Find a way...or make one!
2025 the year of the snake
3rd Anniversary of Blue Lantern Martial Arts
Founded in 2022 originally in Newport, Kentucky, Blue Lantern Martial Arts is celebrating three years of bringing Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu to Northern Kentucky!
2025 will be our second year in Elsmere, Kentucky.
We are extending the offer of one week of free trial classes!
Come and check out what makes us different from the rest!
Combining a warm and welcoming environment, a friendly and knowledgeable instructor with an epic beard, an inclusive philosophy, and the legendary art of Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu.
Blue Lantern Martial Arts is right for you and your family!
Find a way or make one!
空 龍 善 虎 法 門 派
Blue Lantern Martial Arts -- a modern approach to the traditional...
Blue Lantern Martial Arts is a traditional Chinese martial arts academy, or "kwoon", located in the heart of the Northern Kentucky suburbs of the Greater Cincinnati Metro Area. We are - to date - the only certified Shaolin Wing Chun kung fu school in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Blue Lantern Martial Arts is a veteran owned and operated and inclusively oriented martial arts academy. We believe in building a strong community and emphasize a warm and welcoming environment.
Whether you are a novice with little or no martial arts training or are a seasoned martial artist looking to try something new... .. Blue Lantern Martial Arts is here to help you succeed.
Sifu Dane Griffith will provide you with hands-on training, inspirational mentorship, a fun and safe environment, and the earnest accountability you need to achieve amazing things every step of the way!
Martial Arts helps you live your best life by offering you valuable success and life skills such as confidence, discipline, and life balance-- in fact, the concepts taught at Blue Lantern Martial Arts-- the Shaolin Halls Method-- are universal concepts! These are concepts that can be applied to every day life.
Why "Blue Lantern"?
- Shaolin Wing Chun. Plain and simple.
Certified b y the VING TSUN MUSEUM (VTM) as an instructor, Sifu Griffith is the only Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu instructor in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
At Blue Lantern Martial Arts you will receive one-on-one instruction in Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu, a complete martial arts system that covers all ranges: long range, close quarters combat, and grappling.
Sifu Griffith ensures that every student is fully aware of what is expected of them as they progress by teaching from an established and effective written curriculum. Everything the student learns and hears in class can be followed up with study out of class.
OUR KWOON (school) IS VERY DIFFERENT BY COMPARISON to other martial arts schools because we are the only one in Northern Kentucky and the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with these credentials. We are not a chain, or some corporate franchise... we are a privately owned and operated martial arts academy that maintains ties to the larger family by voluntary association.
- You want to learn how to protect yourself and your family? You've tried everything, you've bought DVD's or tried classes at the strip mall, but nothing seemed to give you the tools you need to feel confident that you could protect yourself and most importantly your family?
- Low Self Esteem? Maybe your clothes don't fit the way they once did or it seems like life is handing you one lemon after another, or maybe you feel that you're just not good enough.
- You're trying to find the perfect place to improve your martial arts? You've exhausted the possibilities of your previous martial art. You've been to different "gyms" but they all felt like a gym and not warm and inviting.
- You basically are not interested in just another "McDojo"!
- Perhaps you've been training but you're in a rut and don't feel that your skills are improving and you're looking for the right martial arts school to be a part of to help take you to a entirely new level?
YOU'RE NOT ALONE!
There are so many factors that go into finding the RIGHT martial arts school for you, the question is, where do you start, better yet: what are you looking for?
At Blue Lantern Martial Arts, people from all walks of life train Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu and are welcomed and treated as family.
Moms, Dads, school-age kids, Athletes and Hobbyists, each have different goals and reasons for training, but they all get the results they are looking for.
The beauty of Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu is that it is based on human anatomy to enable anyone be able to defeat their giants. Your giants can be a person, an emotion, stress, and so much more. From the minute you walk in Blue Lantern's door, you are a part of our family, not just another body in the class.
Sifu Dane Griffith is dedicated to helping you reach your goals and put your success before his. Our Kung Fu program offers you a community to help you live your best life through self-discipline, self-confidence and self-respect.
