by Vivian Nguyen
Northwest Asia Weekly
Master Jeffrey Chon and his club students. (Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Chon)
Jun Hong’s Kung Fu Club, a martial arts club founded by master Jeffrey Chon, was rescued from the chopping block.
When the pandemic hit, Chon fell behind on rent.Typically, club summer camps generate substantial revenue and continue
Do business in the first two years of the pandemic.
But in July, Chon realized there wasn’t enough profit to offset the unpaid rent he owed in the upcoming November.
The club’s staff acted immediately. Student-turned-counselor Khyree Smith tries to introduce several newcomers to JunHong.
“I want to do anything to help keep the business going,” Smith said. “It became a question of, ‘How many people can I get through the door as quickly as possible?'”
the club
South Seattle native Chon had a lot of trouble growing up. But he believes martial arts rescued and shaped what he looked like in his youth.
“Fighting taught me to be independent,” Chon said. “I learned that I can do hard things and can be trusted to do hard things.”
Chon, named after his Chinese name JunHong, opened his eponymous business in 2009. Originally located in Beacon Hill, JunHong currently calls Seward Park home. The club offers many martial arts disciplines, including Chinese Taekwondo, Tai Chi and Wushu, and currently serves approximately 40 children and 20 teenagers and adults in their programs.
The affordability of the club is a huge draw for freshmen. Chon says keeping the classroom accessible is at the heart of his club’s mission. JunHong’s school program costs about one-third of other similar programs in the area ($100 per month). It is also important to create a safe haven where students from different backgrounds and sexual orientations can be themselves and feel empowered to learn and grow in his space.
“I’ve gotten a lot of negative feedback from other teachers and masters about how I run the business,” Chon said.
“But I don’t focus on finances. Community comes first — kids grow first, safety comes first. It’s a safe space to occupy, and I always put it first before making money.”
Smith also sees how this mindset can positively impact students.
“What really sets our students up and excelling is our investment in the community,” Smith said.
“That’s where we really see people thrive not only in personal development, but in their skills, abilities and even winning games.”
However, despite their best efforts, it’s clear the club won’t make it until November. Chon knew he might have to throw in the towel.
Master Jeffrey Chon (left) with students (photo courtesy of Jeffrey Chon)
Seek community help
But he won’t give up without a fight.
Chon partner Nicole DeFuria launched a GoFundMe campaign on August 24 to promote and ask for donations. A donation goal of $8,000 was set to resolve the rent arrears owed by Chon.
Although both DeFuria and Chon shared the event online, Chon wasn’t expecting much of a response. But his community quickly passed. Within days, they had achieved their first campaign goal.
Moved and encouraged by the response, DeFuria set a second goal of paying an additional $3,000 to cover September rent and support the club’s staff. Again, donations flowed in, and they quickly achieved additional goals.
At the time of writing, their campaign currently stands at $14,340, more than $3,000 above their initial overall goal.
The campaign brought love and support from communities near and far.
Some of the donors were students who had previously trained under Chon but who have since moved away but continued to promote his school. Other donors included members of Team USA (with Chon as coach), who donated and shared the campaign online. Rounding donations are for Chon’s local community, made up of club families and neighborhood allies.
“The community is really nervous, and I’m very grateful and grateful for that,” Chon said.
second chance
As the financial burden eases, Chon is excited about what’s to come.
The club sent seven students to try out with the U.S. national team. Each student forms a team and they head to next year’s World Series. He is also looking forward to updating the school’s facilities, including new mats and punching bags.
“I feel very confident,” Chon said of the positive response to his donation drive.
“This whole experience was really important to me – everyone believed in and supported this place and what we did.”
For more information, please visit Junhong Kungfu Network.
Vivian Nguyen can be contacted at info@nwasianweekly.com.
