - *Weekend Classes:* For those who prefer to train on the weekends, we offer dedicated sessions that allow you to engage in your practice without the pressures of the weekday rush. - *Drop-In Flexibility:* Our drop-in classes give you the freedom to join whenever you can, making it easier to fit Kung Fu training into your schedule. You can attend classes as your time permits, ensuring you never miss out on valuable training.

Customized Training Plans:** - *Personalized Schedules:* We work with you to create a training plan that aligns with your goals and availability. Whether you're training for fitness, self-defense, or personal growth, we’ll help you find the right balance. - *Make-Up Classes:* If you miss a class, we offer make-up sessions to ensure you stay on track with your training. This flexibility helps you maintain your progress and continue developing your skills. *Benefits of Flexible Training:*- *Consistency in Practice:* With our varied schedule, you can train consistently, which is key to mastering Kung Fu techniques and philosophies. - *Reduced Stress:* Flexibility in training times allows you to engage in martial arts without the pressure of rigid schedules, making your experience more enjoyable. - *Inclusivity:* Our commitment to flexible training ensures that individuals of all ages and backgrounds can participate in our program, fostering a diverse and vibrant community. Join us today and discover how our flexible training times can enhance your Kung Fu experience, allowing you to pursue your passion on your terms!
It was 1995, and Angel Velazquez had just returned to Banning, the city where he was born and grew up in. He had recently handed over control of the five martial arts schools he was running in Mexico.
Having just survived a bout with lung cancer, he was practicing his kung fu forms, called katas, at a park to keep himself fit, when a kid approached him and asked him what he was doing.
Fascinated, the young man wanted to learn from Velazquez, and began to come back to the park just to watch and work with him — and started bringing his friends.
“It wasn’t long before I had 10 kids following me” and learning kung fu, Velazquez says. “And it kind of grew into this community event: parents would come and bring their barbecues. Then Banning Police Department came by and told us we couldn’t teach like that in a public park.”
Parents, according to Velazquez, rallied to his support, and rented a space in what was once the Haven coffee shop so that their kids could continue to have classes with him.
Velazquez taught — for free — in a couple of locations for nearly two years before he opened his Five-Star-Rated Martial Arts studio, Black Tiger Kung-Fu Academy in 1995, in what he says was formerly a 99 Cent Store.
Black, Velazquez explains, “is the unity of all colors.” And black tiger is one of the five animal “forms” taught at the studio”; and Velazquez graduated from training in the Year of the Tiger. Black tiger is not the exclusive form of movement taught at the academy: systems of bear, eagle, drunken monkey and praying mantis are also taught there.
From an anteroom, parents and visitors can openly watch participants in any of Velazquez’s classes. They can see he’s not a totalitarian dictator in his studio, or the bad-ass who’s better-than-thou that could be imagined in movies.
In fact, at least with the kids he works with, he makes his classes seem fun.
Kids, some 8 or 9 years-old, come in, bow, and take their position on a mat. They start out with some stretching exercises, before moving on to kicks.
“My grandmother kicks higher,” he chides. “And she only has one leg. What’s up with that?”
Kids giggle, and together they add an inch or so to the height of their kicks.
He walks around to individually inspect each person’s performance.
He nods at one of them. “Almost as good as my grandma,” he said. “Almost.”
Angel’s Black Tiger Academy is one of the few organizations in the U.S. to be considered a headquarters for the Ng Ga Kuen martial arts system, which incorporates “forms, concept, theory, philosophy and martial art etiquette.”
Any studio that wishes to open a martial arts studio in Southern California using Ng Ga Kuen must be accredited by Angel’s Black Tiger Academy in Banning. According to Velazquez, only four schools since 1995 have qualified to open using the martial arts system, with 10 others still in the process of being accredited.
Black Tiger Academy is also one of the few organizations to receive a Hall of Fame Award from Martial Arts World, which is a tai kwon do association.
Velazquez explains the martial arts differences: the Korean tai kwon do fighting form utilizes high kicks; karate, which originates in Japan, is an open-hand, “straight line” martial art; while kung-fu, which Black Tiger Academy teaches, incorporates weapons, forms and circular movements, and originates from China.
“Parents may come in and want their kids to learn to kick butt right away,” Velazquez says. “Well, not all kids are of that character. We find that some kids are hyper, some are passive, others are more aggressive, and we have to find that center.”
As Velazquez sees it, “We have customers, and then we have students. Everything is so Americanized: in two years, in three years, you’re ready” to get the next colored belt, “but it’s much more than that. I strongly believe every student learns the way the instructor has been taught. If the student has a bad attitude, it probably reflects on the teacher.”
He has high standards: belts are earned, not simply given because someone has been a student for a specific length of time.
“In the 15 or so years I’ve had the school, I’ve only given seven black belts,” says Velazquez, who, at 41, has a 7th degree black belt in Shaolin kung-fu. “You can give a young person a junior black belt, but you have to be sure they don’t have the mentality that they can suddenly go out and take over the world. We want them to practice the art,” he says.
Classes tend to be Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, starting at 4, 5, 6 or 7 p.m. (No 7 p.m. classes on Fridays). Enrollment fees are $130 a month, and contracts are on a month-to-month basis; participants can attend as many classes as they wish during the month. Limited scholarships are also available.
Black Tiger Academy has about 150 students altogether, dispersed within several classes of no more than 35. Each class is catered to the age of the students in them: he’s easier with the younger kids; expects more discipline from teens, and “for adults who need to go to work in the morning and don’t want to go home limping,” contact with other members is minimal.
Tiger sparring, which he uses with younger kids, involves jumping kicks without touching others, and helps customers develop at their own pace. Leopard sparring and crane sparring, still involves no physical contact with others, while helping to hone in on speed. The academy’s snake technique involves rolling and sweeping ground techniques; and dragon sparring involves contact.
During the day, Velazquez also does personal training. He has master’s degrees in sports management, chiropractic, business administration and physical therapy from the University of California in Baja, Mexico.
“It was never my intention to teach martial arts,” Velazquez says. “I just came back to Banning to recover from cancer. That first official class had 30 kids. The fact that former kids are now bringing their kids in for lessons speaks volumes to me about their satisfaction.
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