PATHS Atlanta Kung Fu

Dec 26th, 2023

Paths packs a one-two punch of old school Kung Fu training and modern martial arts mentorship. A great path to be on!
Aug 3rd, 2023

Great Kung Fu class. The class sizes are much smaller than you would typically expect for a martial arts school, but it comes with the huge benefit of getting more one-on-one time during class, which is incredibly important especially for the beginner levels. The class is a mixture of fitness (in the form of circuit workouts) form/technique, and historical & philosophical education, all geared toward giving the practitioner a comprehensive Kung Fu curriculum (as opposed to just see opponent, hit opponent). Sifu Craig loves teaching and is invested in making sure that his students feel confident in their abilities and knowledge, so don't be afraid to ask questions! As with any discipline, it's important to practice regularly outside of class as well as that's where the vast majority of the improvement will come from. Overall a great introduction to Kung Fu. Highly recommend.
May 7th, 2020

I’ve been training under Sifu Craig Kiessling for about 9 years now, so as you might imagine, I am a fan. If you are looking for a good workout, this is the place for you. If you are ONLY looking for a good workout, you’re going to get more than you bargained for. In fact, I would say you are generally in for more than you bargained for if you train with us at all. At its core, our style is principle based. You will be shown very basic and boring looking movement and be told to practice it over and over. Then you will be shown a seemingly endless number of ways to apply said movement and not quite be able to pull off any of them. It can be frustrating at times, but if you are patient and apply yourself, you’ll find that not only can you perform all the applications you’ve been shown, but can also perform hundreds of applications you’ve never even seen before. That’s the beauty of principle based teaching. So long as you can see the connections to the basic movements you’ve drilled and drilled over and over, you can create your own techniques. Over the years, Kung Fu has helped me increase confidence in myself, become more physically fit, build a stronger work ethic, and create strong relationships with people I can count on. I would highly recommend it.
May 1st, 2019

I've been attending Tai Chi classes at PATHS for 5 months-ish now. While most students study Northern Shaolin and Tai Chi together, I only attend the latter. I'm in it for the physical and mental health more than the external or martial application. The class format has been updated during my time here and for the better in my opinion. We warm up, learn forms together, have instructor-informed but group-led discussions of the principles of Taijiquan as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine and other relevant fields, and we close out with Qigong and reflection. You have to practice between these classes. Craig (sifu) is a wealth of knowledge. He is generous with his time and patient with his instruction. The advanced students are welcoming and incredibly helpful. It is outdoors, which is an asset I believe. The classes are small -also a huge plus. It is deep and it takes time -big, big plus for being real. If you're curious about Tai Chi and seeking a traditional format to learn it you should take advantage of the free class offering. I'm happy I did and I'm staying with it.
Feb 13th, 2019