a person again. After the Second World War and all the
racism he faced along with being imprisoned in the
internment camps, he was a broken man. Bruce helped
him get back into the mainstream of life and have faith
in himself. Bruce used to remind my father, “You are as
good as anyone else, Taky — no better, no worse.”Few knew that your father, although trained in Jun Fan
gung fu, was also being taught by Bruce Lee privately
in jeet kune do. Do those JKD teachings have a place in
what is being taught within the Jun Fan method handed
down to your father?
My father holds a fifth rank in JFGF and also has a Tao
of Chinese Gung Fu certificate as a private student of
Bruce Lee. While he was never given a jeet kune do cer-
tificate officially, he was kept up to date with what Bruce
was developing once he left Seattle. My father was one of
three people allowed to teach, and [he was] Bruce’s clos-
est friend. So, of course, Bruce Lee not only kept him up
on what he was developing martially but often used him
as a sounding board for his ideas and theories. I know
sifu Dan Inosanto was instrumental in Bruce’s develop-
ment, as well as my father was in his own way. Bruce was
learning from everyone he taught.You and your father have accepted many students from
all walks of life. What have Lee’s teachings done for these
people? Have they been life-changing?
Yes, and for us, as well. The greatest reward is having
someone tell you that his or her life is better becauseIt’s been more than 45 years since Bruce Lee passed
away. Can you tell us about the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute
and how it’s progressed since your father was appointed
instructor so many years ago?
My father kept the school open after Bruce Lee closed
all the other schools in or around 1967. He graciously
allowed my father to keep our school open for many rea-
sons. My father kept it going as more of a private club,
teaching a few dedicated students. That is how it stayed
until he passed the mantle on to me.
My father began to groom me to take over for him in
the ’90s, although he had been training me privately
since I was young. In fact, what I thought was playing
was him training me since I could walk. We never played
catch like other fathers and sons; we played martial arts.
Not only was your father Lee’s best friend, but he also
was the first instructor appointed by him. What has that
journey been like for your dad?
I know it has been a rewarding experience to be able to
help people as Bruce Lee helped him. His mission has
always been to honor Bruce in his own way by passing on
the philosophy and the art entrusted to him. He taught
for free, and his only interest was helping people and
making sure Bruce’s art was carried on in the proper way.
A contract was signed by your father and Lee for your
father to run the Seattle institute. Although he offered
your dad a salary, he refused. Why?
He wanted to pay Bruce back for helping him become
When Bruce Lee opened his school in Seattle in
1960, he wanted to create a place where anyone
could learn a self-defense method that was good
for the spirit, good for health and good for self-
protection. Although many Asian elders opposed
his decision to teach foreigners, Lee believed that
race should not be a factor. As long as the indi-
vidual was sincere, Lee said, all were welcome. To
this day, his student Taky Kimura and Taky’s son
Andrew hold true to that principle.
From 1960 until Lee’s passing in 1973, Taky
Kimura has kept the ideas and ideals of Jun Fan
gung fu alive and kicking in Seattle. For him,
upholding his best friend’s legacy has never been
a chore; in fact, he says, it’s been an honor. The
gravity of this statement hits home when you
consider how Kimura saw his life change after
living in an internment camp during World War
II. “I couldn’t look at anyone in the face after the camps,” Kimura said. “It wasn’t until
Bruce Lee lifted me up again that I would find myself and take on life’s challenges once more.”
For many years, Taky Kimura has groomed his son to take the reins of Jun Fan gung fu. In recent times, the senior
Kimura has needed to rely on Andrew to spread what Lee created and Taky perpetuated.
For Andrew, growing up in a family in which Lee’s legacy has been made a priority was normal. “It is our job and privi-
lege to share what was originally handed down to us by the founder of jeet kune do,” he said.
In this Black Belt exclusive, Andrew Kimura speaks about his life then and now, as well as what’s in store for the Jun
Fan Gung Fu Institute.
44 BLACKBELTMAG.COM § AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019