# bok fu kenpo/kungfu



## crysis (May 14, 2005)

for those who have been following the threads, i found a school that teaches bok fu kenpo. do you guys have any thoughts on this art? i didnt actually get to attend a session to watch the class but had an interview with one of the masters. it seems pretty legit and the classes being offered are very unique (per week: 2 group sessions and one private lesson for around 60 a month). 

anyway, what do you guys know about this style. He was saying its more kung fu than kenpo or something to that extent.


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## arnisador (May 14, 2005)

That's an unusual name...but if you like it, great!


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## crysis (May 14, 2005)

heres the url to the place

www.east-wind.com

what do you think?


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## dubljay (May 14, 2005)

Given their webpage, which is not the best way to evaluate a martial arts school, they seem to be rather fitness oriented and not self defense oriented.  Talk to the instructors, if you can as for some form of demonstration.... that will give you a better understanding of their art.  But the webpage leads me to believe that they are more fitness oriented than anything else... not something I would really be looking for in a MA school.

 Just my opinion

 -Josh


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## donald (May 14, 2005)

Why did you call it Bok Fu Kenpo? I did'nt see any mention of kenpo on  their site. Except that a Infinite Insights volume was being sold in their book store. What does Bok Fu mean? Did I understand the ad correctly? 3,three, as in trey lessons per month?! Most studios in Ohio that I know of. Will give you that in a single week! Does anyone have any further info on this system?
By GOD's Grace,
Donald 1st John 1:9 :asian:


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## crysis (May 14, 2005)

donald said:
			
		

> Why did you call it Bok Fu Kenpo? I did'nt see any mention of kenpo on their site. Except that a Infinite Insights volume was being sold in their book store. What does Bok Fu mean? Did I understand the ad correctly? 3,three, as in trey lessons per month?! Most studios in Ohio that I know of. Will give you that in a single week! Does anyone have any further info on this system?
> By GOD's Grace,
> Donald 1st John 1:9 :asian:


the instructor that i talked to at the studio called it bok fu kenpo/kung fu due to the fact that they teach richard lee's bok fu. bok fu (do) (= way of )white tiger. richard lee is a 10th degree BB in tracy's kenpo system so im sure he incorporated some kenpo to the bok fu he found, which resulted in bok fu kenpo. 3 lessons a week (of of those are private lessons) and the pricing per month is 60. from what i heard from the instructor i talked to, he didnt even mention a sign of fitness in the course. rather, he emphasized self defence and the ability to take on larger opponents, multiple opponents and opponents with weapons, in the early stages of training. later down the line he would teach some forms of style (which i asked about).


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## j_m (May 15, 2005)

FWIW:

There is nothing really on that site that would lead me to believe it has anything to do with Chinese martial arts (or kung fu) other than the name of the school containing the words 'kung fu'.  As a matter of fact the sign for the school actually says it's a Karate school... and they are all wearing Karate uniforms and bare feet.
As _arnisador _said, if you like it, great!  But don't be disalusioned that you will be learning real kung fu there.  It is just a web site and I could be wrong... but if you are looking for a kung fu (Chinese martial arts) school there are too many red flags on that web site for me.

It looks like this school is outside of LA.  If it's real kung fu you are looking for *I'm certain* you can find plenty of good stuff to choose from in LA.  You just have to spend some time looking and researching.  Let me know if you need some places to start with in the LA area.



jm


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## 7starmantis (May 15, 2005)

j_m said:
			
		

> FWIW:
> 
> There is nothing really on that site that would lead me to believe it has anything to do with Chinese martial arts (or kung fu) other than the name of the school containing the words 'kung fu'. As a matter of fact the sign for the school actually says it's a Karate school... and they are all wearing Karate uniforms and bare feet.
> As _arnisador _said, if you like it, great! But don't be disalusioned that you will be learning real kung fu there. It is just a web site and I could be wrong... but if you are looking for a kung fu (Chinese martial arts) school there are too many red flags on that web site for me.
> ...


  I agree. I can also help you find good CMA in that area.

"Class held twice a week for 10 weeks 1 to 2 times a year." - From the site. Its a fitness gym that also teaches some self defense on the side through private instruction. If your looking for CMA, go elsewhere. 

  7sm


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## crysis (May 15, 2005)

7starmantis said:
			
		

> I agree. I can also help you find good CMA in that area.
> 
> "Class held twice a week for 10 weeks 1 to 2 times a year." - From the site. Its a fitness gym that also teaches some self defense on the side through private instruction. If your looking for CMA, go elsewhere.
> 
> 7sm


 
Could you help me find a CMA school in the Riverside area? 92507 (near UCR)


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## j_m (May 18, 2005)

Sorry for the delayed response. Here are some CMA schools in the LA area that I would check out if I were you (in the order I would check them out). These are mostly (all?) northern style schools since I don't have too much info about the southern styles... maybe some of those guys can chime in for good wing chun, hung gar, or choy la fut schools in the LA area  

Jason Tsou - teaches long fist, baji/pigua, tiaji, bagua and I think mantis and mizong as well. http://www.chikungintl.com/chikungintl.com/htmls/calendar.html

Tim Cartmell - teaches Ba Gua Zhang & Xing Yi Quan and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Submissions Wrestling. http://www.shenwu.com/classes.htm

Jiang Hao-Quan - teaches bagua, xingyi, taiji, shaolin, and shuai chiao. http://www.jiangschool.com/classes.htm


Su Dong Chen - teaches xingyi, bagua, taichi all as serious fighting arts. http://www.essenceofevolution.com/

Carl Totten - bagua, etc at the Taoist Institute of Los Angeles. (sorry, don't know the link)

Buck Sam Kong - teaches hung gar and taiji. http://www.bucksamkongkungfu.com/home.html

Derrik Wright - teaches more mantis than you can shake a stick at. http://www.wrightskungfuacademy.com/



Have fun and good luck!




jm


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## clfsean (May 18, 2005)

Choy Lay Fut... 

