stay positive and keep moving toward our goals, anything
is achievable. Bruce would often write my father about
something he was working on and maybe how it wasn’t
going to work out, but in that same letter, he would be tell-
ing him that he was going to do it next. He never let any-
thing stop him from working toward his goals. If he reached
a stumbling block, he would remove it or go around it.
Also, that of equality among all races and religions,
that under the stars we are one family, that we are all
human beings first and all other titles of race, religion
and nationalism only serve to separate us as humans.For your father, what was Lee like as a teacher?
Bruce was a taskmaster, and he demanded perfection.
My father told me of times he thought Bruce was trying
to kill him when they worked out. I know the feeling, as
my father demanded perfection of me. Bruce trusted my
father and confided in him about training and life. There
were many things Bruce told my father in confidence
that he never told anyone else. My father has shared
those with me and asked that I not tell anyone.Who was Lee as a friend?
He was a kind man who helped my father believe in him-
self again. Bruce, being Chinese, had every reason to dis-
like my father based on his ethnic background. He told my
father about seeing the Japanese fighter planes fly over
Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation when Bruceof having practiced gung fu with us. I know my father
has had a positive influence on countless individu-
als throughout the many years he has taught. He has
empowered people to find the medicine for their suffer-
ing within themselves.
The real reason we teach gung fu [is] not to be a
badass in two easy lessons. The key is in taking what
you learn about yourself in class and putting it to use in
your everyday life. To become self-actualized is the goal
more so than to become
a fighter. In fact, if some-
one came to my father
and said, “I want to be a
great fighter” or “I want
to open a school one
day,” he would have told
them to go somewhere
else. That has never been
the reason my father has
taught all these years and
not charged. It’s never
been about the fighting.
What are the main points of
the philosophy you teach?
That we can achieve any-
thing we want in life if we
believe it’s possible. If weTHE REAL REASONWE TEACH GUNG
FU [IS] NOT TO BE
A BADASS IN TWO
EASY LESSONS. THE
KEY IS IN TAKING
WHAT YOU LEARN
ABOUT YOURSELF IN
CLASS AND PUTTING
IT TO USE IN YOUR
EVERYDAY LIFE.”
Taky KimuraAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 § BLACKBELTMAG.COM 45