Black Mountain Spirit
Strength. Balance. Integrity.
Real Kung Fu. Period.

Welcome to The Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu.
Authentic Traditional Shaolin Bagua TaiJi Kung Fu in Pittsburgh
Get active and come workout with us!

THE BLACK MOUNTAIN SPIRIT
SCHOOL OF CHINESE KUNG FU

Welcome to our School

Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu is an organization dedicated to the practice of Ancient Chinese Kung Fu both philosophically and martially. Located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, We practice three styles of Chinese Kung Fu: Ho’o Chin Pai Northern Shaolin, Ming Hsien Kuei Shou BaGuaZhang Eight Trigram Palm, and Yang Jia TaiJiQuan Grand Ultimate Fist.

We concentrate on real applications in addition to the aesthetics of body, mind, and spirit. Through the study of Kung Fu, students build confidence, learn to manage difficult situations and deal with conflict.

We are a group of students all joined for one main goal: to learn Chinese Kung Fu. We are committed to the preservation of this ancient wisdom accumulated over the ages. Our teacher, Da Shi Fu Marc Black, is very knowledgeable and has decades of teaching experience. His integrity guides us.

After having familiarized yourself with the differences between the styles and determining which is/(are) best to serve your goals, simply select the membership from the list below!

The True Nature of Self-Defense

Self-defense is much more than just knowing how to throw a punch or block an attack. It’s a comprehensive understanding of both physical and psychological dynamics that can mean the difference between safety and vulnerability in dangerous situations. An effective self-defense practice involves not only technique but also the mental conditioning to handle high-stress encounters, where adrenaline, fear, and unpredictability play a major role.

The Physical and Psychological Elements of Self-Defense

On a physical level, self-defense training teaches how to use one’s body efficiently—leveraging balance, timing, and power to respond quickly and effectively. But what happens in practice often shifts under real-life conditions. In a real confrontation, situations are rarely straightforward; they’re chaotic, fast-moving, and often occur in confined or less-than-ideal settings. Psychologically, true self-defense builds an instinctive awareness and resilience. It involves training your mind to stay calm, assess threats, and act effectively without overthinking. This awareness extends to understanding how potential threats may be deterred by your confidence, posture, or even your ability to diffuse tension before physical engagement becomes necessary.

Why Experience in an Instructor Matters

Experience is essential for a self-defense instructor because it bridges the gap between textbook techniques and real-world application. It’s one thing to teach a technique in a controlled environment; it’s another to understand the split-second decisions and real consequences of a live encounter. As someone with nearly 40 years in martial arts and 19 years working in Pittsburgh’s toughest environments, I’ve seen firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and what it truly takes to make a technique effective under pressure. Experienced instructors bring insights that only come from years of facing the unpredictable nature of real fights. They know how to prepare students for the realities beyond the dojo—teaching not just moves, but a mindset and readiness that make self-defense work in the real world. For anyone serious about learning self-defense, finding a skilled, seasoned instructor can make all the difference in building skills that last a lifetime.

The Black Mountain Spirit Class Curriculum

TaiJiQuan

Northern Shaolin
Temple Boxing

BaGuaZhang

Fitness Kickboxing

The Black Mountain Spirit Philosophy
Why Train With Us?

STRENGTH

Increased Strength, Endurance, Flexibility, Hand/Eye Coordination, Mental Clarity.

BALANCE

Harmonization of the Mind, the Body, and the Spirit. Equilibrium between the Inner and Outer aspects of your being.

INTEGRITY

Steadfastness of Practice, Loyalty to Friends and Family, Dedication to the Art. Honesty & Sincerity in all that we do.

AUTHENTICITY

The sheer power of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts creates an environment of personal conviction, confidence, and comfort. Taught ethically and within a framework of morality.
The obvious sense of personal duty by ShiFu Black is his obligation to his students, and the fulfillment of those obligations and their personal goals are the compass of his practice. Unlike other martial arts schools these days, real fighting ability is the norm. At Black Mountain Spirit, you walk the walk & talk the talk.

