Friday, November 11, 2011

Happy Veterans Day My Brothers!

To all my follow veterans, I wish you all the very best on this our special day in which we remember all our follow brothers at arms, especially those who paid the ultimate price for their country. You have my deepest respect and prayers. Those that are serving now, my wish is God will bless you and protect .you and bring you home safe and sound.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Kenpo Grand Master Passes Away

This is news I received from my Kenpo Brother, Grand Master Tom Saviano in Chicago. Another noted Master passed away NOV 5th. This is part of all Kenpo practitioners history.

Here then is the announcement.

Ming Lum, along with Jimmy Lee and Jimmy Woo, was one of Master John
McSweeney's kung fu instructors during the late 1950s and early 1960s. I had
the privilege and honor of speaking with him by telephone in 1992, we
discussed the banquet I was getting together for Master McSweeney's 65th
birthday and promotion to 10th Dan by Ray Korda, Mike Vassola and me. Some
years later (2004) G.M. John Tsai invited Master Paul Wong and me to spend
10 days in mainland China to review the National Woo Shoo teams and possibly
assist in their coming to the U.S. to demonstrate their art. While there, I
got to know Master Wong quite well, during one of our many conversations we
discovered that we had many things in common, he told me that he had
breakfast with Master Lum every Saturday morning and invited me to attend if
ever I returned to San Francisco ( I've often regretted not taking advantage
of that invitation). With so many "wanna be" Masters around today, it's
truly a shame that we had to lose a true legend.
God bless you Master Lum, we "will" speak again some day.
Respectfully,
Tom Saviano

P:S: Thanks to Zoran Sevic for passing this information on to me.

Subject: Ming Lum passed away
Just found out Ming Lum Passed away. Below is the announcement.

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Great Grandmaster Ming Lum passed away yesterday on November 5, 2011.
He was born in Chung San, Canton, China but grew up in Honolulu,
Hawaii. He's known as kung fu's Godfather to two generations.
Grandmaster Ming Lum started his martial arts training while in grade
school at the Chungsan Language School in Honolulu where he trained
Fut Gar (Buddha Family) with Grandmaster Lam Dai Young, one of three
of the best at that time.

He also trained Jujitsu with Grandmaster Henry Okazaki and Judo with
Kenny Kawatachi during 1940-1941 just before WWII broke out. In 1955
he moved to San Francisco, California. In 1957, Grandmaster Lum began
to study with Choy Li Fut Grandmaster Lau Bun. In the 1960's he was
the first to introduce the Shaw Bros. kung fu films in San Francisco
area. He was first to bring Chinese stylists to enter karate
tournaments and has opened the doors for a non-Chinese to learn kung
fu in San Francisco. He introduced Ed Parker to many of the then
secret kung fu schools and masters in San Francisco. In the kenpo and
kajukenbo communities, Ming Lum was venerated as a virtual saint by
many.


Grandmaster Ming Lum has numerous of recognition awards and has also
been inducted in the 1992 AMAPA Hall of Fame. He has also been
inducted into the Hawaii Kenpo Jujitsu Society Hall of Fame in 1999.


He is truly a man of his words and deeds. Highly respected around the
world among laypersons and martial artists alike. In addition to his
many duties, community responsibilities he also serves as one of the
first senior advisors of the Hawaii Kenpo Jujitsu Society since it's
founding in 1995 and as the Senior Advisor to the Whipping Willow
Martial Arts Association.

Great Grandmaster Ming Lum has been council, advisor and public
relations extraordinaire to virtually every martial arts promoter and
tournament promoter in California. His renown is as such that he forms
the cultural goodwill bridge between Asia and the United States.
Primarily because he is knowledgeable of virtually every style of
martial art taught in China and his acquaintance with all of the Great
Grandmasters of both continents.


Great Grandmaster Ming Lum has been responsible for hundreds, if not
thousands, of success stories in the martial arts. Working closely
with the San Francisco Chinatown community and the City of San
Francisco to bring each closer to the needs and understandings of
these contrasting cultures, Ming Lum was a selfless man who always
thought of others first before himself.


We will miss this amazing man but remain forever grateful we were able
to know and be inspired by him. Full salute Great Grandmaster as you
return home to greet your ancestors.

Prof. Carl Totton