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DRAGON’S DEN – DANIEL LEE   In the mid 80’s, I had the pleasure of meeting one of Jerry Poteet’s oldest and dearest friends, Daniel Lee. He was a great friend to Jerry and myself for the next 30 years. One of their deepest bonds was the undying appreciation and loyalty to their teacher, Bruce Lee. Along with other Bruce Lee students, Ted Wong and Steve Golden, neither Dan nor Jerry wished to capitalize on their teacher’s fame, but rather vowed to keep the art of Jeet Kune Do, as they learned it first hand, true to the principles of the Maestro.   Dan Lee was the oldest of the private training group, and  always referred to Sigung Lee as “The Young Dragon.” No slouch in the martial arts department himself, Dan Lee was middleweight boxing champion of Asia, a sh black sash, a black belt in Ju Jitsu and Kenpo, and a Tai Chi master BEFORE he met his famous teacher. It speaks volumes that he considered Bruce Lee his Sifu until his death. He and Jerry used to sit in the living room and regal me with stories from their training sessions with Master Lee. But it is not those stories that I recall today.   Dan Lee was one of the first recipients of a triple bypass many decades ago. His diet was severely restricted after the cardiac surgery. Jerry, one of the first of a liver transplant, became a lifelong diabetic. One weekend Dan and Steve Golden were visiting us, and like naughty kids, they all snuck off to the ice cream parlor. I will never forget the sight of the three of them sitting there diving into hot fudge sundaes, and fighting over whipped cream! Dan and Jerry were “cheating” on their diets, and wore expressions of sheer bliss on their faces. As for Steve, he just encouraged them to eat more! Since we were not in the best neighborhood, I remember thinking “I wonder what would happen if someone tries to start trouble with these three middle aged men, giggling and hunched over their ice cream”?   After I lost Jerry, Dan Lee often called to check on my well being. Along with Steve, he encouraged me to keep Jerry’s JKD legacy going, and to take care of myself. On one particularly rough day of fighting through my grief, he shared a personal story. He confessed to me that after the death of his wife, Charmaine, he had slept in his car at the school parking lot in order to avoid going home to an empty house. I was relieved, since I had been doing the same, and sleeping in my car at the beach. We shared other stories about loss and recovery, and he told me “chin up, don’t succumb to sorrow.”   The true embodiment of Yin/Yang, Daniel Lee was an explosive powerhouse when he moved and sparred, but he was also the epitome of stillness in repose. Professor and scholar, philosopher and martial artist, scientist and Taoist. Loyal to his friends, his teacher, his family, Daniel Lee exemplified the living Tao.   Now, he reunites with Jerry and his teacher in the Dragon’s Den. I can only hope they have ice cream and root beer. -Sifu Fran Poteet-Joseph    

We are proud to welcome Caroline Sierro’s Swiss JPJKD group to our martial arts family. You can learn more about her group by visiting their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jpjkdsuisse/?fref=ts She has years of martial arts background including boxing, grappling , escrima, and JPJKD! Caroline is a wonderful teacher, and her students appreciate her joy and dedication. If you want to train in a non-competitive and positive environment, you can not miss Training with Caroline!

This week, we are featuring Certified JPJKD Instructor Eric Carr of Los Angeles, CA. Eric is a extremely knowledgeable teacher and a very talented practitioner. He has remained true to Sifu Jerry’s method of Jeet Kune Do. Thank you, Eric, for your loyalty, dedication and love for Sifu Jerry and his association. To learn more about Eric Carr or contact him directly, visit: www.ericcarrjkd.com or email: info@ericcarrjkd.com. Visit: www.jpjkd.com or email: info@jpjkd.com to register for an event to train with and join our JKD family!

There is an expression that says, “Rome was not built in a day.” But over the course of five days last week, JPJKD is now firmly established in Rome and Italy, Switzerland and beyond. Our modern gladiators, led by Sifu Isidoro Luisi, continue the traditions of excellence and loyalty. The old pagan rituals of bloodshed have evolved to pledges of helping OTHERS achieve greatness. Isidoro and his talented team from Palermo will preserve the legacy of Sifu Jerry Poteet, and that of his teacher, Sijo Bruce Lee. The Gold Light has indeed come to Rome.  

Share “Sifu Jerry training Jason Scott Lee for the movie “Dragon – The Bruce Lee Story”” Click the YouTube icon above to view Sifu Jerry’s new YouTube Channel! (More videos coming soon)

Decades ago, he used to “share” birthday parties and cakes with his martial arts teacher and friend, Bruce Lee. Jerry recalled at one such party where he and Bruce showed up wearing the same brown cords, desert boots and cut off sweatshirt. He said that Bruce did a double-take, and shot him a glare. Jerry just shrugged and said, “It’s my birthday, too”! They both laughed and feasted on cake. Anyone who ever met Sifu Jerry for even five minutes, will never forget him. And for those of us fortunate to know him for years or decades, he enriched our lives in ways we can only begin to understand. After Jerry’s passing, I heard from people all over the world who knew him only briefly through a seminar or class, or by reading his articles. They are still, years later, astonished at the profound and positive impact he had on their lives. In fact, Jerry told me the same had happened to him. At the time he trained with Bruce Lee, he did not realize how it would change his life. Some years after his teacher’s passing, he was driving down the freeway, and finally had the epiphany he’d hoped for. He laughed, since Bruce told him, “someday, years from now, you’ll be driving down the freeway, and IT will finally happen.” And so it did… On this day, we honor Jerry’s Legacy by remembering the twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes when he laughed, recalling the great meals he cooked after a training session, and most of all, the love and loyalty he had for his teacher, students and friends. I think I speak for all of us when I proclaim that..the feelings are mutual. Happy Birthday, Jerry!

Jerry Poteet’s JKD Chinatown Stories    Share In The Jeet Kune Do – Chinatown Stories Series Sifu Jerry talks about his experiences with Bruce Lee, he talks about what it was like training with Bruce Lee in Chinatown.