Welcome To Young Forest Martial Arts! We are Greenville, Ohio’s Premier Martial Arts Academy!
Young Forest Martial Arts is family owned, operated and orientated. We believe in building strong families and strong communities. Even our school structure is based on family structures. For example, Sifu means teacher/father (it can also mean teacher/mother as it is not gender specific. It is a term used in any master apprentice relationship), Simo (title for Sifu’s wife) means mother and student titles translates to brother or sister. So not only do we help and promote building stronger family bonds at home we build and develop them at our school as well. This reinforces, teaches and gives individuals the experience needed to establish these kinds of relationships in other areas of life such as school (elementary, high school, college), work, other group/organizations, et cetera, et cetera.
To build strong families and strong communities it must start with the individual. Young Forest Martial Art’s primary objective is to develop strong moral character and life skills in children and adults and Young Forest does this through martial arts training.
Young Forest Martial Arts, ltd. consists of Sifu Jesse Berry, his wife Simo Kim Berry, and their children. Sifu Berry comes from a long line of military men, with direct ascendants fighting in every major American conflict since (and including) the American Revolution, up to the second World War. Research suggests that Berry’s family line goes back to the Berry’s of Devonshire, England; lords of the realm. Unfortunately, that military line was broken by his late father. Though the military line was broken, Berry always had an affinity for warrior culture and history. However, due to circumstance, Berry did not start officially training martial arts until his early twenties. Being from a working class family, and living in a town far removed from the martial arts world, Berry had to satisfy his interest in martial arts through television and literature. It was not until he ventured out of his home town in search of activities for his then young daughter that Berry met his first Sifu; for whom he’d dedicate nearly ten years of training and service.
Under his first Sifu’s tutelage, Berry was exposed to various styles of martial arts covering all ranges of combat; including Chinese kickboxing, Ju Jitsu, Chi Sim Weng Chun, and various lineages of Wing Chun – including an introduction to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun. Berry took his martial arts training to the competition ring to gain real time experience in all ranges of combat by competing in full contact Sanshou (Chinese Kickboxing), Mixed Martial Arts, and Ju Jitsu. Under his first Sifu, Berry also underwent in-depth, advanced leadership and teaching training; gaining hands-on experience by teaching and managing his own classes for many years, as well as giving lectures and seminars on martial arts, tea, and diet and nutrition.
After parting ways with his first Sifu, Berry set out on his own, opening Young Forest Martial Arts, ltd. in his home town of Greenville, Ohio; fulfilling his dream to bring true warrior culture – through the art of kung fu – to his small, isolated community. Being exposed to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen by his first teacher, Berry had long felt a partiality for the advanced system, recognizing it as the complete, original Wing Chun. After a few short years on his own, Berry went to the source to complete his training in Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen under Grand Master Garrett Gee. After officially being accepted as a student, Young Forest Martial Arts, ltd. became the official Hung Fa Kwoon of Ohio and surrounding states.
Sifu Berry has over ten years of teaching and training in all areas of martial arts. In addition to teaching and training martial arts at all levels he has given lectures and seminars on the history and philosophy of traditional and modern martial arts. He is currently chief editor of an online martial arts publication, Tea Warrior www.teawarrior.com and has published a novel on martial arts and tea culture. Sifu Berry has also given lectures and seminars on physical fitness and diet and nutrition, and owns and operates Blue Lantern Tea www.bluelanterntea.com. Blue Lantern Tea is located at Young Forest Martial Arts in Greenville, Ohio. Blue Lantern Tea specializes in artisan traditional teas from around the world.
Sifu Berry’s immediate and primary support group is his wife, Simo Kim Berry. Although Simo Berry has little official martial arts experience, she has had to listen to Sifu Berry ramble on and on about all areas of martial arts (amongst other things) for several years now which, as any wife of a martial artist will tell you, certainly deserves title and recognition.
If you would like to talk martial arts, Simo Berry would love it if you contacted Sifu Berry at sifuberry@youngforestmartialarts.com. If you would like more information about our various programs contact us via our Contact Us page.