Ng Fu Han... Arcadia ... http://www.choyleefut.us/
Vernon Rieta... LA ... http://www.hunggarkungfu.com/more.shtml


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## 7starmantis (May 18, 2005)

j_m said:
			
		

> Derrik Wright - teaches more mantis than you can shake a stick at. http://www.wrightskungfuacademy.com/


 Derrik is a good guy, he is a newer member of the US Kung Fu Exchange so I've met him several times and he has been down to our school and trained with my sifu several times. 

  7sm


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## gsteinusa (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi all,

This is kind of going to revive an older topic, but I've see a lot of either negative or at best neutral comments about Bok-Fu-Do and/or Grandmaster Richard Lee, and I just want to set the record straight.

Just to be clear so you know where this is comming from, I'm one of the instructors at the East-West School in Alamo, CA.

First, West-Wind, have a very limited connection to East-West, and is not at all affiliated with our school. West Wind and some other schools that teach a Bok-Fu-Do like system were started by people whom at one time or another studied at East-West, and then decided to go into business for themselves and start their own school. Richard Lee's East-West Kung-Fu (Bok-Fu-Do) school in Alamo, CA is not associated with any of these other schools in any way, except for 1: KO Kung Fu in San Jose, CA. KO Kung Fu is owned by Master John Ozuna, one of Grandmaster Lee's blackbelts.

Now, on Grandmaster Richard Lee's behalf, I'll post a summary of his bio. below to hopefully clarify our schools lineage and shed some more light on where Bok-Fu-Do comes from.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.
-----------------------

GRAND MASTER RICHARD LEE and THE BOK FU DO SYSTEM

Grand Master Richard Lee remains largely under the radar in martial arts in the United States. But outside the US, you might find his name is synonymous with Chinese Martial Arts in America. In fact, in some circles, he is simply referred to as the American. He became widely known in the Orient in the early 1970s when a Chinese magazine called New Martial Arts Heroes with Bruce Lee on the cover, featured a four page spread featuring the American Lee along with Suai Jaio (Chinese Grappling) King Shang, Bong-Shen and Qi Gon Master Liu, Mu-Shen. 

Lee started his training in boxing in 1946. Seven years later, in 1953, he started his training in oriental martial arts. So needless to say, he had a strong background in Martial Arts before his first trip to the Republic of China in 1972. During his stay, he was informed of plans for the government of the Republic of China to host the first ever world (Kuoshu) Kung Fu championships to e held in 1975. There were 52 countries invited, 36 showed up, and Lee was the coach of the United States team, which placed first in the foreign team division. There were stories stating that when China put out the call for the very best in Chinese Martial Arts to gather in the Republic of China, Richard Lee from the United States responded.

CREDITS

Coach for the United States World Kuoshu King Fu Championships 
1975 1st World Kuoshu Tournament, Republic of China 
1992, 7th World Kuoshu Tournament, Republic of China 
1996, 8th World Kuoshu Tournament, Republic of China

Tenth degree black belt in Chinese Kenpo, presented by Grand Master Al Tracy, 1994. 
Eighth degree black sash, Chinese Kuoshu Federation, Republic of China, 2001. 
Tenth degree black sash from the World Kuoshu Federation, 2003. 
Inducted into the prestigious Chinese Kuoshu Hall of Fame, 2001. 
Founder and Grand Master of the Bok Fu Do System and East West Kung Fu. 
Vice-President of the World Kuoshu Federation. 
Senior Vice-President  U.S.C.K.F. 
Inside King Fu Magazine Hall of Fame Instructor of the Year, 2005.


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## importscout (Nov 10, 2006)

Greetings.  I am a 1st degree black belt in this system, founded by Richard Lee.  I was a student of Richard Campbell, a student of Richard Lee's who ran the Alamo school headquarters for a time.  Campbell migrated to Simi Valley to open a Bok-Fu Kenpo school under the East-West name, where I studied for nearly 10 years.  

The system is legitimate, well-rounded, effective and versitile.  It is closely related to Ed Parker's Kenpo system, which is not surprising given it's influence from Al Tracy.  There are more techniques than american kenpo, and there are forms that are integrated from traditional shaolin kung-fu and some of Korean origin (Bi-Ti's).

I have met Richard Lee several times and attended some of his invitational tournaments, although I doubt he would remember me =).


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## importscout (Nov 10, 2006)

p.s.

The 'bok-fu' means 'white tiger' in chinese.. the 'do' is 'way' in Japanese, similar to what Bruce Lee did with Jeet Kune Do, while it might not make sense entirely to mix chinese & japanese, it is familiar to an American audience.

As I stated previously, I have dedicated a tremendous amount of time to this art in the past, I have more gripes with its teaching method than with the style itself, but I cannot speak for the method of instruction that Alamo or any other East-West school uses other than the one that I was raised in (which is no longer open).  

A decade of study will cause one to become 'post-conventional' and question some of your upbringing.  This does not, however, make light of the tremendous benefit I derived from studying this art as a beginner, the school is well structured, respectful, and professionally run.


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