Sifu Anthony Stephenson

Sifu Stephenson started training in Tai Kwon Do at the age of 14. He continued his martial arts training through his teen years in American Karate. Sifu Stephenson moved to Charlotte, NC in 1985 to continue college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He still wanted to continue learning martial arts with his real love being to learn Kung Fu. In 1987, his cousin, a lifeguard at the YMCA, noticed a group of men working out in some unknown martial art style on the side of the gym. He mentioned this to Sifu Stephenson at a get-together one weekend and Sifu Stephenson was emphatic that he find out more information believing it had to be some type of kung fu. The next time he saw these gentlemen, he got the necessary contact information and passed it on to Sifu Stephenson. Sifu Stephenson then humbly asked, via a senior student of the day because it was not the way to speak directly to the Sifu, if he could become a student of the art they were teaching. He was informed by Sifu Li Chi Keung's student that the art was Lai Tung Pai kung fu and that he would take the request to the Sifu for consideration. Then, after a few traditional rejections, Sifu Stephenson was allowed to enter the Lai Tung Pai kwoon.

He has been devoted to Lai Tung Pai style ever since, opening and running three kwoons prior to the Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association - Mint Hill location (called Thundering Wave Martial Arts today), formerly Mint Hill Kung Fu School, on the east side of Charlotte, NC for Sifu Li. In 1993, he was promoted to US Instructor and was added to the Lineage of Lai Tung Pai. He is one of the highest ranked practitioners of Lai Tung Pai, next to the late Li Chi Keung, in the US. He is also one of the first black sash students ever in the US and one of the first non-Chinese black sash students to ever be allowed to teach the Lai Tung Pai style. In addition, he opened the Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association - Kings Mountain in 2002 and taught the art of Lai Tung Pai there for many years. In 2013, his and Simo Shawna Stephenson's nutrition business boomed and they expanded to Troy, Ohio, Simo's home town, where he is the Sifu of the new Troy, Ohio Branch, Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association - Troy in historical Troy, Ohio just north of Dayton, Ohio.

Sifu Stephenson has entered many tournaments and won his share of 1^st place awards, as well as, a 4^th place weapons division award in an International Kung Fu Tournament in Baltimore, MD in 1989 while only a yellow sash practitioner of Lai Tung Pai. His most coveted. 

In 2001, during the traditional tea ceremony in Charlotte, NC, Instructor Stephenson was awarded, by Li Chi Keung, the status of US Disciple of Lai Tung Pai, 5^th Generation outside the Siu Lahm (Shaolin) Temple and was given the ranking Senior US Instructor. He was the elder instructor at the Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association - Mint Hill just east of Charlotte.

In June 2004, Senior Instructor Stephenson traveled to Hong Kong to study Lai Tung Pai in depth. There he received, by Grandmaster Kong Chui Hoi of Hong Kong, certification awarding him the rank of Sifu and International Instructor level status and he is now also a direct Closed-Door student of Grandmaster Kong Hoi. Sifu Stephenson was presented this award by Si Gung Kong Hoi's wife as seen in the certification photos.

Sifu Stephenson is also a Co-Founder and current President of the Carolinas Association of Chinese Martial Arts Association (CACMA). He has held various titles at the CACMA Regional Tournament throughout the years including Tournament Promoter, Tournament Director, Director and Tournament Committee Chair. He has also promoted and hosted his own tournament in Kings Mountain, NC the Siu Lahm Mountain Invitational. He was also the publisher of the CACMA Scroll Newsletter published quarterly on their website in those days.

He is also a member of the United States Kuoshu Federation and serves as a judge on their behalf each year at their annual tournament in Baltimore, MD. He is also certified to judge Lei Tai fighting by CACMA.

Sifu Stephenson, in January of 2005, was asked to join the instructor group, by Shifu Steve Clark, at the Marine Base Camp LeJeune, NC, for the Force Protection Seminars instructing Marine and Navy personnel.

On July 30, 2005, Sifu Stephenson received the honor of being inducted into the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Sifu Anthony was accompanied to Chicago, IL by his wife Shawna, past NC area inductee, CACMA VP ShiFu Steve Clark and his son.

In 2008, Sifu Stephenson travelled back to Hong Kong and received further high-level training from Si Gung Kong Hoi. When asked about this training, Sifu Stephenson would only comment that; "It was an honor to learn the new material, however, I am not at liberty to discuss anything about the training per Si Gung's orders. I hope, one day, I can share it with one of my closed-door disciples who proves himself or herself worthy to receive the training."

In October of 2018, Sifu Stephenson visited Hong Kong again to acquire more Lai Tung Pai knowledge and pay his respects to Si Gung Kong Hoi. He also took with him 4 students from the Troy, Ohio location. All were asked to demonstrate their skills in front of Si Gung Kong Hoi. Sifu Stephenson was very happy when he got the thumbs up for his demonstration of skill, as well as his students receiving the thumbs up!

In 2020, the bug hit our country and Sifu Stephenson implemented Zoom classes so that the students could attend in the safety of their own home. These classes are continued for our students that have moved from Troy and still wish to train.

The coming years promise to be exciting years for Hong Hoi Kung Fu Association - Troy and Sifu Stephenson!