Your father has gained admiration around the world. What
makes him so special in the eyes of so many?
His loyalty to his friend and teacher. He has never capital-
ized on Bruce’s legacy, and he never wanted anyone else
to be able to do that. I know he feels comfortable with me
taking over because he knows I will never do anything
that goes against all he has learned and taught to others.What’s in store for the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle?
I am working toward finding a permanent location in
Seattle where I can have a storefront and a place where
people can visit and work out. I am not in a position where
I can teach full time right now, but I would like to do so in
the near future. It’s important to be able to devote the time
the art deserves. I am also starting an affiliates program
by invitation only, which would allow those who cannot
attend classes here on a regular basis to learn and [then]
share what they have learned in their location.What would your father want to relay to the old and new
students about Bruce Lee, Jun Fan gung fu and the Bruce
Lee legacy he has preserved for all these years?
That there is more to it than fighting. The greatest lessons
learned in the microcosm of the kwoon are lessons best
applied in your everyday life and that hopefully we never
have to use what we have learned to defend ourselves or
our loved ones. We need to be true to what he taught all
these years and not stray from the path he has set forth.In closing, what can you say about Taky Kimura and
Bruce Lee and how the martial arts changed the day the
Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle opened its doors in
the early 1960s?
Certainly, things have changed since Bruce’s passing —
like things changed when he arrived on the scene. The
martial arts world has not been the same since Bruce
passed away and will never be the same without him. My
father has been a part of Bruce Lee’s development from his
fight with Wong Jack Man in Oakland to his meeting with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the case of his fight in Oakland,
he used to tell my father, “A fight should be over in under
a minute, so you don’t have to be in great shape.”
That all ended when he had to chase his opponent
around for three minutes. He told my father, “I was so
tired, he almost swept my feet once I got him down. I had
to pummel him some more and make him admit defeat
and that he was the troublemaker.” After that, Bruce
started running more, stressing the cardio more to his
students and within his own training.
Before Bruce met Kareem, he told my father, “Chi sao is
the nucleus of the system and most important prelude to
fighting. Furthermore, your leg is always longer than your
opponent’s hand and can be used like the boxer’s jab to
help control distance.” This was not true with Kareem, so
movement became a more universal way with Bruce to
deal with any opponent. To paraphrase Bruce, “To not be
confined to a straight line or connection, but to be able to
stand in the circle and move naturally.”At some point, you will become the head instructor repre-
senting your father and Bruce Lee in Seattle. What does
that mean to you?
I have been prepared for the challenge my entire life.
My father has groomed me for this purpose since I was
old enough to walk. He never pushed it on me or forced
me, which was good, as it would have likely turned me
off. Instead, he waited until I was ready to accept the
responsibility as a teenager. That was when I knew that
I wanted to learn all I could and do my part to carry on
his legacy.
You and your father are teacher and student, as well as
best friends. What’s it like doing chi sao with him?
It is an awesome experience. Even now, I’m in my mid-
40s and he’s 94, and [he’s] still so strong and fast. It’s
a testament to Bruce Lee’s teachings and my father’s
ability as his student that he still retains all he knows to
this day.
In fact, my father is most himself when he’s teaching.
Between that and muscle memory, he’s the most danger-
ous 94-year-old around!
Of all that you have learned from your father, what is most
important to you?
His positive attitude and strength of character. He is the
most honorable and courageous person I have ever met
or will ever meet. I have more respect for my father than
most people I have met, regardless of position, power,
wealth or education. He taught me to be accessible to
people of all walks of life and to be in the mainstream of
things. He taught me to have the confidence to stand up
for myself, speaking up in any situation. This is a major
point of martial arts: for us to have the confidence to live
our lives the way we want.
As a sifu, what is most important for you to relay to
your students?
Respect for the legacy my father has kept alive for so
many years. How we behave reflects upon my father
and sijo Bruce Lee, Ip Man and so on. I want to set an
example that others can follow in a positive and inclu-
sive way and that we must all carry on and create our
own legacies — and pay it forward as my father has for
so many years.
Lee said that the individual is most important. How does
that philosophy apply within your institute?
We encourage introspection and questioning at a higher
level. Obviously, at the beginning stages, there isn’t
much worth in questioning everything you are doing.
Later, as you advance in knowledge and experience, we
encourage [you] to question and contest everything.
After all, Bruce Lee believed that the only way to learn
to swim was to jump in the water. You can’t learn from
swimming on land. The last thing I want is for a student
to go out and try to use something in defense and [find]
it doesn’t work for them.
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