Shaolin Kempo Academy proudly serving Branford and the Shoreline Communities since 1984

Master Ross is the chief instructor and owner of Shaolin Kempo Academy, he has been training in the arts for more than 37 years.  He currently teaches his own blend of Shaolin Kempo. He is a Master Level Instructor and holds the Ranks of 5th Degree (mastery) level in Kempo, 3rd Degree Black Sash in Kung Fu, Level 1 Chanbara Instructor, a Graduate of the Instructors Academy of Martial Arts and has completed numerous seminars and training programs as well as training at the Shaolin Temple in 2000. 

Master Ross has been in love with the martial arts his entire life. As a kid his interest in the arts started with Kung Fu theater, after a demonstration at his elementary school he convinced his parents to sign him up for classes, at the time the only place to train locally was the rec dept program. He did 2 sessions of that and then moved to a school in New Haven where he practiced Tae Kwon Do. He wasn’t able to continue his training at this time as it was impossible to make the class schedule, over the next few years he searched for a place to train that was closer. He kept up with what he had learned and did a few more sessions with the rec dept program as well as training with friends. Finally as a freshman in high school a friend of his convinced him to come try out a Kempo class at his dojo, it was a tough sell as Ross really wanted to pursue Kung Fu training but there simply wasn’t anyplace to do so. After his first trial class at this Kempo school he was hooked! Pretty soon he started helping with the kids classes and that is when his love for teaching was discovered.  After earning his Black Belt in 1989 and completing an instructors training course which included a 2 year associates degree in martial arts as well as hundreds of hours of student teaching he taught at various schools throughout CT, as well as running a class at a Stamford magnet school as part of their curriculum. In 1996 He took over as Chief Instructor at the East Haven USSD school where he had started, 3 years latter he purchased the school from the previous owner and one of his instructors Joe Amarone.  In 2000 the name of the school Changed to Shaolin Kempo Academy. Over the last 35+ years Master Ross has cross trained in Many styles: Most notably with Grand Master Tak Wah Eng in various styles of Kung Fu, Professor Kimo Felicia in Kempo Jutsu Kai. His goal has always been to bring the best possible level of training and information to his students.