East Harlem has a school where traditional martial arts meet modern, practical self-defense — and it's run by a teacher who believes the goal isn't to hurt people, it's to control the situation without causing unnecessary harm.
Garcia Gung Fu & Jiu-Jitsu, led by Sifu Richard Garcia, is an East Harlem martial arts school specializing in Jeet Kune Do, Jiu-Jitsu, and Filipino Kali. Under Sifu Garcia's guidance, the school combines traditional martial arts principles with modern, practical self-defense training.
The philosophy is simple: adaptability, personal development, and the ability to control an opponent without causing unnecessary harm. The goal is to develop confident, disciplined, and compassionate individuals through martial arts education.
That philosophy shows up on the mat — in the Jeet Kune Do work at the wooden dummy, in the Jiu-Jitsu grappling, and in the Kali training — and it shows up in the classroom, where kids and adults train side by side as one school community.
Garcia Gung Fu & Jiu-Jitsu trains kids and adults in East Harlem. Find the school listed on the DAOS website and in the DAOS App — and students can submit to the DAOS leaderboard free.
Visit the school:
Garcia Gung Fu & Jiu-Jitsu
451 East 117th Street, New York, NY 10035
(212) 426-4666
Website: ggfdojo.com
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Photography by Eugene Mazur. Additional photographs by Richard Garcia.