May 8, 2017

Meet Richard Verdugo of Crushing Step Martial Arts in South Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Verdugo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Richard. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Baldwin Park, CA. At age 14, I began my martial arts training at a local boys and girls club in Judo and Boxing. Then I became a student of Lima Lama Kung Fu at the El Monte Self Defense School and earned a black belt by the age of 18. A year later, I began my Wing Chun training under Sifu Alan Lamb then over the years studied Bagua, Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Kali weaponry with some great teachers. I continued my Wing Chun training with Master Wong Siu in Alhambra for ten years, then was given permission to teach.

I decided to offer traditional martial arts lessons to anyone who wanted to learn, and began Crushing Step Martial Arts. Over the years, the majority of my martial arts experience has been training outdoors at parks, or the backyards of my teachers and I grew to love training outdoors with as much contact with nature as possible. So now, Crushing Step Martial Arts offers group and private lessons outdoors at public parks in Alhambra, and Pasadena, Ca. as well as privates at the student’s locations.

I provide students with authentic training, meaning, they learn the true essence of Kung Fu, which is self-defense, not showmanship, or tournament fighting. Training includes many types of internal and external exercises, and if the student progresses to an advanced level, will learn weaponry. Core values of mine are respect for others and to be of help to others whenever possible. I always try to instill these values in my students. The only reason for the existence of Kung Fu is to benefit society.

There are no belts in these systems, only hard work and patience. I teach children as well as adults. Recently certain students encouraged me to reach out through social media, so I began a Facebook page for Crushing Step Martial Arts. It’s not much, but I try to post videos, and pictures of our practice. I don’t make instructional videos because I like to know who I’m teaching; besides, these arts can’t be learned by watching videos, you might learn some choreography, but not much else.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
During my younger learning years, I was financially supported and encouraged by family members to train. After high school life kept trying to interfere with my training, so staying focused has, at times, been difficult. There is also a certain amount of politics and competition among martial arts circles that I’ve had to make a deliberate effort to stay away from.

Teaching traditional martial arts is not a smooth road because many students expect a movie like experience and struggle when the training becomes repetitive and monotonous. Many commercial martial arts schools find creative ways to keep the student’s interest including teaching techniques they could never possibly use in real life. The old-school Kung Fu I teach isn’t meant to dazzle the student so sadly some get discouraged, or bored and leave which I respect because Kung Fu is just one way to find inner peace, not the only way.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Crushing Step Martial Arts – what should we know?
I teach traditional Chinese Martial Arts, including Wing Chun Kung Fu, Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and Bagua Zhang Kung Fu. I teach both group and private lessons.

I am known for encouraging the student to discover the concepts and principles of these arts making them useful in almost any life situation.

I am proud that I stay true to the core values of traditional Kung Fu.

What sets me apart, I would say, is that I make certain the students understand the concepts being taught and not just the techniques.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe in being an honest and open teacher, giving the student just what he or she needs at the right time.

Contact Info: