Laidback Luke Is Teaching Free Rooftop Kung Fu in Brooklyn Next Month

Where else are you getting a kung fu lesson from a world championship medalist who then walks over to the decks and plays you house music until 10 p.m.? On September 6, Laidback Luke is taking over The Roof at Superior Ingredients in Brooklyn for a Labor Day Weekend party that opens with a free, beginner-friendly kung fu class taught by the man himself — followed by his DJ set.

This isn’t a gimmick. Luke took home six medals — three of them gold — at the 2017 Kung Fu World Championship, which makes him almost certainly the most decorated martial artist ever to headline a club. He has been open about the discipline shaping his career for years, and he already test-ran this exact idea with a class during Miami Music Week.

He sees the two crafts as fundamentally similar. As he noted in previous discussions, the process of reading a crowd is identical to the focus required in martial arts. You watch the crowd to see if they are tired, happy, or losing focus, and then you adjust accordingly. It is the same intuition he applies when playing a set.

The event takes place on Sunday, September 6, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Superior Ingredients, 74 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn. It is a 21+ event, the class is free, and the venue’s listing has Junior Sanchez and guests rounding out the bill. Tickets for the party are available on Dice through the venue.

Beyond the rooftop, Luke is having a significant moment. He recently released “HUMAN AGAIN II” with Grammy-nominated bright lights, their first collaboration in nine years. Between new music and his commitment to teaching New Yorkers how to throw a proper punch, the Dutch veteran continues to evolve as one of the most interesting figures in electronic music.