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I have
been practicing the Art of Wu Family Fist (Wu
Jia Quan Shu) for over 30 years now, it has been a family style
only passed down father to son. To my generation, I was to continue
to provide my sons the knowledge of such art. For a video clip of
me performing, click here! (Real
Player)
 On
November 1996, my dad came for a small visit and we discussed the
issue of promoting the family system. He agreed, and so, I ran a
school and have about 15 students. The school is called Cleveland
Chinese Martial Arts Association, located at 2227 Payne Avenue,
Cleveland, Ohio. If it wasn't because of a person's constant support
and being in my back about opening the school, I wouldn't have done
it. Thank you Aaron.
At
the Cleveland Chinese Martial Arts Association, there were a total
of five instructors teaching: Instructor T'shaka Brown, of the Shaolin
Style, he has been practicing for over 25 years with several world
renown masters; Master Wei-Yue Hu, a great Chinese Internal Martial
Artist, over 40 years experience and his students have won many
local and national awards. Master Buddy Wu, excellent Wing Chung
instructor in the area (was the only in Cleveland), an actor himself
from Hong Kong; Dr. Guang Liang, great teacher of the Dragon Style
Wushu School, a recently became popular aggressive Southern system
in the USA; and myself, the Wu Family style.
The
school was shut down in 1998 due to the building being sold to a
government agency. I continued teaching privately.
In
1993, I started promoting Chinese culture and martial arts through
a local monthly publication called Han Wei (origianally www.hanwei.com),
a bilingual (Chinese & English) magazine for the Midwest, particularly,
Ohio. The purpose was to bridge the gaps between Eastern and Western
culture and have a better communication and understanding of both
world. After 6 months of hard work and writing along with my business
partner John, we have pulled our resources thin and we've decided
to shut the operation down.
Although
we stopped printing, I continued publishing a small newsletter,
Han Wei Wushu! Newsletter, with the help of several martial
artists: Ted Knecht, Nick Gracenin, Jose Johnson, Guang Lian, Wei-Yue
Hu, Buddy Wu, Salvatore Canzonieri, John Ervin, and many others,
this small publication became the voice of the Chinese Martial Artists
in the world, published from 4 pages at first to the current 8 pages,
it was distributed via Internet to over 300,000 readers (email,
online services, newsgroups, mailing lists, etc), and to over 500
hard copies was mailed every month to martial art schools free of
charge.
Han
Wei Wushu! Newsletter was the FIRST martial art newsletter ever
being in circulation through the Internet as ASCII file to over
300,000 readers!
The
growth of this small newsletter prompted Han Wei and myself to receive
the reconnection from National and International renown martial
artists, their wiliness to help us grow and their constant support
led us to were we are now... My involvement in traveling throughout
the USA to different national tournaments has given me a chance
to meet these great masters and grandmasters, through them, I truly
learned to appreciate my opportunity to interact with these great
people: Grandmaster Huang Chien-liang, Grandmaster Wai Hong, Grandmaster
Cai Hong-Xiang, Late-Grandmaster Fu Zhong-wen, Grandmaster He Wei-Qi,
Grandmaster Wang Ju-rong, Dr. Wu Zheng-de, and many others.
From
1994 to 1995, I've organized several activities, including Li Wah
Restaurant Chinese New Years Celebration (yearly event), Cleveland
State University's International Student Day event, Organization
of Chinese Americans of Greater Cleveland, John Carroll University
and many local organizations, and have worked in conjunction with
Master Nick Gracenin (one of the great teachers that I admire his
skill and dedication, and his students shows a great discipline
and always winning awards from Regional to National and even International
events!) of Sharon, PA, and many regional events. On a national
scale I attended several great martial art events such as the US
Kuoshu Championship held every year in July, organized by Grandmaster
Huang Chien-Liang, one of the most distinctive and honored martial
artist in the world. During this time, I have also prepared 3 martial
arts demonstrations, each lasted for 2 hours on several places in
Cleveland, the overwhelmed responses from spectators and all prompted
me to start thinking of a National scale event.
