Eric Lee

[Jimbo]

I've seen Eric Lee in person a lot over the years, starting at a big Kenpo/Kajukenbo gathering back in 1981, where he performed one of his strobe light forms. Also seen him many times at Ed Parker's Long Beach Internationals where my CLF sifu, who's known him for decades, introduced me to him back in the '90s. He seemed like a cool, down-to-earth guy.

[Lokhopkuen]

He has got some northern shaolin. He even has some of our forms he was selling in the back of some old Black Belt Magazine... Really old, I remember looking at some of his vids back in the late 80's or early 90's.

ginosifu

I've know Eric since I was a kid He learned Northern Shaolin from Johnny So actually, but added extra moves to the form to spice them up He's a good guy.

[GeneChing]

Read Eric Lee: On martial arts, media, and essentially maintaining a peace of mind by Annabelle A. Udo in our 1993 Fall issue (issue #7)

[Lokhopkuen]

You sir are a repository of coolness

[Lucas]

beats being a suppository

[GeneChing]

There are times when nothing beats a suppository of coolness.

[Lucas]

hey as long as im invited to the after party its all good

[Lokhopkuen]

Lotta time on you're hands huh

[GeneChing]

As long as you're bringing some ninjettes, Lucas, you are certainly welcome to the afterparty.

[Lucas]

oh i'll bring the ninjettes my friend, you just keep that suppository ready to go!

[Lokhopkuen]

There are times when nothing beats a suppository of coolness.

I keep 'em in my EMT jump bag

[mig]

What made Eric Lee the king of Kata? Is that because there were not enough Kung fu guys out there during the 70's? What kind of forms, made up or traditional forms made him famous? I understand he practiced several styles but I don't see much in the internet. Anyone has found anything about the forms he performed?

[mickey]

Greetings,

Eric Lee was known as "The Little King of Kata". The term "Little" may have been attached because of his height or keep him from being seen as an economic threat to other karateka. I remember reading that he did perform to music and to strobe lighting as well. And, yes, there were not too many kung fu men competing at the time. I only saw a glimpse of what he performed in The New Centurions. It appeared to be a composite empty hand form or a Northern Shaolin Form. His Sifu, Al Dacascos was into creating competition forms. i remember being told that he liked to compete with double broadswords. In the late 1980's, he put the bulk of his knowledge on vhs. He has yet to release them. From what I remember, there were Northern Shaolin and Northern Lohan forms. There are some West Coast guys here who can do a better share than I can.

Billy shared a link to a dvd that featured the American Masters of the Martial Arts. The link did have Eric Lee on it @1:30. I do not know if the dvd has him doing a complete form. You can inquire the seller.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGr0DZHy__o

And though he had that appelation, he, Malia Dacascos, Karen Turner, Karen Shepard and Al Dacascos were definitely the pillars that gave rise to other creative forms competitors such as James Lew and Al Leong, both students of Douglas Wong, and the West Coast Demo Team.

mickey

[Jimbo]

I've seen Eric Lee in person many times at events over the years, the first time at a dinner function/demo for Kajukenbo and Kenpo people in 1981. Adriano Emperado was there. Eric Lee did perform that time to music and strobe lights. I also saw him at more than one of the Long Beach Internationals. My CLF teacher has known Eric Lee since the 70s, and he was talking to him at the 1994 Internationals and called me over and introduced me to him. I've also seen him since then, many years ago at a birthday dinner for Share K. Lew. Eric Lee seems like a nice guy, and he was very fit. He is a small guy, so I assume that's where the "little" in Little King of Kata comes from, as opposed to any attempt by karate guys to downplay him.

Regarding the forms he did, the strobe lights one had a lot of acrobatics and a split thrown in...I don't remember a name for it. I saw him do a "drunken style" fighting demo at an Internationals which was theatrical in nature (he probably made it up).

I believe that Eric Lee was originally Kajukenbo (or "Wun Hop Kuen Do", which is probably an offshoot). Many Kajukenbo people incorporated movements from CMA into their forms back then. However, I don't think his demo forms were traditional kung fu. Back in the 70s, there weren't a lot of CMA people in the karate tournaments. My CLF Sifu and his students fought in the 60s and 70s karate comps, and Gini Lau (Ying Jow Fan Zi) was a forms champion. As mentioned, Douglas Wong, Al Leong, James Lew, Al and Malia Dacoscos, etc., were also part of that scene. But overall, kung fu was sparsely represented in the karate comps.

@mickey:
Speaking of Douglas Wong, his wife, Carrie Ogawa-Wong, was very good in her forms demos.

[mickey]

Greetings,

Jimbo: Thank you for getting Malia Dacascos' name right. And yes, Carrie Ogawa-Wong did compete well.

I came back to correct Malia's name and add Anthony Chan, Roger Tung and Keith Hirabayashi to the list. Keith Hirabayashi was one of the few who really WORKED the Wushu back in the 1980's. I think he even went to Mainland China to train. He came back and kept working at it and he really got results. If he had competed in the Houston Nationals, he would have been the only one who could have given Art D'agostino competition and I say that as a deep compliment to both men.

mickey