From 1995 to 1998 in New Jersey USA, close to being 40 years old (while taking my boy who was born in 1990 to learn Tiger-Crane Choy Lee Fut) I was the oldest student there. Sifu Vizzio had the courtesy of giving me a little trophy for "surviving" one of their tournaments.
I also took my child to our Sifu's Sifu school in New York for a seminar to learn a broadsword form. He was the only child in the seminar, using a wooden sword. It was a little frightening seeing all those metal swords being moved around my boy.
John Wai was my Sifu for the longest time, from around 2002 to 2011 in Florida USA. I obtained my black sash in my first 6 years of constant practice, 1 year per level. My best memories are the classes with Simo Francine, and taking the last test with Osei Xavier.
I was invited to help the new students and taking tests, but that was not my call at the moment. Osei on the other hand, became one of the instructors. We took classes from Bill and Martin. All the others instructors are from newer generations. Then I moved to Ecuador.
From 2011 to 2013 in Guayaquil (Ecuador) my Sifu was Victor Chang Wai Tong. His school was the most traditional I could find there. Just like in the movies, it is an empty big car garage repurposed as a kung-fu school.
He taught me two complete forms of chi-kung and the basics of internal martial arts, to understand how flexibility is improved or maintained at old age. Knowing that I was moving to live on the mountains, he told me to open a kung-fu school. But again, that was not my call at the moment.
Since March 2021, After my youngest daughter Zhijian joined Sifu Siu Hung Li school, I followed her. And more recently, my granddaughter Isabella followed us. In the picture my daughter has a red bracelet, and by her side is our instructor John. I was in the middle, showing my 4th level certificate. And on the other side Isabella and our Sifu.
