What's New is old...info keeps coming
More info has made it's way to me regarding the Dragon/Dojo Wars. Info is constantly filtering through, some of it credible and believable and some not. I am going to show excerpts of a letter I recieved below. I have changed the names to protect the informant who now lives in a far eastern location, a former resident of Chicago.
----- Original Message ----
From: Floyd Webb
To: Chingzhang
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:48:45 PM
Subject: Re: Hello I would like to speak with you if possible
Chingzhang,
Thanks for getting back in touch.
I did not realize how sensitive this issue has remained. Please answer the following questions as you do not want to be interviewed in the film.
1. Could you tell me some of your background first of all.
"I COULD TELL YOU....BUT THEN".....(you know how the rest of the saying goes.....IT'S CLASSIFIED!!)
2. Were you a member of the Green Dragon Society (GDS)?
Never an initiated member....I trained with an instructor on a private basis.
3. I am looking to understand how John Keehan managed to enter the Chinese martial arts in Chicago. Who were the Chinese groups and how long had they been established here.
Keehan never entered the Chinese martial arts community in Chicago. It was a "closed door" sector at the time. 1964 was when the first Chinese masters began to publicly teach non-Chinese, Chinese martial arts. There were those who received instruction in watered down versions of these systems....but, they were never initiated into the true version of the Chinese arts. They were taught what could best be described as "Chinese Karate".
The first Chinese to openly teach Gung Fu in the USA was the late Bruce Lee. he got into a lot of trouble for that. The Tongs were furious with him for revealing the secret knowledge of the chinese fighting arts. It eventually cost him his life. Ark Y Wong, Venerable Grand Master of the Fiva Family system (Ng Gar Kuen) was the first to officially teach (with permission) the American public true gung fu....but he gave it out in small portions.
John Keehan studied American Kempo (then known as Chinese Kempo) under Ed Parker for an uncertain time. The late, John McSweeney (10th Degree black belt, White Tiger Kempo) student of Ed Parker, was the first to document Keehan's presence in Ed Parker's school.
Keehan may have studied with Bruce Lee and James Lee in Oakland California, in the early 1960's. This is a very real possibility. During that time period, there were only two places that you could purchase the books of James Lee and Bruce Lee: the Green Dragon Society...and, Van Boskirk's sports store. Mrs. Van Boskirk, was a close personal friend of John Keehans. She admired him immensely and supplied his WKF, the later the BDFS, with all of their supplies, manuals, books etc.
Now: this next item is not speculation...it is fact. John Keehan had been trying for quite some time to infiltrate the Green Dragon Society. He offered to pay for the classes for anyone who would be accepted in to the GDS, so that he could learn the fighting art of the GDS. He tried several times with young black recruits. But they never made it in side the GDS, or past their screening process....which was extremely thorough and violent, if they discovered that you were a "mole".
Keehan succeeded in getting a white guy to infiltrate the GDS. His name was either Garret, or Garrison. This "mole" became an instructor within the GDS. I know this from several of my personal con "tacts" within the Black Dragon Society. I will not reveal their names, so as not to compromise their positions. They never knew of my connections with the GDS.
What John Keehan, portrayed as being Black Dragon arts, were actually GDS basic techniques. The Black Dragon emphasis on grunting, snorting, intimidating tactics, are just the superficial methods of developing, what is called, the "animal spirit" that is taught in the GDS.
Keehans BDFS techniques were all just basics extracted from the GDS syllabus of basic techniques.
What really started the feud between the GDS and the BDFS....was that Keehan used the dragon symbol/logo of the GDS, used the exact same art logo, and just had it painted black. The GDS went ballistic. The war was on!!!
4. Can you give me a hint as to why there is so much apprehension about what I might find.
One thing I have been told is that the person who was accused of killing Konsevic was probably not the person that actually did it.
SIMPLE...."STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS".....in a case such as the dragon wars...if the real info came out....people could be charged, prosecuted, and maybe even go to jail. It's a hot issue.....my advice....LEAVE IT ALONE!!!
4a. What is the version you heard as to what happened when Keehan went to Black Cobra Hall?
THAT IS CLASSIFIED...."I COULD TELL YOU......."
