Regarding the combat abilities of Chinese kung fu stars, who is truly the best fighter? Fans might argue for days. However, there is one action star whose fighting prowess is widely acknowledged: Billy Chow, a Canadian-Chinese actor known for his role as the Japanese soldier Fujita Go with fellow actor Jet Li in the classic kung fu film Fist of Legend.
Billy Chow is a legitimate world champion in free fighting, with his skills proven in world-class free fighting arenas. But behind this champion lies a story of challenges faced by Billy and his master, Frank Lee, as they sought to restore the honor of Chinese kung fu.
Frank Lee’s martial arts background
Born in the 1930s in Heshan County, Guangdong Province, Frank Lee grew up in poverty during the difficult times of the war, with barely enough to eat, let alone learn martial arts. In the 1940s, his family moved to Hong Kong to escape the war, hoping to settle in Canada eventually. While in Hong Kong, Frank’s mother, concerned about his frail health, took him to various martial arts schools to see if he was interested in learning. They visited a White Crane boxing school in Wan Chai, where Frank was impressed by a master’s flying kick and decided to learn there.
Frank was thrilled to start learning martial arts, but three months later, his mother informed him that the family could no longer afford the lessons due to financial difficulties. Deeply in love with martial arts, young Frank boldly asked his master if he could work at the school to pay for his lessons. The understanding master agreed. In Chinese martial arts, talent is necessary, but diligence is essential. Frank quickly mastered the powerful Tiger Crane style.
In the 1960s, the family immigrated to Canada. Without other skills, Frank initially worked odd jobs in a bar, toiling from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Despite the hard work, the most challenging part was dealing with drunk patrons who mocked him as a “Chinaman.”
A fight for fame
One day, a girl named Corney visited the bar. Nearby patrons were making inappropriate comments toward her. Frank, unable to tolerate it, asked them to be respectful. Seeing a thin Chinese man, they dismissed him and prepared to fight. Frank, a trained martial artist, quickly handled the situation. The girl, witnessing this, was speechless and later became Frank’s wife. They had a son named Jason Lee.
The fight not only won Frank his wife, but also fame. Soon, fighters and local toughs challenged him, and Frank defeated them all. However, the bar became a challenging venue, and the owner suggested Frank open his own martial arts school to handle these challenges. Thus, Frank established his school in Edmonton, Canada.
Teaching and innovation
Many students came to learn from Frank, who adhered to traditional martial arts teaching methods. He emphasized both physical and moral development. Traditional martial arts focus on technique, but also incorporate strength training. The key is practicality. Initially, Frank taught many conventional routines.
In Canada, challengers came from various martial arts backgrounds, including Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing. As Frank’s reputation grew, so did the number of challengers, all of whom he defeated. Known as “the unbeatable in North America,” Frank’s fame spread.
However, the so-called “invincibility” was challenged when a heavyweight American boxer defeated Frank, dismissing Chinese kung fu as a “beautiful dance.” This defeat prompted Frank to reevaluate traditional martial arts teaching methods, realizing that while they develop overall skills, actual combat effectiveness requires practical application. Determined to restore the honor of Chinese kung fu, Frank decided to focus on professional fighting.
Unable to compete due to age, Frank saw potential in a new student, Billy Chow, a young Canadian-Chinese with a natural talent for free fighting. Frank decided to train Billy to compete professionally and restore the honor of Chinese kung fu.
Innovating martial arts techniques
Starting in the 1980s, Frank reformed his training methods, studying various martial arts, including boxing, karate, Muay Thai, wrestling, and judo, and integrating valuable techniques with Chinese kung fu. He transformed his school into a modern free-fighting gym, focusing on practical skills rather than traditional routines.
Frank and Billy were determined to showcase Chinese kung fu’s strength in free-fighting competitions. In 1982, Billy won his first championship title in a lightweight free-fighting competition in Canada. In 1985, he became the world light middleweight free-fighting champion and the first Chinese world champion in free-fighting. Billy continued to defeat champions from Thailand and Iran, proving the effectiveness of his training.
Today, Frank has taught for over 50 years and trained over 200,000 students, including multiple world and Canadian free-fighting champions. His students, skilled in a blend of Chinese kung fu, boxing, karate, Muay Thai, wrestling, and judo, are formidable in competitions. Frank is respected as the “Father of North American Free Fighting” and has been recognized as a cultural representative of Southeast Asia.
Despite his success, Frank remains humble. He advises his son that martial arts is a gradual process and that he should not push himself too hard for victory, which can lead to adverse results.
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