Don't Settle for Less

Secrets of the “One Inch Punch"

First Kung Fu

Sifu Sui taught Kung Fu in Charlotte, North Carolina in the 1960s while attending UNCC. He continued teaching in Charlotte until 1969 when he move to California. A few years later he moved to Richmond, Canada, just south of Vancouver, Canada.

Sifu Sui came to the USA from Lima, Peru. The Chinese began migrating to Lima over 150 years ago. To give you an idea of the Chinese population, there 6000 Chinese restaurants in Lima.

There were three "family" styles (Li, Choy and Kam) plus praying mantis taught at the school in Lima. Sifu Sui taught principles mostly from the Li family style (Li Kun San was Sifu Sui's teacher) and therefore used the Li Ka name for everything he taught here in the United States. 

Grandmaster Martin began as a student of Sifu Sui in 1966. After Sifu Sui left North Carolina, Grandmaster Martin continued studying Li Ka Kung Fu under Sifu Buddy Springs starting in 1971.

Li Kum San Demonstrating Iron Forearm

Joe Martin and Sifu Alfredo Sui in Canada (1975)

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In June of 1975, Grandmaster Martin traveled to Vancouver Canada to visit his Kungfu master, Alfreado Sui. It was his hope that Master Sui would test his new abilities and award him a higher rank in the Li Ka Style of Kung fu; the style Mr. Martin had learned from him in the late 1960’s. He lived with Master Sui for awhile, training and demonstrating some of the newly developed techniques he had acquired from a few other teachers (Hobbs, Stover & Phipps). Since Ki La was a predominantly southern style of Kung fu, it had few kicks above the waist. The other styles were predominantly northern styles and therefore had many kicks, most of which were never used in southern styles. Master Sui was impressed with the additional kicks.

The Silver Dragon Kungfu Academy on E 7th Street, Charlotte, NC
During the stay in Canada (1975), Master Sui introduced Mr. Martin to Tai Chi Push Hands and to several teachers in the area who taught Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春; pinyin: Yǒng chūn; literally "Eternal Spring"), also romanized as Ving Tsun or "Wing Tsun". Although he never had formal training in Wing Tsun, he was taught many of the secret principles of that art and later incorporated those into Esoma Kungfu.
At the end of his training in Canada, Mr. Martin was awarded the Second Star Black Sash in Li Ka Kungfu. At that time he demonstrated to Master Sui his teaching methods, including the newly developed forms he wanted to add to the existing forms from the Li Ka Kungfu style. Mater Sui was very please with his developments and encouraged him to continue to create from his experience with other methods. Master Sui’s advice was to stop calling what he was teaching “Li Ka”. There were so many new northern methods of Kung fu included, that he felt it should have its own recognition.

Buddy Springs and Alfredo Sui at the first Kungfu school in Charlotte, North Carolina - mid 60s

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