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5thBrother
08-11-2014, 07:17 AM
This is actually from an interview with Randy Williams (Wing Chun) - http://www.crcawingchun.co.uk/?q=rw_interview_1

But I recall one member of this forum always interested in Quentin Fong stuff.

Further could use this topic for anyone to share info on Bak Hok Pai and Quentin Fong topics.

Anyways thought someone might be interested in this.

"Q: Do you have a particularly memorable martial art experience which has remained with you as an inspiration for your training?
A: I have a number, but an experience I had at the San Francisco school of White Crane Sifu Quentin Fong probably had the most impact on me, and sticks with me the most. Fong Sifu was on the cover of the very first IKF magazine I ever read, and to me, he embodied everything that Gung Fu was supposed to be. So I convinced my mom to let me take a bus trip all alone from LA to San Francisco to visit his school.
After the long bus trip up, I found his school just off the cable car route. When I knocked, a couple of the students who came to the door were mean to me and wouldn't let me in. But since my bus wasn't leaving until later that night, I decided to sit outside and wait. When Fong Sifu showed up later, he asked me where I was from and why I was sitting outside instead of inside watching the class. When I explained, he took me inside and asked, "Which one of these guys was it? Was it him? What about this one?" He then scolded the guys and made them stand in very low stances until their legs shook. Then he had them clamp quarters between the handles of those springy hand-gripper things and made them throw hundreds of Crane punches, arms fully extended with the grippers held tightly closed so as not to drop the quarters. When they were sufficiently humbled, he had the entire group demonstrate forms for me - empty hand, weapons and even one with a sawhorse-like work bench. Afterwards, he took me into his office and picked out a nice T-shirt with a picture of a crane on it and the Chinese characters for White Crane written in red across the chest, which he gave to me. Then he insisted on driving me back to the bus station and waiting for me to get on before he left, because it was on a bad part of Market Street. He waved goodbye as he drove off.
I still have that shirt, and the memories of that day, many years ago.
Had he not taken the time and effort to treat me so well, I might've given up my passion for Gung Fu long ago. "

madhusudan
08-12-2014, 08:40 AM
Cool story. I wonder if this was the magazine cover: http://www.ma-mags.com/Mags/IKF70/IKF%201974-07%20Cov.jpg

jdhowland
08-26-2014, 07:10 PM
Madhusudan, the interview posted had nothing to do with the IKF article. I trained under Master Fong just after that issue was published. 1553 Mason Street, S.F.--it was a great school.

madhusudan
08-27-2014, 07:00 AM
I was referring to this quote from the interview: "Fong Sifu was on the cover of the very first IKF magazine I ever read…"