Sifu Reza Momenan is Chief Instructor of the Jow Ga Shaolin Institute. Sifu Momenan started his martial arts training in the mid 1970's by taking classes in Shotokan Karate, which was one of the more popular martial arts in his homeland of Iran. Soon after, his interest turned to Kung Fu. He was first introduced to Kung Fu in the early 70's through a style known as To'A. Two years later he moved to the United States to pursue his academic education. Sifu Momenan started his Jow Ga training under the supervision of Master Dean Chin in 1979. As a result of his dedication to the system and, in particular, to Master Chin, he became one of Master Chin's closest students. After Master Chin's untimely death in 1985, Sifu Momenan continued his training with well known Jow Ga instructors such as Sifu Deric Mims and Sifu Raymond Wong. Sifu Momenan has been an instructor of Jow Ga Kung Fu since 1982. In 1986, he founded the Chinese Boxing Academy at George Washington University, where he was a Ph.D. candidate in Medical Engineering. He continued teaching at GWU until 1990, when he graduated.
A founding member and official of the Northern America Chinese Martial Arts Federation (NACMAF), Sifu Momenan served as co-chair of the Certification Committee. In 1996, Sifu Momenan founded the Chinese Martial Arts Club of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Sifu Momenan has competed in national tournaments and judged martial arts competitions at both the national and international levels. Sifu Momenan was the first person in this area to perform a "non-assisted" two-story lion dance.
Starting in 1993 he was introduced to other Shaolin systems such as Cha, Mizong and Qingping Sword through the generosity of his elder Jow Ga Brother, Sifu Hon Lee. In June 2000 Sifu Momenan met Sifu Lee's teacher, 6th-generation Grandmaster of Mizong and 9th-generation Grandmaster of Qingping Sword Lu Jun Hai, in London. During that short period Sifu Momenan impressed Grandmaster Lu so much that Grandmaster Lu took Sifu Momenan under his tutelage, training him in both Shaolin Mizong and Qingping Sword. Recognizing his talent and dedication, Grandmaster Lu subsequently made Sifu Momenan his disciple and thus a 7th-generation Shaolin Mizong heir and a 10th-generation Qingping Sword heir. During the same year Sifu Reza Momenan transformed the original Jow Ga Chinese Boxing academy into the Jow Ga Shaolin Institute, co-founded with Sifu Hon Lee. Sifu Hon Lee remains the Honorary Advisor to the Institute after his retirement from teaching in December of 2012. Over the past decades Sifu Momenan has trained many high caliber martial artists and instructors, some of whom are now training their own students. Sifu Momenan stated once in the 1990's that his "quest to advance the knowledge of Chinese martial arts continues today with the same enthusiasm that started over 30 years ago".
A founding member and official of the Northern America Chinese Martial Arts Federation (NACMAF), Sifu Momenan served as co-chair of the Certification Committee. In 1996, Sifu Momenan founded the Chinese Martial Arts Club of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Sifu Momenan has competed in national tournaments and judged martial arts competitions at both the national and international levels. Sifu Momenan was the first person in this area to perform a "non-assisted" two-story lion dance.
Starting in 1993 he was introduced to other Shaolin systems such as Cha, Mizong and Qingping Sword through the generosity of his elder Jow Ga Brother, Sifu Hon Lee. In June 2000 Sifu Momenan met Sifu Lee's teacher, 6th-generation Grandmaster of Mizong and 9th-generation Grandmaster of Qingping Sword Lu Jun Hai, in London. During that short period Sifu Momenan impressed Grandmaster Lu so much that Grandmaster Lu took Sifu Momenan under his tutelage, training him in both Shaolin Mizong and Qingping Sword. Recognizing his talent and dedication, Grandmaster Lu subsequently made Sifu Momenan his disciple and thus a 7th-generation Shaolin Mizong heir and a 10th-generation Qingping Sword heir. During the same year Sifu Reza Momenan transformed the original Jow Ga Chinese Boxing academy into the Jow Ga Shaolin Institute, co-founded with Sifu Hon Lee. Sifu Hon Lee remains the Honorary Advisor to the Institute after his retirement from teaching in December of 2012. Over the past decades Sifu Momenan has trained many high caliber martial artists and instructors, some of whom are now training their own students. Sifu Momenan stated once in the 1990's that his "quest to advance the knowledge of Chinese martial arts continues today with the same enthusiasm that started over 30 years ago".
