Meet Matthew Osborne of National Wushu Training Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Osborne.

Hi Matthew, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Long before I started martial arts I was in love with video games. I wanted to be like Mario, Link and especially Donkey Kong. Although absurd, the idea of going on adventures like them and fighting off bad guys always struck a chord with me.

In the summer of 2003 a very poplar game would be released called Soul Caliber II. The animations behind the characters were so fluid and realistic I just knew an actual human performed these techniques. I had no idea what the art was called but I knew I had to learn. For about 2 years I studied Kilik, the master of the staff! I drew diagrams and imitated him the best I could in an attempt to figure out what I would later learn was just a small branch of wushu!

August 9th, 2005 was the day I first stepped into the National Wushu Training Center. I was only 19 and ready to take on the world of wushu. That first class was incredibly brutal. With my spirit thoroughly crushed I tried to sneak out the first chance I got. Before I could exit one of the employees asked “Hey, Matthew did you like it?!” I replied, “Yeah it was great!” He said, “lets sign you up!” That first class humbled me like never before and I wanted to run away and never look back. However, I knew my feelings were wrong and trying to betray me. The logical side of my mind told me to take on the hardship and discipline of wushu.

Within my first year of training, Eric and Debbie Chen, asked if I wanted a job to teach alongside them. I had a very wonderful job at Universal Studios as Spider-Man but felt absolutely honored to work with the Chens at the National Wushu Training Center. Coach Eric (the founding teacher of NWTC) became like a father to me and I followed him around day in and day out learning almost everything our rich curriculum had to offer. As the years went on I would earn my 1st degree black belt in 2009 and it’s still one of the highlights of my life! Eventually I would make my way up to my 3rd degree black belt in 2011.

Because of wushu I met the woman who would eventually become my wushu wife. This naturally led to two beautiful wushu children. I then found my long lost biological father (no joke!) and leveraged my wushu education into a decent career. It all seems happy go lucky with nothing but sunshine but there were plenty of dark times. Growing up in Chinese martial arts culture can be mentally taxing. Not to mention after being cheated out of a large sum of money, the Chens lost their massive property and we all had nowhere to go.

Coach Eric and the Chens suffered one misfortune after another. After losing his home, Coach Eric moved back to China to try and rebuild, leveraging his strengths over there. We always joked that I would inherit the school but certainly not like that. We were one of the most revered wushu schools in the entire United States and in an instant down to almost nothing.

I felt responsible for the students left hanging so I did my best to continue everyone’s learning by renting from various places around LA. It was an extremely difficult time in my life but I kept going in hopes that eventually things would settle down. We moved to 3 different locations in 3 years and finally with nowhere else to go I had to cease all classes Feb 1st, 2015.

Fortunately my reputation had still been growing and I received a job offer to teach and help build a wushu program in Beijing! With little other options remaining, every student encouraged me to go out there and take the opportunity! It was a wonderful time! It almost felt like a paid vacation and I made many good friends in China. I couldn’t commit to the full 3 years that my employer wanted and I returned home at the end of 2015.

For the first half of 2016 I taught private lessons, worked a few acting and stunt gigs but things were very slow. By June of 2016 I met another martial arts teacher who had a very open schedule. We decided to team up and teach different styles on opposite days of one another which worked out extremely well.

Eventually we had to leave that studio and settled into a near by park within Chinatown. I was extremely worried about retaining students and being accepted by the community. My worries were completely unfounded on both ends and we have been thriving ever since. Moving outdoors turned out to be a blessing in disguise especially when Covid hit the nation. We were one of the only martial arts schools in operation and our soaring attendance reflected that.

