It’s just the beginning of another active year for the students at Richard Lee’s East West Kung Fu in Alamo. On March 5th, Grandmaster Richard Lee took a contingent of his top instructors and students to compete in the European Kuoshu (Kung-Fu) Championships in Switzerland. This was one of many international and national competitions that will send the students of East-West globetrotting around the world in preparation for the impending World Kuoshu (Kung-Fu) Championships to be held in Singapore in November of this year.

Fifteen of Grandmaster Lee’s students, coached by his top student Master John Buckley, participated in all divisions that included forms, weapons, and full contact (Lei Tai) fighting. Morgan Newman and Morgan Malone, Manager and Assistant Manager of the Alamo school respectively, took first place in the Lei Tai (full contact) fighting. Ryan Hodge (San Ramon) also placed first in full contact. Aimee Jurewicz (Danville) and Michelle Brown (Alamo) took second while Meghan Mannion (Lafayette) took third place in full contact respectively. Others who competed for East West were Sean Gray (Lafayette), Bobby Cusack, Traci Cusack (both of Alamo), Stuart Moore (Alamo), and Wyatt McCall (Danville). In an impressive showing, every competitor from East-West Alamo placed in the top three in their events.

This was the second international competition for East-West Alamo, having taken an equally successful team to Germany last October, all in an intensive effort to prepare for the upcoming World Kuoshu (Kung-Fu) Championships in Singapore. The World Kuoshu (Kung-Fu) Championships is the Chinese martial arts equivalent to the Olympics as it is held once only every three years and includes the very best competitors from nations around the world. East-West has competed on the world stage since 1975, when China put out the call for the best in the world to compete. Grandmaster Lee answered the call when he coached the United States team for the first of three times in his illustrious career. In 2003, East-West Alamo students held 8 of the 17 spots on the United States team that was coached by Master John Buckley, with all eight competitors placing in the top four in the world.

Although extremely pleased with the results from the last World Tournament, Grandmaster Lee and Master Buckley are not yet satisfied. East-West is attempting an unprecedented feat for the upcoming 2006 World Championships, trying to earn ten spots on the U.S. team, something no individual school has yet to accomplish. When you consider that this is the equivalent of the United States Olympic team, it speaks volumes of the quality that is being taught at Richard Lee’s East-West Alamo Kung-Fu school. With the results of their past few tournaments and their world class training it is quite possible they can pull it off. And with thirty years of international competition on their side, East-West in Alamo will no doubt continue to make their mark on the world.