Iron Fist Kung Fu is a flowing art of combative movement and environmental wisdom. It reveals itself through every calm breath released. It’s the pure expression of one’s desire to do good by themselves and others. It’s the striking acceleration that cuts through air like a sheet, the retraction of limbs emptying into the void of stillness and the force of the profound Nature of a body to accept reality, but pushes further to which the mind holds no limitations: the fathomless truth to just believe in oneself. It’s the strong; wave-like blows, the knife-like strikes, the shield bearing blocks and the iron courage of a Warrior.​

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     Our story has been jumbled around through the years. It’s been lost and gathered by bits and pieces, but where we begin is a man named Master Thai. He was a native to India and due to reasons of his own, traveled many many miles, where he ended up in the Songshan mountain range; in the grove of Mount Shaoshi. This is where the Shaolin temple was born (495AD/1500’s). Shaolin Chuan Fa is our traditional style in the “young/small forest”. It is translated to, “the way, law, or method of the fist.” We have a hybrid art combination of Northern and Southern styles. We are not sure when Iron Fist Kung Fu was created specifically, but it is the curriculum that we use today and it still deserves respect in that its teachings, discipline, movements and fundamentals hold up in the modern arena and streets of today. Through the centuries, these teachings made it across the ocean to America where eventually they found an Italian raised Chicago resident, Sifu Dino Spencer. Then it was passed down to a military man Sifu Peter Serina III (late 1900’s). Sifu Serina created an after school program at a highschool of which he was a biology professor at. He took it upon himself to grow this program and share it with the students of that generation (2000’s). There it found many teens that responded to its calling. One student particularly took to its influence. Sifu Daniel Strentz fell in love with Iron Fist Kung Fu and soon shared his passion with his twin brother Sifu Adam Strentz. As Sifu Serina took leave, the two brothers couldn’t let the school die out. So they taught side by side for a few years until Sifu Daniel moved to Wisconsin (2010). Sifu Daniel started up his own class and still collaborated with Sifu Adam. Sifu Adam continued the program in Chicagoland. The courses went well, but as time went on people found less of a desire for Kung Fu. As it became opinionated as “undesirable and violent in nature.” But with persistence they continued and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Through the years they did projects and programs to help the community and people in need. This was something that came with the lessons of Kung Fu. It grew to be what is the “Iron Monk Program” today. Sifu Adam took Iron Fist Kung Fu to the fitness level because he saw all the similarities and resemblances of certain exercises and movements. This began the fitness movement. Sifu Daniel went back to Chicagoland where he continued Iron Fist Chicago with his brother. Soon after though, Sifu Adam moved to Colorado where he still taught in teen centers at YMCAs and did some programs (2018). Right before Covid hit, Sifu Adam moved back to the Chicagoland area. This is when Iron Courage began (2020). The twins got together with their team and created digital courses and classes to inspire people stuck in their home. Always trying to provide a service and inspire people through empowerment, the Strentz brothers are looking to the new generation and continuing in their teachings.