Spring Break
Martial artist fights for Chinese culture
Rie Nakanishi
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Features
LEARNING TO TEACH
Although Chin said he realized that he wanted to learn martial arts, he didn't start learning until he was 18 years old. His top priority, he said, was always education.
He first started training northern Shaolin long fist kung fu in New York, where he learned traditional martial arts breathing, meditation and fighting techniques.
In Chinese culture, masters introduce good students to another master to further their martial arts skills, he said.
Following that tradition, a Shaolin master referred him to Grand Master Jeng Hsing Ping, who taught swai jiao. Swai jiao is a form of martial arts that is taught exclusively for self-defense purposes in police academies in Taiwan for both officers and civilians. It encompasses throwing, kicking, striking and joint-locking techniques.
All students attending the police school must get a black belt before they graduate or stay until they can.
"My training with him was quite eventful," Chin said.
He trained three times a week while attending other martial arts lessons.
"Sundays were from 10 o'clock in the morning to four in the afternoon," Chin said. "No breaks except when we had to go to bathroom or drink some water."
During those six hours, he said he did throwing and combat fighting, one hour for joint locking and one hour for whatever he liked to work on.
"(Martial arts) is not the power, speed or showing off," Chin said. "People train their minds - that's what martial arts does."
In 1986, he founded his own kung fu academy in New York. In the late '90s, he moved to California, where he continues teaching martial arts to this day. He has his own academy in Pleasant Hill, where he teaches three styles of kung fu to his students between 5 and 58 years old.
David Yee, one of Chin's students, who mainly studies Shaolin, said Chin is a big influence in his martial arts philosophy.
"Sifu Chin is very different from kung fu masters, at least I've seen or known," he said. "A lot of martial arts schools these days … quite frankly, it's business," Yee said.
Although Chin said he realized that he wanted to learn martial arts, he didn't start learning until he was 18 years old. His top priority, he said, was always education.
He first started training northern Shaolin long fist kung fu in New York, where he learned traditional martial arts breathing, meditation and fighting techniques.
In Chinese culture, masters introduce good students to another master to further their martial arts skills, he said.
Following that tradition, a Shaolin master referred him to Grand Master Jeng Hsing Ping, who taught swai jiao. Swai jiao is a form of martial arts that is taught exclusively for self-defense purposes in police academies in Taiwan for both officers and civilians. It encompasses throwing, kicking, striking and joint-locking techniques.
All students attending the police school must get a black belt before they graduate or stay until they can.
"My training with him was quite eventful," Chin said.
He trained three times a week while attending other martial arts lessons.
"Sundays were from 10 o'clock in the morning to four in the afternoon," Chin said. "No breaks except when we had to go to bathroom or drink some water."
During those six hours, he said he did throwing and combat fighting, one hour for joint locking and one hour for whatever he liked to work on.
"(Martial arts) is not the power, speed or showing off," Chin said. "People train their minds - that's what martial arts does."
In 1986, he founded his own kung fu academy in New York. In the late '90s, he moved to California, where he continues teaching martial arts to this day. He has his own academy in Pleasant Hill, where he teaches three styles of kung fu to his students between 5 and 58 years old.
David Yee, one of Chin's students, who mainly studies Shaolin, said Chin is a big influence in his martial arts philosophy.
"Sifu Chin is very different from kung fu masters, at least I've seen or known," he said. "A lot of martial arts schools these days … quite frankly, it's business," Yee said.
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Dave Pickens
posted 1/18/09 @ 8:21 PM PST
I am the National Chairman for the United States Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Chinese Martial Arts Division and I have known and worked with Sifu Chin since his days as a competitor to his days as one of the top National Officials in the AAU. (Continued…)
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