MARTIAL ARTS

I "played around" with the martial arts from the eighth grade until a sophomore in college, and have only just this year (2005) picked it back up again when I got certified as a hand-to-hand (close combat) instructor through CCI at Fort Bragg.

I am no expert, by any stretch, but like a lot of things in my life, I have been fortunate to be around the right people in this field. I've picked up some good things for myself from them (by osmosis and several training sessions over the years) but I can't say that I ever gave the martial arts the devotion I later gave to climbing, for example. I probably know just enough martial arts stuff to be a really good poser :-)

What I'm gonna do here is share the few tidbits I've come across, and point you to better people who can tell you more. But first, I have to show you the neatest thing that happened while I was training...

My instructor for a short time was Joseph Cowles in Arlington, Texas (c.1986/87). Sifu Cowles was one of Bruce Lee's original students in Seattle when Bruce's Jeet Kune Do system was still in the Jun Fan stage of development (I'll elaborate in the "Bruce Lee" section below). During that time, I went to a tournament where there were lots of dignitaries from the martial arts. One of them was Linda Lee (Bruce's widow). I'm not a big star struck kind of guy, but I do like meeting people like that if they are significant to my life somehow. To meet her, though, I had to stand in the autograph line. It was long, and I was patient. When I got to her and told her who my teacher was, she lit up and wanted to know why "Joe" hadn't written her for so long. She had met Bruce at the same Seattle school where my teacher had trained with him. She talked to me for like fifteen minutes while the line grew. When I started to take my leave, she asked me if I wanted her to sign my program. I gave it to her, and here's the copy of it

More Stuff:

Bruce Lee

Martial Arts Links

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