Bok Fu

Bok Fu is an external martial arts system incorporating primarily Kenpo and Kung Fu fighting styles. Bok Fu translates to “White Tiger.” The white tiger is a rare and aggressive animal that exemplifies the system's fighting mentality. Upon observing a white tiger in India, the founder of the system, Richard Lee Couvelier, adopted the Chinese translation of Bok-Fu for the name of his style of martial arts, which had been passed down over many generations, under many names, from Shaolin, by way of Japan.
Lineage
According to the origin legend of Bok Fu, Shin Tzu, the head monk of the Shaolin Monastery, fled the Mongol invasion of China in 1235 AD to take refuge with a Shinto Priest named Kosho no Kumamoto at the Shaka-in Temple in Kyushu, Japan. Kosho was born to a high ranking Samurai family, and as such was well versed in the Japanese Samurai arts. Until Shin Tzu returned to China in 1240, he practiced and passed his fighting knowledge to Kosho. Kosho in turn passed it down through his family for generations. Despite the legend, Meir Shahar notes there is no historical evidence for the practicing of unarmed boxing at Shaolin until the transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In 1923, the 21st descendant of the Kosho family was born, James Masayoshi Mitose. He was taught the family secret at his family's private Shaka-in Temple, West Koyazon, Kumamoto, Japan. James Mitose would break from tradition in 1937 - leaving Japan at the onset of war - and head to Hawaii. There Mitose founded the Honolulu Official Self Defense Club in 1942 and taught what is now known as Koshoryu Kenpo.
William Chow, one of James Mitose's Black Belts, was also taught Kung Fu by his father at an early age. Chow saw the similarities between Mitose's Koshoryu Kenpo and father's Kung Fu knowledge, in spite of their thousand years of separation. Chow passed down his knowledge when he opened his Kenpo Kung-Fu school in 1949.
Chow passed his Kenpo Kung-Fu knowledge down to Edmund Parker. Edmund Parker in turn passed his knowledge down to Al and Will Tracy. Al Tracy systematized the art and added a belt structure. Al Tracy taught Chinese Kenpo to his student, Richard Lee.
Richard Lee in turn passed his tradition under the name of Bok Fu in 1967. His first three schools were located in Castro Valley, Dublin, and Walnut Creek. By 1974 the total student body numbered more than 5000.
Technique
Bok Fu is an aggressive external martial arts system. It combines the 5 animals of Shaolin - Tiger, Crane, Panther, Snake, and Dragon - with and Shotokan. The training progresses from hard Japanese Shotokan movements, to hard/soft Japanese Kenpo style movements, to fluid soft style Kung Fu movements - each with the mentality of the Tiger.
Notables
1987 - Ron Lee, a descendant of Richard Lee and Huang Sian Teh, assemble a team of Bok Fu artists to represent the United States at the World Kung Fu Championships Invitational held in the Republic of China. They became the first overseas team to win the event.
2009 - Ana Julaton, a Bok Fu Black Belt, becomes WBO Super Bantamweight World Champion, and IBA Super Bantamweight World Champion.
2013 - Ron Lee (Ron Leskoschek)- was not part of the '75 team and never played a role in assembling the team that went to Taiwan (ROC) in 1975. Ron had left East-West in '74 and changed East West - Berkeley, to West Wind.

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