Sifu Richard Baron is the founder and instructor of the Chicago branch of the Little Nine Heaven Internal Kung Fu and Tai Chi School.  He has studied a variety of martial arts receiving a number of black belts since he began his training in 1988, and since 1997 he has been training exclusively with Lao Tzu James McNeil, who is a living legend in martial arts, and lineage holder of a number of systems. 

Lao Tzu McNeil trained Sifu Baron in some of the higher levels of Taoist and Shaolin styles of Martial Arts, and Chinese Healing.  Living the life of a modern day Taoist monk, three months a year since 1997, as well as training and teaching constantly while attending school, under the instruction of one of the best martial artists and instructors in the world, has allowed, Sifu Baron to have the skill required to open a school that is dedicated to the training of both beginners and advanced students of the martial artists.

Learning over the course of years from Lao Tzu James W. McNeil the arts of Hsing-I Chinese Boxing (Xing Yi Quan, Mind boxing or Mind Heart Chinese Boxing), Splashing Hands Chinese Boxing (Shaolin Zan Shou Quan), Ba Kua (Pa Kua, Bagua Zhang, 8 Trigram Palm Chinese Boxing), Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan (Chen Taijiquan, Grand Ultimate Fist), Tzu Men-Chuan, (Tsu Men Chuan, Zimen Quan, Zi Men Chuan,Word/Poison Fingers Boxing), Shih-Shui Kung (Xi Sui Gong) Bone Marrow Washing Chi Gong, Advanced Iron Hand, Little Nine Heaven Wu Tao, special Taoist meditation, Tui Na, Acupressure Massage, Tien Gunn, Push Hands, Advanced Methods of Chi Gong (Qigong) and Nei Gong exercises, Eight Section Brocade, Chinese Weapons, Chi Na, Chinese Herbs, Moxabustion, Street Fighting, Self Defense, and more. 

Sifu Baron along with constantly teaching and training is currently working on his masters in biomedical science, certificate in health care management, and is also in the process of planning clinical and basic science and clinical research into the effects of many of the above arts.  He is also in the process of writing his first book on martial arts, health, and Taoism,.  He has been featured in many news paper articles on martial arts.  When not working on his other projects he lives at Little Nine Heaven Internal Kung Fu and Tai Chi school in California, generally 3 months out of the year, where he is a senior instructor, and trains as one of Lao Tzu James McNeil’s top students.  His dream is to build a live in school like his teacher’s and spread the knowledge of the Way and its power by teaching martial arts.