Coach Eric Chen started Penn State Kung Fu in 1973 with instructor Tim Chen from Seattle under Roger Tung. Roger taught changquan, or long fist, which Roger reorganized in as wushu. Coach Eric went to Seattle to study under Roger and learned modern wushu in 1975.
The Beijing wushu team’s visit to the US under President Nixon and secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, in 1974 left a remarkable impression of the greatness of wushu in the US that no one knew existed. Anthony Chan of San Francisco was most influential in bringing top caliber wushu to the United States, producing wushu videos and teaching it as the pioneer of wushu along with Roger Tung.
In the East coast, Shifu Bow-sim Mark also taught wushu in Boston in the early 70’s. Coach Eric studied wushu with the Chinese Wushu Research Institute with Shifu Mark in Boston. Very talented wushu athletes Donnie Yen and Michael Woods were the leaders of the US wushu scene from Boston, as well as Rogers’s students, Keith Hirabayashi and Matt Emery from Seattle and Anthony’s students, Victor Chew, Valiant Wong, Gary Toy, John Chuck from San Francisco. Eric Chen also started a competitive team in Westport, Connecticut with students Richard Sweetnam, Richard Cesario, Lulu Keedick, Alex Glage.
This was wushu at its best in the US. No politics just pure skill. Wushu also was at its best in the 80’s by most experts’ assessment.
Coach Eric Chen moved from Connecticut to LA to establish the US Wushu Headquarters with Roger Tung in 1983 to put on wushu exhibitions in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics. Anthony, Roger and Eric began bringing US training tours to Jiangsu with coach Wang Jinbao, Anhui with coach Chen Daoyun, and Beijing with coach Wu Bin from 1981. Eric has returned to train in China at least once a year for the last 30 years.
National Wushu Training Center was established officially in 1986 in Huntington Beach and Los Angeles, California. Known for training quality wushu and competition athletes, Eric and Debbie Chen also hosted VIPs of wushu including the presidents of the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in Beijing, Xu Cai, Zhang Yaoting, Li Jie and great coaches Wu Bin, Wang Jinbao, Men Huifeng, Cheng Huikun, Wang Nan, Chen Daoyun, Lue Shaojun, Guo Pei, Ma Zhongxuan and many more.
The National Wushu Training Center has kept a strong relationship with coach Wu Bin and invited the national champion, the Beijing wushu team, to the National Wushu Training Center from 95 to 02 then 04.
In the 1995 World Championships, US team’s Natalie Lu placed 2nd in saber, 3rd in empty hand, Nathan Tong placed 3rd in saber, 5th in staff and 5th in empty hand, Debbie Chen placed 4th in sword, 4th on spear , Woody Wong placed 3rd in saber, 5th in spear. All from The National Wushu Training Center.
Eric also composed the international wushu competition compulsory routines with the experts in Beijing in 1999. Translated and recorded the voice over for the compulsory routine videos. He has conducted international judges and coaches training and exams for the International Wushu Federation and written the English IWuF by laws. Eric and Debbie hosted the first professional full contact US vs China sanshou bouts in 1999 and 2000.
In the summer of 2005, Matthew Osborne took his first wushu class with the National Wushu Training Center and despite the punishing work out, he instantly fell in love with the art. After only 6 months of seeing his passion and dedication towards wushu, Coach Eric decided to hire Matthew as an apprentice coach. For the next 4 years, Matthew would be completely immersed into the wushu world ingraining the 4 year black belt curriculum into his mind. As time went on Coach Matt would take on even more responsibilities teaching between both the Los Angeles and Huntington Beach schools.
Although the National Wushu Training Center was very successful in many endeavors it was not enough to hold back the growing recession. By 2008 the Huntington Beach school was lost.
While the Los Angeles school continued on, Coach Matthew Osborne would earn is 1st degree black belt in 2009, 2nd degree in 2010 and 3rd degree by May of 2011. During these years of growth Coach Matthew proved to be an invaluable asset taking on the teaching responsibilities of the entire school.
Throughout this time Coach Eric continued producing and stunt coordinating films. Kung Fu Panda, Pirates of the Caribbean II and III, Rush Hour III, Transporter I and II, Beverly Hills Ninja, The One, Legend of Bruce Lee, Mortal Kombat, Wind Talkers, Aztec Warrior and The Lost Coast Tapes are some of the credits from Eric’s Impact Stunts Team. Eric’s roots are always in wushu.
On July 5th, 2011 the Los Angeles branch of National Wushu Training Center was also closed. With the chance to rebuild from opportunities growing in China, Coach Eric decided to move to Beijing entrusting the future of National Wushu Training Center and it’s remaining students with Coach Matthew Osborne. Coach Matthew continues to adhere to the strict system Eric Chen had established years before.
In 2015 National Wushu Training Center temporarily closed its doors when Coach Matthew was hired to teach Wushu in Beijing. Unable to commit to the full 2 or 3 years that his employers wanted, Coach Matthew returned to the US at the end of 2015.
On June 3rd, 2016 the National Wushu Training Center had once more began operations, this time in the China Town neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles. Coach Matthew Osborne continues to keep the legacy of Eric and Debbie Chen alive and the good work continues.
To contact Matthew Osborne and the National Wushu Training Center visit their listing on the Martial Arts Schools & Businesses Directory or FindADojo.com by clicking on the link on the left.
