Influences forever to be missed...Forever Loved & Appreciated!

Since November of 2010, those of us who participate in the world of Martial Arts & Self-defense, particularly with those connected to Bruce Lee (whom I'm aware of), have been experiencing loss in our great "hall of fame" of teachers.
First was Ted Wong, a close friend & last private student of Bruce Lee. He was a proponent of "Original" Jeet Kune Do from Lee's Los Angeles Period.

Next, came Jerry Poteet. Another L.A. Period Bruce Lee student. I don't really know much about him, other than he was respected and helped pay homage to Bruce by helping train actor Jason Scott Lee (no relation to Bruce) for his role as Bruce in the not so true bio-pic "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story".

Following, Jerry, was Howard Williams. He was a student of both Bruce Lee and James Yimm Lee of the Oakland Period. From what I understand he was also a friend to Jesse Glover (Bruce's 1st student), and a very good fighter.

Then, in the month of May 2011, things started to get a little closer to home for me. Professor Wally Jay, founder of Small Circle Jujitsu, was a friend of Bruce Lee's. He was also a close friend and teacher to my friends (and teachers) Ronald Ogi & (Sijo) James DeMile. Professor Jay lived a long life of 93 years. That fact, though, does not justify his death. But I bring up that point because Prof. Jay from everything I've heard, and the reaction towards him that I've seen, was a living embodiment of what we all hope our children end up being like when you have them enrolled in martial arts. Though he was ridiculed in his early coaching years when his Judo team wasn't that successful, after developing the Small Circle principle, Prof. Jay became a well respected teacher, with many teachers who liked or loved him; and that lasted for most of 93 years of life. That is a rarity in the world of martial arts where a lot of egotistical individuals look at other teachers as threats. The fact that Professor was so well loved showed how generous, & kind hearted he was for many, many years. A true legend, who had good "stuff" to share, that many enjoyed adding to their repertoire, or enrolling to learn.

Then earlier this year (2012), an unknown Master by the name of Fook Yeung past away. He was more than just a friend to Bruce Lee, he was like family, and was Bruce's unknown teacher in Seattle. People always knew about Yip Man (or Ip Man) as Bruce's teacher in Hong Kong. But very few knew of Master Yeung's role in Bruce's development. Why? Probably because as people do research about Bruce they'll find out how secretive he was. And Master Yeung had a LOT to offer! Due to Fook Yeung's life in the Chinese Opera, he learned many styles of Gung-fu, and had to use that knowledge to defend the performers who could not protect themselves from the bandits  and robbers that would attack the Opera troop. I'm only speculating, but I don't find it hard to believe, that he played a major role in influencing Bruce to learn to be more open minded in experiencing what other arts had to offer, and how to find his "way", his own personal "Gung-Fu", and be a role model of sorts to Bruce as to how one can blend arts without adding or being confused about hundreds & hundreds of different techniques. I had the honor, and luck of being in the same room as Master Yeung, as he made a guest appearance at his student Master Steve Smith's seminar. Steve is also the inheritor of Master Yeung's system/method - Fook Yeung Chuan. Every video footage, and every story I've heard of the man is how jolly and kind he was, though you could feel how he could totally decimate you! It was amazing to witness this happy, gentle, and small chinese man use one arm to stick and throw off balance an individual roughly 6'2" and pretty big (I'm not good with guessing weight for tall guys). Then I was just awestruck to watch him and Steve sticking, PLAYING and still show he had it! Never getting egotistical in the process; always carrying a jolly smile! Though I never had the pleasure of training with him, or getting to know him, getting to know and develop a relationship with his student Steve Smith lets me know how great Master Yeung was. Steve is such a great guy!

Finally, yesterday, things got REALLY close, I felt it personally. Jesse Raymond Glover, Bruce Lee's 1st student, and training partner with my teacher James DeMile, and someone who I had the honor of being a student of...passed away...

I cannot say that I was as close to Jesse as I am to Sijo DeMile, or that I was a long time student...

