Continued from top.
The JKD line was influenced by Francis Fong and Wiliam Cheung and of course Bruce Lee. He learned from a variety of JKD teachers over a 20 year period.
The Red Boat Line was mainly from Fook Yeung to David Harris, to Keating. He was with Sifu Harris for about 10 years. James wrote about the Red Boat method and the rattan rings exclusively for Full Contact magazine in the past.
Fook Yeung is still alive in Seattle at near 90 years old. He was a good friend of the late Bruce
Lee's father. When Lee came to the United States after leaving Hong
Kong and Yip Man, he trained for a while with Mr. Yeung, definitely
polishing his skills. Lee, remember, had not completed his Wing Chun
training under Yip Man.
Mr. Yeung used to perform martial arts roles with a Chinese opera
company. As such, he had to study a number of arts in some depth. In
addition to Wing Chun, he studied baguazhang and taijiquan, and
possibly other arts. Although he still plays around with martial arts,
most of his practice now is dedicated to the Omei qigong forms.
Pictured Below: Steve Smith, Fook Yueng, Sensei David Harris
Fook Yueng’s Boxing
is a rich method of Martial Arts that is effective for overall
health/fitness development and is exceptionally functional for
self-defense.
It is synthesized from over 160 martial art styles and Tien Shan Mountain Chi Kung by Fook Yueng who was an actor in the Red Junk Opera
and Kung Fu brother with the late Bruce Lee’s father. The bringing
together of the styles was more a matter of that it fit together and
after 70 years they become “all same”. Fook Yueng has closed his hands
for Kung Fu teaching but has several people are teaching his methods. David Harris was his number 1 adopted son.
Fook Yueng was like an Uncle to Bruce Lee and was
the man who picked him up in Oakland off the ship and took him to
Seattle where as a favor to Bruce Lee’s father helped him get his
start. The first thing Bruce Lee did after getting off the ship was to
extend his hand to Fook and say, “Chi Sao” an invitation to play/stick
hands when he could not get through he asked Fook teach him, Bruce Lee
trained with Fook from 1959 through about 1967 or so. Fook showed him
the systems and Bruce was an adept student and worked them to a very
effective level. One of Bruce’s favorite forms to practice was the Preying Mantis forms. Fook grieved the passing of Bruce Lee and
Bruce’s son Brandon Lee, he said, “too soon they died too soon”. He
also said Bruce Lee had done more for Kung Fu in his few years
on earth than had been done in the last 500 years. (Info from the Little Dojo).
Lineage(s):
1) Red Boats -> Fook Yeung -> Dave Harris -> James Keating
2) Yip Man -> Bruce Lee -> Various -> James Keating
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