We no longer have a massive facility of the finest quality but the actual curriculum is exactly as I was taught 20 years ago! Coach Eric and Coach Debbie are very happy to see their legacy continued and I could not be more grateful for the hundreds of students I have taught and learned from on this adventure.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I mentioned before it was so difficult having to move from place to place in the earlier days. Wushu is a tough sport to maintain as a business. If I’m being honest it really is a fool’s goal. The space necessary, the amount of people who practice it and even the name itself prevent it from becoming as popular or as profitable as other arts that are more mainstream like Tai Kwon Do or Karate. There were some months where I would barely make $300 a month in profit. For almost a year I just kept eating the cost and eating the cost just hoping that something would give. For the most part it did not. Just when one new student would join another one would leave. By the end of 2014 things really started to fall into place with about 30 or so dedicated students but by Feb 2015 that’s when the property owners kicked us out and we finally had nowhere else to go.

After I returned from China I searched LA and made calls constantly to see what was available and within my budget. In March 2016 I completely gave up and decided to focus on acting and stunts. I would just hang on to all of my resources on the off chance that I would stumble upon a reasonably priced facility someday.

Then there is the fact that I am not Chinese. My teacher is Chinese, my wife is Chinese, my kids are Chinese, and I was hired to teach Chinese martial arts in China! But I am not Chinese and sometimes there is a stigma that goes along with a non-Asian teaching martial arts. What can I say? That’s just the reality of it so I understand. I remember a guy walking through the door one day and he was taken by surprise. He says “are you black?” I say “why yes I am!” I think people in the class were offended for me, hahaha, but it didn’t bother me at all. It was pretty funny honestly. Though I’ve found out through the grape vine on several occasions that others didn’t train with me because to put it lightly I didn’t appear authentic. What can you do? Oddly enough it has always been my Chinese friends who lived and breathed wushu in China who would vouch for my authenticity.

Probably the worst thing though was having a chronic injury for years. It happened as I was training in anger. I was doing the splits and pushed it way too far. I tore a muscle in my glutes. Nothing doctors did or prescribed worked and it was extremely depressing for a long time. During class I would have to hold back so much and completely avoid certain movements or risk making the injury worse. My kicks suffered for years and even fighting on camera scared me. Every time I thought I was healed it would tear again. For a long time I kept thinking to myself maybe it’s the universe constantly telling me to get out of wushu and stunts all together. After discovering self massage with Trigger Point therapy I have managed to change my life! Coupling that with ice after the massage and workouts, it has improved my physical health dramatically.

I’m actually grateful for the hardships in my life. I found that I am stronger than my circumstances and I’m not unique in that. Most people are stronger than their hardships if they face the issues head on. Now I know how to help people who may be going through similar issues. I’d like to think I’m healed because I can laugh now, my pain has become my wisdom.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about National Wushu Training Center?
I offer classes in wushu, Chinese martial arts. Our base style is Long Fist. NWTC is known for having solid basics! With a solid foundation it is much easier to grasp higher level routines and movements. Often times schools will teach aerial maneuvers and international routines right off the bat. Now this isn’t inherently wrong, but learning so much so quickly can have its draw backs with stunted growth or early injuries.

We offer classes in the straight sword, saber, staff and spear on top of the empty hand called Long Fist. I specialize in Eagle Claw, 3 Sectional Staff, Monkey style and Monkey Staff. Some of which I’ve performed in video games and movies over the years.

Jet Li’s teacher, Wu Bin, lived in our school for a few months one year. After watching our classes he said “It’s like I’m back in 1985!” which was a huge compliment that I will never forget!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Good customer service with a very personable attitude. If I may toot my own horn, my teaching style is very good! However, if my demeanor is off putting I’ll never teach people to begin with.

Coach Eric taught me that a good attitude will conquer your deficiencies. Success in strength, flexibility, family, friends and love all begin with a good attitude.

Pricing:

• $120/month – 4 classes a week.
• $20/per class – If you plan to come in only once a week.
• $100/hour – Private Lessons
• $70/hour – Private Lessons – Monthly Student Rate

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.trainwushu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/national_wushu_training_center/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nationalwushutrainingcenter/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/national-wushu-training-center-los-angeles-2
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/wushu_matt/