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southernrock
08-18-2010, 04:30 PM
Although not TCMA, San Quan Dao was, or is, apparently influenced by kung fu, with Southern Praying Mantis, being one of it's components, and Pai Lum being another.It is an eclectic, modern martial art, founded by the late Dr. Paul Olson in the 1960's, and was reportedly heavily influenced by the late Grandmaster of Pai Lum, Daniel K. Pai.

This art's foremost practioner and teacher for some time evidently was a gentleman named Rober D'Onofrio, who ran a San Quan Dao school in San Francisco, for perhaps two decades, or longer. Sometime in the late 1990's Mr. D'Onofrio began teaching Krav Maga, along with his San Quan Dao, and at some point, began concentrating more on Krav Maga. From an article I found on the Web, from around this time frame he told an interviewer, that Krav Maga was beginning to supplant the Chinese Boxing he was teaching.

Apparently, in the early 2000's Mr. D'Onofrio moved to Las Vegas, and opened a Krav Maga school. He seems to have either retired from teaching now, or moved on, to a new location.

Mr. D'Onofrio apparently taught seminars on San Quan Dao, when he was still based in San Francisco, with an aikido man named Hans Goto, using the principles of San Quan Dao as applied to aikido, among other things.

I would like to know if any of the members of this Forum, had ever trained in this system, or ever attended one or more of the seminars taught on it, and if so, would appreciate your thoughts and recollections about this style.

I don't know if this art is currently being taught anywhere, or not. Here is a link to an old interview with Mr. D'Onofrio, discussing San Quan Dao, that I believe is around 15 years old: http://martial-arts-network.com/qa14.htm

southernrock
08-18-2010, 04:41 PM
Never heard of it. San Quan Dao - Three Fist Way?

Kudos to Mr. D'onofrio for owning up to developing his own MMA and giving props to the influences, instead of claiming he learned some secret ancient family style and charging people up the @ss whenever he can.

What was the level of sparring contact like, and what were the rules of engagement?

I couldn't tell you, Xiao3 Meng4, but if anyone else has knowledge about this, or anything else about the art, please weigh in.