Grand Master Chew Choo Soot. ( My Mentor)
Grand master Chew Choo Soot was born on the 7th of February 1922.
At the age of 15 he became interested in and involved in weight lifting and fitness training. He became the Malaysian national weightlifting champion in 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. He was introduced to the art of “Karate-Do” at the age of twenty during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. Mr Chew made it on to the cover of a local publication and was contracted by a Japanese military officer to be his personal fitness coach. During one of the scheduled visits the young Mr Chew discovered the officer practicing movements, which we now know to be Kata, the styles practiced by the officer were Keishinkan and Shotokan. Mr Chew was impressed and asked for tuition, the officer agreed.
The founder of the Budokan style of Karate Mr Chew, studied a number of martial arts including Chinese Kung fu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo and several styles of Karate-do including Shito-ryu, Shotokan and Keishinkan. Keishinkan is a minor style of the Shuri-te strain & is not widely known even in its country of birth. It comes from the line of Toyoma Sensei and the excellent qualities of its instructors are well known.
He also studied under Zenryo Shimabukuro the then Grand Master of the Seibukan style, who was a student of Chutoku Kyan, the legendry Okanawan Master of Karate and Kobudo. Master Kyan was a student of Master Yasusune Itosu who taught Master Gichin Funakoshi. (Gichin Funakoshi was the man who officially introduced Karate to Japan in 1922).
Mr Chew also went to Taiwan and studied with other Kung Fu Masters.
Mr Chew went on further in his studies of Kung Fu since he believed Kung Fu ( Wushu) is the original martial art from which Karate evolved. He studied unders various Kung Fu instructors who were experts in Hung Gar, Choi Lee Fut, Tai Chi Chuan, and Pa Kua styles.
He learnt and mastered many different ancient Kung Fu and Kobudo weapons. The Double Dragon Stick one of his favorite weapons , is said to have its roots in the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu. The Straight Sword Kata which he favored has its roots in the Pa Kua style.
Later in the 90's He decided to bring in knowledge and trainingn methods of the Contempory Wushu formed in China and recruited expert instructors who had received training in China to train his personal diciples. he had at that time dicided on a Kung Fu section within his organisation which was to be named "Kwan bu ik Wushu Kwoon" International. His dream was to include Kung fu training in the organisation.
Since the double dragon stick and the broadswords training which he so much enjoyed giving the advanced instructors, have a Chinese Kung Fu influence, the Budokan style, rather "Budokan system of Training" was evolving into a Chinese style with so much Kung Fu training being included.
The Budokan style he developed thrugh the '80s and '90s became distictly different from other similar styles like Shotokan and Keishinkan. The precise different way to block was different . The front thrust kick which he designed , precisely the way of doing it was distinctly differetn from other styles like Shotokan. The turning kick or also called the round house kick which he clearly emphasised on the power generation through the horizontal curver path, was also very precise and different. As time passed Budokan style of Karate developed in a different style from other styles. He included some principes of Kung fu to further enhance training and power development.
With the parting of Keishinkan in 1971 there has been no over riding influences on our style. There was a trend in the mid 1980’s in our Kata development towards the Shotokan style. It must be understood that Karate is an ever-evolving art & KBI is no different in this respect. So from these humble beginnings in a neighbourhood Malaysian Dojo K B I was formed.
Later Mr. Chew Choo Shoot, was persuaded by his friends to teach them karate so as to enable them to defend themselves in time of need. They found a suitable premise in Petaling Jaya for the purpose, and Mr. Chew Choo Soot felt obligated to start a karate class since his friends had gone to such an extent as to prepare a place for the dojo. The first course offered to the public was a “Karate Jodo Self-Defence” 3-Months Course, which would enable a student to defend himself under normal circumstances.
In two months time the membership grew from twelve enthusiastic students to more than three hundred and it was impossible for Mr. Chew to find sufficient time to train them, although he was assisted by his son Mr. Tony Chew. He then employed from Japan two Japanese instructors Mr. T. Yoneda and Mr. T. Ishikawa of the Shitoryu style from Osaka, to assist him to conduct the classes, as they could not stay in Malaysia for more than a few months the problem of getting replacements was very acute, as the more senior members in Malaysia were still too new to become even assistant instructors. In the meantime membership in the K.B.I. continued to grow by leaps and bounds.
With Mr. Tony Chew and one employed Phillipino instructor to carry on with the classes in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Chew then went to Tokyo and selected a new group of four Japanese instructors from Japan to build up the strength of the panel of instructors. in 1968 when K.B.I. opened the gates of it’s first headquarters building at the Loke Yew Road, Kuala Lumpur, we were having four Japanese instructors, one Phillipino instructor and two Hong Kong Kung-fu instructors to assist Mr. Chew Choo Soot to handle a membership of more than 6000 in most of the major towns in Peninsular Malaysia. By then Tony Chew had already left for Australia for higher education. Besides Karate, the members, who held the rank of fourth Kyu and above, were also taught oriental Wushu weapons.
The first official headquarters building of K.B.I. at the Lote Yew road, Kuala Lumpur, was declared open on 26th May, 1968 by the honorable Encik Mohd. Khir Jhohiri who was then the minister of Education of Malaysia. We then had a couple of years of rapid progress until November 1970, when the Japanese instructors had completed their term of employment and returned to Tokyo. By then K.B.I. was celebrating its fourth anniversary and many young black belt instructors in Malaysia has been trained by Mr. Chew Choo Soot to take over the classes from the foreign instructors. The young instructors were ready for the challenge ahead. With continuous training from Mr. Chew and other foreign visiting instructors brought in by him from time to time the local instructors improved steadily.
Sadly Mr Chew passed away on July 18th, 1997, leaving behind many disciples and students who wanted to learn more from him.