On
September 16, 1995, I organized the 1995
Han Wei National Martial Arts Championship, a tournament open
to all styles, all schools, all systems, marketing within our neighbor
states and expanding through California. We invited over 5000 schools
to participate! Many international masters and grandmasters participated,
although the outcome was not what we've expected, this was the breaking
point of my organizational skill.
Soon
after, I've received many calls and was asked to participated in
many other events, including being inducted to the United
Kung Fu Federation of North America, and within a few months,
I was the Regional Director for the Great Lakes and the USA Promoter
for this organization.
The
Cleveland Chinese Martial Arts Association was officially established
in 1995 right after the tournament, it was one of my dream, to have
my own martial art center where many instructors can teach and promote
their arts.
In
1996, we organized the 1996 Han
Wei National Martial Arts Championship, this was the biggest
event ever held in the Great Lakes Region, people around the USA
and Canada all came for the event, we even have masters flew all
the way from Australia to participate! More than 2,000 people attended
and it received many great support and comments afterward.
2 years
of organizing the tournaments have worn me out, I needed a break
so in 1997, I only did several small events like giving workshops
and performing at numerous universities and special events hosted
in the City of Cleveland. I've also traveled a lot doing a few seminars
at other locations. In 1998, I got
inducted into the International Karate &
Kickboxing Hall of Fame, and orgaznized the last tournament:
The 1998 Han Wei National Martial
Arts Championship over 5000 people participated as competitors
and spectators. Han Wei at least broke even and make our final exit
in organizing tournaments.
In
1998, I started a part-time business with an award winning photographer/cinematographer
Greg Petusky starting Media Design Imaging. The business kicked
off with a great success and it all based on referrals.
Because
of work, I'm no longer have time to publish the monthly newsletter
nor opening teaching classes, still providing private lessons and
giving workshops around the City of Cleveland. As my father passed
away on November 8, 1999, I've decided to continue giving my lessons
privately without a stop. I am very proud of my students. They have
all matured and used the discipline learned to better themselves.
From
1998 to now, I've taught, attended local and national tournaments,
although I've traveled mostly for my business, I continue making
sure Wu Family continue to work it's mean to maintain a small dedicated
group of students.
At
the end of 2000, I didn't continue serving another term as board
member and their newsletter editor for the Japanese
American Citizens Leagues, but I am still continued to be the
VP of Administration for the Organization
of Chinese Americans of Greater Cleveland, not to mention
Core Member for the Ohio Independent
Film Festival and many other organizations. In addition
to martial arts, I am also a locally known filmmaker (check me out
at The Internet Movie Database),
some of my shorts including the John
Doe Shorts, Warped
Boxes, feature include Twisted
and also a documentary which won a Community Service Award from
the Japanese American Citizens League.
In
2001, my business partner decided to let go of the business and
I took it over, then I started to teach more and to promote Wu Jia
Quan. I Also became a member of the Worldblackbelt.com
through Eric Lee and was inducted to the World
Head of Family Sokeship Council and receiving the Silver
Life Achievement Award in September 2001, the youngest member
of this grandmaster organization, receiving an award as keeper of
the Wu Jian Quan Shu.
On
April 29, 2001, I announced at my class that Tom Trassare who has
been training with me for over 4 years with strong dedication and
progressing quickly to be the next keeper of the family, as he has
proven to be a student of great dignity and discipline.
The
successor of mine has been determined long ago when I noticed a
student - deligently work his way for over 4 years and now I am
very proud of him. In fact, I am proud of all my students, and within
my mind, I have decided long ago that Tom Trassare would be the
next keeper of Wu Jia Quan Shu while his training brothers will
help him to make the family proud.
For
2002 and on, expect to see a lot more of our family system around
the country, our goal now is to make awareness to the general public
(not just high skill martial art teachers) and to promote Chinese
culture and martial arts to the all.
I will
always take time to respond to email, just drop one in and you will
get my reply back soon!
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