On February 18, 2022 the martial arts world lost a legend in Grandmaster Leo Fong. Master Fong was born in China in 1928 but his family soon relocated to the Pacific Northwest of the United States. His impressive educational background yielded a bachelor’s degree in physical education and masters degrees in theology and social work. His impressive professional career not only included being a martial arts instructor but a methodist minster and an actor, writer, and director in several films.
His martial arts began at age 15 when he took up boxing. He began looking at eastern martial arts in his 20’s and studied many.
Leo Fong Biography Video: https://youtu.be/G5olUxQZhP8
Leo Fong instructional preview: https://youtu.be/-H892P5VOcY
Fong met and became friends with the legendary Bruce Lee in the early 1960’s through mutual friend James Yimm Lee and became one of Bruce Lee’s Oakland school students and developed a close friendship.
Leo Fong on Bruce Lee: https://youtu.be/wgL6dMlzrI4
Bringing all of his knowledge of the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of martial arts, Grandmaster Fong created a system called Wei Kuen Do. The Wei Kuen Do Facebook page states …Grandmaster Fong has synthesized life experiences into one single approach in combat and in the totality of life. Wei Kuen Do finds its roots in Bruce Lee’s Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, Angel Cabales’ Serrada Escrima, and Western Boxing of which Grandmaster Fong was an Amateur and College Champion, also adding his mastery in Choy Lay Fut, Sil Lum Kung fu, and Wing Chun Kung fu. He has taken from each art the most practical for reality fighting and integrated into his approach which he called Wei Kuen Do.
Martial Arts Lifestyle Magazine extends its condolences to the family, friends, and students of Grandmaster Fong.