Special Acknowledgement
At the age of 5, Grandmaster Gee started his
martial arts training under the tutelage of his father. While attaining mastery
of the various styles in his Kung Fu family lineage, Grandmaster Garrett Gee demonstrated an
affinity and flair for swordsmanship and is considered an expert swordsman. He and his brothers are the inheritors of
Grandmaster Peter Kim Ho Chu's accumulated knowledge. Consequently, Grandmaster Gee
is an accomplished practitioner and instructor of traditional Kung Fu weapons
styles. At the age of 13, Grandmaster Gee impressed Dr. Wang
Ming as they became
acquainted while training daily in a park. Sifu Gee became the last of Dr.
Wang's four disciples who received full training in Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen.
Grandmaster Gee has been teaching since his move to the United States in 1975 at the
age of 18. In 2001 he was voted "Martial Artist of the Year" by Action Magazine.
Grandmaster Gee, on October 2003, authored one of the best selling martial
arts book "Mastering Kung Fu: Shaolin Wing Chun". With the
success of his first book and after many requests Grandmaster Gee is considering
writing a second Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun book which will introduce more information to the public.
Traditionally, Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen was taught primarily to family members
and/or indoor disciples. Until instruction of Garrett Gee by Dr. Ming Wang, Hung
Fa Yi was never taught outside the family. In order to preserve his art and to
honor his Kung Fu lineage, Sifu Gee has decided to pass on his knowledge to
students who have demonstrated sincere interest in this Wing Chun style. He is
currently the 8th Generation successor of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun. His decision to
open the system represents the first time in its 330 year history that Hung Fa
Yi Wing Chun Kuen has been taught outside China or to the public.
Zhu Xi
Sifu Garrett Gee comes from a family line renowned for
intellectual leadership, statesmanship, and excellence in martial arts and
military matters. Dating back 33 generations in Garrett Gee's direct ancestral
line was Zhu Xi. According to sifu's written family tree, Zhu Xi married
the daughter of mister Lau Chi-Chung and had three sons of which Sifu Gee is
related to the middle or second son. Zhu Xi, one of the most prominent philosophers in all of
Chinese history and was named the 45th Most Important Person in the last
millennium by the Life
Magazine. Zhu Xi played a pivotal role in the revival of Confucianism
through the establishment of advanced academic institutions, active public
correspondence with fellow scholars, publication of close to 100 books, and
instruction of personal disciples who achieved broad public acceptance in their
own rights. In addition to his enlightening commentaries on Confucianism, Zhu Xi
profoundly influenced Chinese philosophical development for generations through
his expositions on logical thought and scientific rationale. An Imperial decree
in 1251, decades after Zhu Xi's death, designated several of his published
commentaries as required reading for all government students. During the Ming
Dynasty, Zhu Xi was officially elevated to the stature of Confucius and his
birth was celebrated twice yearly. Even the finest ancient academies of
scholarly study in surrounding Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam
and other south asian countries still focus their
curriculums around the writings and philosophies of Zhu Xi.
In more modern times, Sifu Gee's grandfather, Chu Jun-Bak
was a renowned military leader who served as the chief instructor at Wong Bo Military
School, the foremost military academy in China. Wong Bo's prominence equates to
the status of West Point in the United States. Chu Jun-Bak's actually shared
leadership at the Wong Bo Military School with Chiang Kai Shek in the early
1940s. Chu Jun-Bak then moved to Fatshan where his military and political acumen
led to his service as Chief of Police and later as Deputy Mayor of Fatshan.
Further political influence was curtailed upon the rise of Mao Tse-Tung and the
Communist takeover of China.
Garrett Gee's father and first
instructor, Grandmaster Peter Kim Ho Chu, is a much-respected Wu Tang instructor
with more than 40 years teaching experience.
Grandmaster Peter Chu with
longtime family friend Kwan Tek-Hing at the grand opening of Grandmaster's
Chu's school in downtown San Francisco, 1990.
