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Along with regular classes, Prof. Chow-Hoon
was sent to study long-life massage at Prof. Okazaki's Nikko
Sanitarium. There were several people he admired that were
skilled in long-life massage. people like John Cahill, Jerry
Turatani, Moses Pang, Bill Costa, Boyd Andretti and others.
Koshoryu Kenpo
While studying Danzan Ryu Jujitsu at the Kaheka
lane dojo, Prof. Chow-Hoon was also studying the art of
Koshoryu Kenpo with his brothers William and Frank. When
his brother Prof. William(Kwai Sun) Chow graduated from
James Mitose' school of Kenpo Jujitsu, he opened his dojo
at the Chow home. when Prof. Chow-Hoon's father left Hawaii
to go back to China, Prof. Chow took everything out of the
house and knocked down a couple of the walls, including
a piano shop next door in order to transform their home
into a regular dojo. William would later open up schools
on Young Street, at the Kapahulu Japanese school and latter
on at the Nuuanu YMCA.
Prof. Chow-Hoon received his shodan in Kenpo
in 1943 along with Prof. Simeon Eli and several others.
in attendance at his promotion were his friends Charlie
(Prof. Toru Tanaka) Kalani and Arthur Lyman both of whom
would later become famous in the entertainment business.
Many good students came out of the Kenpo
school at the Nuuanu YMCA, Bill Chun, Mainuei. Dela Cruz
Bobby Lowe, Harry Pang, Boyd Mckandless, the Emperado brothers
Joe and Adriano (Adriano would latter on with others form
an eclectic form of self-defense called Kajukenbo) Simeon
Eli, Ed parker (Parker would latter bring Kenpo Karate to
the mainland) "brother" Abe Kamahoahoa, Ralph
Castro and many others.
Prof. Chow-Hoon received his shodan from Prof. Okazaki in
1945, the day before he was inducted into the U.S. Army.
Military Life
After entering the military in 1945, Prof.
Chow-Hoon was assigned to camp Roberts, Calif. For basic
training, from camp Roberts he was sent to the Philippine
Islands.
While in the orient, the Prof. Used to moon-light
as a professional wrestler. He ran across many of the top
wrestlers of the day including the "Masked Marvel",
who was the father of Dave Castoldi, a well known martial
artist from the Boston area.
Prof. Chow-Hoon returned to Hawaii and was
assigned to the Military Police Division. He was selected
to become the instructor at the Military Police School for
Self-Defense. Besides the military police he also trained
the police for the Hawaiian National Guard, several members
of the Honolulu Police Dept. and also members of the F.B.I..
Next, Prof. Chow-Hoon spent a tour of duty
in Korea where he worked out with Yudo (Judo) and Tang So
Do clubs.
Once again Prof. Chow-Hoon returned home to
Hawaii. While there he would train at the Kaheka Lane club,
which was one of Prof. Okazaki's many clubs teaching the
Dan Zan Ryu system. Some of the individuals who came out
of this club were people like John Kaneakua, Joe Holck,
Sam and Bill Prestridge, Michael Chon and Sam Luke Sr..
During the middle of the 50's, Prof. Chow-Hoon
along with Prof. Francisco Limbago taught at Schofield barracks,
Hawaii where he was selected as one of the Judo coaches
representing Hawaii. This team took 1st place at all military
games. His heavyweights were Prof. Toru Tanaka and Larry
Price. Price would later go on to become the football coach
at the University of Hawaii.
During this period the military used to have
an "All Army Show". A kind of talent show. Prof.
Ramon Ancho was selected as the best of the show. He would
perform "Board Breaking" using multiple boards
using his fingers. During one of these shows Prof. Chow-Hoon
and Prof. Limbago pulled a trick on Prof. Ancho. Prior to
his portion of the show, both the Prof's wet a couple of
the boards without telling Prof. Ancho. He had to hit the
boards more than a couple of time in order to break them.
He knew they had pulled a trick on him for they both had
a great big smile on their face.
1960 - 1962
Prof. Chow-Hoon got stationed in Japan, where
he was able to train at the Kodokan dojo. Out of respect
he started out as a white belt. But by the time he left
Japan in 1962 he was ranked as a San Dan (3rd degree black
belt).
1962
At the end of 1962 Prof. Chow-Hoon was stationed
at the Fort Ord in California as a drill sergeant. This
is when he first started to teach in the Monterey area.
He ran across another Okazaki student Prof. Toru Tanaka.
Whenever Prof. Tanaka would leave to go off to wrestle,
Prof. Chow-Hoon would help out and run the class. And when
he could not be there due to military obligations Cal Avila
and Joe Takayama would stand in.
1964 - 1965
In 1964, Prof. Chow-Hoon was transferred to
Alaska but still manager to work out and teach in anchorage.
In 1965 he was assigned to Viet Nam. There he taught martial
arts at the police station in Tien Nin.
Dojo
Prof. Chow-Hoon retired from the military after
over 20 years of service. He decided to settle on the Monterey
Peninsula in the city of Pacific Grove, after retiring from
the Army. Prof. Chow-Hoon worked as a P.E. teacher at the
Del Mar elementary school in Marina, California. It was
here that Prof. Chow-Hoon was approached by Mr. Art Clark
to teach the martial arts in the community of Marina. Prof.
Chow-Hoon taught at three elementary schools until 1968
when the gym at Los Arboles school was built. Then he combined
the three blubs into one big class.
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