Give it a Try!

The Journey of Health and Fitness that awaits you is going to be one of the most Exciting, Challenging, and Transformative Experiences that you’ll ever have!

I’m Interested, Send Me More Info 😉

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Black Mountain Spirit - About the Instructor

I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT AND CONFUSING FINDING A MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL CAN BE.

Not in the best of shape, much less athletic

When I first began my own martial arts journey I was 17, 5’9″ and weighed 135 lbs (don’t laugh! :)) I had a very severe anemia – every time I became even slightly overheated I’d have nosebleeds and black-out spells. As a young altar boy I can’t tell you how many times both of those things happened even while serving mass. I never took a gym class in my life. I just walked in and handed the coach my medical excuse, sat down and read. But it was there, studying first about my own religion, then others, and eventually other philosophy’s and spiritual doctorines that my mind was exposed to the deep spiritual and philosophical content that comprises Traditional Chinese Martial Arts (TCMA). That foundation of intellectual exploration opened the door to the physical practice of Kung Fu

An Alternative to regular exercise

You may have experienced boredom with your usual fitness routine or reached a plateau in your performance or physical fitness results. Our adult programs are the perfect alternative to a boring gym routine, as they help you develop into your maximum potential both physically and mentally by providing real-life self-defense strategies in a fun, focused environment.
I can’t tell you how easily bored I am with regular push ups, sit ups, and all of the regular fitness classes there are out there. And even if you can deal with all of that, it may seem that there are definite limits that you just can’t seem to get past. TCMA offers such a widely expansive range of techniques and movement that you’ll always find that there’s another level to conquer, another plateau to reach. Here at Black Mountain Spirit, the instruction is so interesting, the concepts and methods being taught right alongside your workout so intriguing, you never realize just how much harder you’ve been working and getting into such great shape because you’re too busy figuring out the next puzzle & having fun!

It's not about fighting, it's about making yourself a better human being

What most people don’t realize, is that while Korean & Japanese martial arts forms are literally called ‘fighting style’ or ‘way’ (Kara-Te = Empty + Hand, Bu-Do = Martial + Way, Tae Kwon Do = Foot + Fist + Way, etc) Kung Fu in direct translation means Kung Fu = Skill that requires Great Time & Effort + Human Being. This lesson has never left my mind & has influenced every moment of my teaching. The fact that a deep philosophical and spiritual experience can have an equally deep physical expression has had a profound influence on me – no less so than for so many others who have become members of this ‘Kung Fu Fraternity’. It is beyond the description of words, and absolutely without bounds in the value it has allowed me to contribute to the community I live in, those who live in it, and all those around me wherever I may go..

our student's

Testimonials

★★★★★ 5/5

Read Clark S.'s review of Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu on Yelp

★★★★★ 5/5

Read Jason B.'s review of Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu on Yelp

our offer

Get an introductory online lesson for free!

people trained

8 +

square feet area

years of experience

AT THE WATERFRONT HOMESTEAD, ABOVE THE LOEWS THEATRE

Come visit us!

If you’d like to visit please contact us via Messenger so that we can give you class details (although our hours are listed as 9a-9p, sometimes the studio is only open for a private or group lesson, and sometimes we train outside at various locations and we’d hate to miss you!)

Our community of practitioners are all working together to continue the research and development of the martial sciences handed down to us from our distant martial ancestors. Anyone who wants to see this tradition of Authentic Chinese Kung Fu continue is more than welcome!

Black Mountain SpiritStrength. Balance. Integrity.Real Kung Fu. Period.

Welcome to The Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu.Authentic Traditional Shaolin Bagua TaiJi Kung Fu in PittsburghGet active and come workout with us!

THE BLACK MOUNTAIN SPIRIT SCHOOL OF CHINESE KUNG FU