To: historyofmartialartsinhawaii@yahoogroups.com From: "Lester Chow" Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 (Amended and posted on Aug 25, 2007) Subject: Letter From Lester D.K. Chow To Everyone at "Yahoo Group - History of Martial Arts In Hawaii" 1. Someone e-mail bombed my mailbox, so I am to closing my yahoo e-mail box to private mail only. All mail from "History of Martial Arts In Hawaii" should be sent to guoclan@yahoo.com. All personal e-mail that requires my direct attention comes here to zhouclan at yahoo dot com. 2. I am asking for everyone's help (everyone who is a martial artist). My name is Lester D.K. Chow. I am 58 years old. I learnt Kungfu when I was a young boy and Karate in high school as my best friend was Japanese. When I went to my grandmother's house, I did Tai Chi with her as a way to please my grandmother and in an effort to be a filial grandson. I am one of many nephews of Professor Chow. My grandfather is an older brother to Professor Chow's father. Our family's genealogy records have been published at http://www.geocities.com/zhouclan/chia_pu.html My objective in life is to build the Chou Dynasty into an active organization and to return our family heritage back to China. The Chou Dynasty is China's Imperial family today. All people with the following surnames are Imperial Chinese princes: Chow (Chou, Zhou), Lum (Lin), Chang (Cheng), Goo (Ku), Wu (Wo, Woo), Ing (Ng), Ching (Cheng), Ho, Chiang, Mau (Mao), Choy (Tsai), Sun, Yap (Yip, Ye, Yeh), Wong (Wang), Lai, Kee (Ke), Kwock (Kwok, Kok, Kuo, Guo, Kop), Lau (Liu), Loui (Lui), Dang (Teng, Tang, Deng, Dung), Siu (Hsiu, Hsiao) and Young (Yang, Yong). Also, included: Chock (Cheuk, Cho) and Tom (Tan, Tam). If there are people in the martial arts world that would like to help, please contact me at zhouclan at yahoo dot com. Thank you. Lester D.K. Chow http://chinatownhawaii.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply to my letter: help with what exactly? respectfully, marlon Marlon Anthony Wilson m.shaolinkempo at gmail.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- My answer to Marlon's reply: 1. Even though the Professor was only part-Chinese, he is never the less an authentic Chinese prince of the highest order from the Chou Dynasty, China's current Han-Chinese Imperial family. http://chinatownhawaii.com 2. When my family came to Hawaii the family treasury was brought with us, but placed in the hands of other people and this money was never returned. So, my immediate family and immediate clan 300 to 600 people are not wealthy. 3. Due to our heritage, Professor Chow is a very important man. 5. I need to put the complete history behind Professor Chow together for my clan and family (tong) in China. This is the greatest honor to be so recognized in China by one's tong. We have a family association estimated to be around 40 million. ...what we're really talking about is honor for a man in China and before his family and clan of 40 million people! 40 million bowing to one Chinese man is one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed on any Chinese man. These people represent most or all of China's Imperial family (40 million) and Professor Chow's directly kin in mainland China! 6. I need to update the family tree on the Professor's side. 7. I would like to gather my family and make it a visible cultural institution. We have at present about 11 inactive members and 1 active member (me) out of the 300 to 600 people in Hawaii and 10,000 to 40,000 extended clan members in Hawaii alone. So, I need someone's help in organizing this effort and someone to coordinate a Professor Chow martial arts memory preservation committee to write and document the whole and true history behind the Professor for all of the Chows in Hawaii with a press release for family (tong) back in China. Lastly, I would like to teach some form of martial arts, what the Professor did, to his/our family in Hawaii. I could only locate one clan member who may have possibly done MA with Professor Chow and may have taught Professor Chow. The Professor continually insisted that his father taught him kungfu, but the facts speaks for its self that his father did not! I need a person with writing skills and, perhaps, a historian and professional fund raiser. I need someone who can teach Kempo. And even if all I can find is a brown-belt, I am going with the brown-belt as our instructor! I need someone to organize a school in an effort to teach and gather the family together. I hope to find a Kungfu person and a Tai Chi person in addition to a Kempo instructor who can teach family members in Hawaii (adults and children). This would be like beginners instruction, nothing too fancy or competitive, one to two hours per month to begin with. How much do you think old folks, who have never done MA, can practice in one month's time? And how about kids between the ages of 8 to 16 taking classes for the very first time? A brown-belt would certainly be fine and would do nicely here! If there are martial arts instructors and clubs who respect and cherish the name of Professor Chow, respect can be returned by helping Professor Chow's family and extended clan here in Hawaii. My Lum grandmother said that family should help family as one of the premises behind our family culture. So, too, this should apply to all of those respecting the Professor's good name. The real truth about Professor Chow and his trophies, medals, and banners have never been told to the martial arts community and world as well as the history and roots of Professor Chow. I think that it's about time for the truth to come forth. If someone is a (1) historian, we could use you. If someone is an (2) organizer, we could use you. If someone is a (3) brown-belt, (3a) lives in Hawaii, and can teach temporarily for free (one to two hours per month) and (3b) can help organize my family and clan, we need you! Brown-belts are OK as well as (4) people who have the time to correspond on behalf of the deceased Professor and on behalf of the family and clan. Any takers? Write to zhouclan at yahoo dot com. Our public e-mail address is guoclan@yahoo.com, which can be posted on the Internet. If you help by spreading the word, that would be appreciated too! Lester D.K. Chow, Second-nephew to William Kwai Sun Chow Ps: I hope to organize a Chinese school and purchase a building. I hope to have history classes and Chinese language taught in our school. This is a ground floor opportunity for a brown-belt and a future opportunity for a paid professional, later, when we have the money to pay him. The contents of this letter may be circulated in the martial arts community. We are good people trying to do good things in this world and trying our best to make friends! The Chou clan and dynasty! http://www.geocities.com/zhouclan/chia_pu.html End of letter --------------------------------------------------------------------