...though I WISH I could!

But the short time I had to be his student will forever influence me as a practitioner of the arts, and more importantly...as a person! Usually in the martial arts world, when a teacher has a new coming student that has had previous training with another art, or other teacher, they can appear "stand-offish". They sit back for a long time to see what kind of person this guy is. Is he coming in to challenge his school? Is he coming in to just take, take, take? Jesse never made me feel like he was "sizing me up." He was so welcoming, on my first or second night training he not only shook my hand, but gave me one of those hugs with you hand shake in between you that all us guys do. He barely really knew me! Yet he was that welcoming!

I know that sounds silly considering my other teacher was a "classmate" of his. But unfortunately, the only downside to being part of Sijo DeMile's lineage, is that due to him being a more "public" teacher out of the original group - meaning he ran a commercial studio that was more accessible to the public (than Jesse's or Ed Hart's groups which were primarily invitation only), you can get a lot of guys that come in, don't stick around (or stick around for a long time) and still leave with a chip on their shoulder because they learned some stuff, and can "say" they trained at DeMile's school; just arrogant people. Now don't take this as meaning DeMile is as much of a jerk as some of these former students. He's not! If students are examples of the attitude of their teachers, I'm proud to have the reputation of a non-egotistical martial artist due in large part to Sijo DeMile's influence on me. Sometimes, though, in a commercial school, guys "slip through the cracks". And sometimes, these guys burning bridges with Sijo seek out Jesse Glover, and Jesse finds these guys to be arrogant, nothing but takers, basically insincere people!

Obviously "it takes two people to have a relationship". And yeah I've heard some say to me it's my character that helped Jesse be so welcoming. But I think it speaks larger of him, because of how quickly he was kind and friendly to me. He didn't have to be. I will always remember those few nights I hung out at his club, after training talking to him about his ideas of self-defense and technique (the man was REALLY intelligent)...and especially seeing him joke around and messing with his students who you can really tell were more than just students, they were like family (scratch that) they ARE family. And he never hesitated to come up to me and really watch me try to learn his stuff, give me advise whenever I asked, or even if I didn't ask. I enjoyed hearing about his exploits when he was a young kid in the military when we all went out to eat as a group after training.

...I really enjoyed being in his presence and being a student of his...

It was great to experience his Non-Classical Gung-Fu! To see that knowledge, and him as an individual truly inspire, and become someone close and dear to his students. He really cared about his students (and they cared about him). It was nice to see him tell a student to sit back and rest a little knowing his student's health condition; where as some teachers would just let them figure out when to stop on their own. It shows how much he really cares! The POWER, the simplicity, yet the artistic nuances that made what he did not so simple, yet simple was amazing. Every time he demonstrated a technique on me, or even when I just shook his hand to say hello or good-bye, you could FEEL how powerful his energy was; and that's even knowing he's not at his best due to the illness he was battling. I wish I could've had more time! At times I think about what I could've done to start with him sooner. But realize that where my life was at before training with him just couldn't have allowed me to do so without being selfish and ruining the relationships within my own family - wife, kids & my own students.

But I'm forever grateful for the time I did have! I will miss you, Jesse! I will always treat future students, and just people in general with the same type of kindness you shared with me, and not be afraid to interact with them the same way I saw you interact with me and your other students!

Let me just end with this...great teachers, GREAT PEOPLE are all around us! Never judge people by their lifestyle, by the way they dress, by their age, religion, etc, etc. You may never know how that person will make a long lasting POSITIVE effect on you & your life, even for as short of a time that may be. We will miss them when they are gone, yes, but we can carry on the legacy of kindness and love they shared with us, to those we interact with. They say misery loves company, and therefore they seek others to be miserable with them. Let's influence things to give them a crowd they want to be around that's positive. Instead of thinking that negativity and misery is something we come to expect, why not make positivity, sharing & mutual growth the norm.

Thank you great teachers! THANK YOU, JESSE!