Whether your a 40 something adult or a parent looking for a great structured program for your school-age son or daughter, you've come to the right place.
Blue Lantern Martial Arts is located at 4037 Dixie Highway in Elsmere, Kentucky.
Local roots...
A complete martial art:
Located in Elsmere, Kentucky Blue Lantern Martial Arts brings the dynamic martial art of Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu and the relaxing and spiritual art of Tai Chi to the heart of Northern Kentucky.
Blue Lantern is ideal for individuals and families that want practical self defense training, yet want a traditional system that also teaches concepts, philosophy, history, culture, and etiquette of the Kung Fu Life!
As a small, traditional kung fu school, our rates are competitive with a lot of one-on-one. If you are looking to grow internally and externally this is for you!
A complete martial art:
A complete martial art:
We teach "Harmony of Body, Mind, and Spirit" through the Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu System utilizing the Shaolin Halls Method as was taught in the ancient Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, China.
Blue Lantern Martial Arts: Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu is a direct downline member of Meng’s Martial Arts International and is a fantastic martial arts training experience.
But what is Wing Chun? At its core, Wing Chun is a very unique and scientific form of martial arts. Wing Chun is a system of Kung Fu that originates from Southern China with roots in the Shaolin Temple. The Art was made famous in the West by late Grand Master Ip Man in Hong Kong, and his famous student, Master Bruce Lee. Wing Chun's specialty is in close contact combat, using quick punches and kicks with a tight defense, coordinated through agile stances and footwork for a quick advance. Our system, Shaolin Wing Chun, takes this further with long-range kicks, short range kicks, sweeps, elbows, palm strikes, punches, trapping and control techniques, and take downs, as part of its fighting arsenal.
It’s possible to enjoy martial arts as a fun hobby with no pressure to compete, or it’s possible to take your training to the edge with elite fighters that are competing on the world stage - the choice is truly yours.
...international reach.
...international reach.
If competition is your passion, Shaolin Wing Chun is a competitive fighting art and Blue Lantern students compete in the Kentucky Bluegrass State Games and EMAC martial arts tournament circuits and have won Gold, Silver, and Bronze in all categories. As a direct down-line member of the Meng's Martial Arts International family of schools, Blue Lantern Martial Arts students are regularly trained by international competitors and multiple-world title holders.
Blue Lantern was represented in Fuzhou, China in August 2024 at the First World Southern Shaolin Wing Chun Competition!
Since the first year Grand Master Meng opened his school in 1987 he has produced local, national, Pan-American and World champions.
At our Shaolin Wing Chun school, we have a family of students who love to compete in martial arts tournaments at the local, international and world levels. They compete in various styles of fighting, including light contact and full contact fighting, forms, weapons, and chi sau. While it's not necessary for all of our students to compete outside of our school's tournaments, we are proud of our successful track record of producing champions in different categories.
Our family is indeed home to World Champions !
We are associated with the USA Wushu Kung Fu Federation and the International Wushu Federation. Our students compete in the Wing Chun Division of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts at USAWKF sanctioned events.
Our local Blue Lantern students have brought home Gold, Silver, and Bronze in the Arnold Schwarzeneggar "Battle of Columbus" martial arts tournament, the local EMAC tournaments, and the Bluegrass State Games.
"The ocean accepts all rivers."
At Blue Lantern Martial Arts: Shaolin Wing Chun Kung Fu, our mission is to provide the highest quality martial arts training in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment. We are committed to helping our students achieve their goals, whether it's improving their physical fitness, learning self-defense skills, growing internally, or simply having fun. We strive to instill discipline, respect, and confidence in all of our students.
Everyone is welcome. We are members of the community and an ally. Blue Lantern is a safe space with a focus on building a better YOU!
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. -Chinese proverb
it is never too late to learn martial arts...
Blue Lantern MartIAL Arts is certified By:
Blue Lantern Martial Arts, LLC
Proud US Navy Veteran!
Fair winds and following seas!