Doc
Senior Master
In the latest issue of Black Belt Magazine, there is an interesting “last interview” with Kwai Sun “Thunderbolt” Chow. Read in its entirety, it says much about Professor Chow at the time of the interview in 1986. A plain and simple man, he often spoke directly of his feelings of the moment. He often played “mind games” and even would say the opposite of what he actually meant sometimes only to correct you later in the conversation, after you assumed he meant what he said previously.
He was small in stature but a giant of a man with a rich personal history who never failed to have an opinion on a subject, and you could make of it what you will, because if you didnÂ’t like it, he could whip your a$$. Some of the things said were controversial, but the interviewer, Jim Perkins, makes note of this wry sense of humor and emotional dichotomy that keeps you off balance, and allows you should take the interview, and Chow at face value.
Some of the things covered:
When asked how he received the title “Professor,” he essentially said he gave the title to himself, and the interviewer could do the same. He than alluded to that if you did he and Emperado would come to see you to determine if you could back the title up. I like that. I wish we could do that today.
When asked how he became a 15th degree, Chow asked what the highest rank was. When the interviewer said 10th, Chow allowed that is why he is 15th. “If everyone else is 10th, than the Professor is 15th.”
When asked about Mitose, Chow displayed pictures of very large Japanese men, Chow essentially says, these huge men are Mitose “bodyguards.” He added that he knocked them both out. When asked if he got his black belt from Mitose, Chow said his father taught him not Mitose, and that Mitose was just a “con man.” In describing his relationship with Mitose, he said what I had always been told by Ed Parker Sr., that they collaborated with each other. And he added, Mitose used him to make himself famous by setting up demos where Chow performed all of the physical stuff, and Mitose “talk,” while Chow would “show.” He also spoke of how Mitose had to have bodyguards because “a lot of people wanted to beat him up”, and he was afraid.
On Ed Parker, Chow said, “Parker big shot on the mainland, right?” When the interviewer agreed Chow (upset) said, “Ed Parker think he the King of Kenpo, but he wrong! There is no King of Kenpo. There is only the Professor.” When the interviewer pointed out Parker was one of his Black Belts, Chow said, “No he’s not! He tell people that to make himself look big. Everyone says they Black Belt under the Professor just to make money.” When the interviewer asked if Parker trained under him, Chow said, “He trained under me, but he only make it to purple belt. He work more with Emperado than me. Go talk to him.” (Emperado)
When asked who would take over when he retired, Chow said, “There is only one man who know all of Kara-Ho System: Jacob.” And pointed to one of his black belts, and added, “He been my student since 5 years old.”
When asked who one should go see on the mainland to learn true Kara-Ho, Chow said, “You go see Nick Cerio.”
The short interview is a fascinating one and I urge everyone to get a copy and read it for themselves. Everyone is fairly polarized already on most of the subjects in the interview, but its interesting reading and you can make of it what you will. AFTER reading the interview in its entirety, IÂ’m sure it will make for some spirited discussions on this thread. Enjoy.
He was small in stature but a giant of a man with a rich personal history who never failed to have an opinion on a subject, and you could make of it what you will, because if you didnÂ’t like it, he could whip your a$$. Some of the things said were controversial, but the interviewer, Jim Perkins, makes note of this wry sense of humor and emotional dichotomy that keeps you off balance, and allows you should take the interview, and Chow at face value.
Some of the things covered:
When asked how he received the title “Professor,” he essentially said he gave the title to himself, and the interviewer could do the same. He than alluded to that if you did he and Emperado would come to see you to determine if you could back the title up. I like that. I wish we could do that today.
When asked how he became a 15th degree, Chow asked what the highest rank was. When the interviewer said 10th, Chow allowed that is why he is 15th. “If everyone else is 10th, than the Professor is 15th.”
When asked about Mitose, Chow displayed pictures of very large Japanese men, Chow essentially says, these huge men are Mitose “bodyguards.” He added that he knocked them both out. When asked if he got his black belt from Mitose, Chow said his father taught him not Mitose, and that Mitose was just a “con man.” In describing his relationship with Mitose, he said what I had always been told by Ed Parker Sr., that they collaborated with each other. And he added, Mitose used him to make himself famous by setting up demos where Chow performed all of the physical stuff, and Mitose “talk,” while Chow would “show.” He also spoke of how Mitose had to have bodyguards because “a lot of people wanted to beat him up”, and he was afraid.
On Ed Parker, Chow said, “Parker big shot on the mainland, right?” When the interviewer agreed Chow (upset) said, “Ed Parker think he the King of Kenpo, but he wrong! There is no King of Kenpo. There is only the Professor.” When the interviewer pointed out Parker was one of his Black Belts, Chow said, “No he’s not! He tell people that to make himself look big. Everyone says they Black Belt under the Professor just to make money.” When the interviewer asked if Parker trained under him, Chow said, “He trained under me, but he only make it to purple belt. He work more with Emperado than me. Go talk to him.” (Emperado)
When asked who would take over when he retired, Chow said, “There is only one man who know all of Kara-Ho System: Jacob.” And pointed to one of his black belts, and added, “He been my student since 5 years old.”
When asked who one should go see on the mainland to learn true Kara-Ho, Chow said, “You go see Nick Cerio.”
The short interview is a fascinating one and I urge everyone to get a copy and read it for themselves. Everyone is fairly polarized already on most of the subjects in the interview, but its interesting reading and you can make of it what you will. AFTER reading the interview in its entirety, IÂ’m sure it will make for some spirited discussions on this thread. Enjoy.