5. Is there anyone who would talk to me on film about this event and the circumstances surrounding it.
NO TRUE MEMBER OF THE GDS WILL OPENLY SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.....FOR THE ABOVE REASONS.....ALSO....THE PERSON(S) INVOLVED WANT TO LEAD QUIET, LOW KEY LIVES...THEY DO NOT WANT TO "STIR THE POT"....."LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE".....again...my advice.....LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!
I hope this does not take up too much of your time. I appreciate you taking the time out to answer my questions.
I debated for a long time whether I should contact you. Decided to give you a "heads up". Remember, or maybe you are not aware of this....both the GDS and the BDFS....have connections with the "underworld"...and the "intelligence community"........"they"....are also very concerned about how deep your project may go and where it may lead.
Chingzhang
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This gives me a bit to think about. It links to other information I have heard. I have never heard of the "logo conflict." This is truly new information. We are gonna have fun with this one!!!!
----- Original Message ----
From: Floyd Webb
To: Chingzhang
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:48:45 PM
Subject: Re: Hello I would like to speak with you if possible
Chingzhang,
Thanks for getting back in touch.
I did not realize how sensitive this issue has remained. Please answer the following questions as you do not want to be interviewed in the film.
1. Could you tell me some of your background first of all.
"I COULD TELL YOU....BUT THEN".....(you know how the rest of the saying goes.....IT'S CLASSIFIED!!)
2. Were you a member of the Green Dragon Society (GDS)?
Never an initiated member....I trained with an instructor on a private basis.
3. I am looking to understand how John Keehan managed to enter the Chinese martial arts in Chicago. Who were the Chinese groups and how long had they been established here.
Keehan never entered the Chinese martial arts community in Chicago. It was a "closed door" sector at the time. 1964 was when the first Chinese masters began to publicly teach non-Chinese, Chinese martial arts. There were those who received instruction in watered down versions of these systems....but, they were never initiated into the true version of the Chinese arts. They were taught what could best be described as "Chinese Karate".
The first Chinese to openly teach Gung Fu in the USA was the late Bruce Lee. he got into a lot of trouble for that. The Tongs were furious with him for revealing the secret knowledge of the chinese fighting arts. It eventually cost him his life. Ark Y Wong, Venerable Grand Master of the Fiva Family system (Ng Gar Kuen) was the first to officially teach (with permission) the American public true gung fu....but he gave it out in small portions.
John Keehan studied American Kempo (then known as Chinese Kempo) under Ed Parker for an uncertain time. The late, John McSweeney (10th Degree black belt, White Tiger Kempo) student of Ed Parker, was the first to document Keehan's presence in Ed Parker's school.
Keehan may have studied with Bruce Lee and James Lee in Oakland California, in the early 1960's. This is a very real possibility. During that time period, there were only two places that you could purchase the books of James Lee and Bruce Lee: the Green Dragon Society...and, Van Boskirk's sports store. Mrs. Van Boskirk, was a close personal friend of John Keehans. She admired him immensely and supplied his WKF, the later the BDFS, with all of their supplies, manuals, books etc.
Now: this next item is not speculation...it is fact. John Keehan had been trying for quite some time to infiltrate the Green Dragon Society. He offered to pay for the classes for anyone who would be accepted in to the GDS, so that he could learn the fighting art of the GDS. He tried several times with young black recruits. But they never made it in side the GDS, or past their screening process....which was extremely thorough and violent, if they discovered that you were a "mole".
Keehan succeeded in getting a white guy to infiltrate the GDS. His name was either Garret, or Garrison. This "mole" became an instructor within the GDS. I know this from several of my personal con "tacts" within the Black Dragon Society. I will not reveal their names, so as not to compromise their positions. They never knew of my connections with the GDS.
What John Keehan, portrayed as being Black Dragon arts, were actually GDS basic techniques. The Black Dragon emphasis on grunting, snorting, intimidating tactics, are just the superficial methods of developing, what is called, the "animal spirit" that is taught in the GDS.
Keehans BDFS techniques were all just basics extracted from the GDS syllabus of basic techniques.
What really started the feud between the GDS and the BDFS....was that Keehan used the dragon symbol/logo of the GDS, used the exact same art logo, and just had it painted black. The GDS went ballistic. The war was on!!!
4. Can you give me a hint as to why there is so much apprehension about what I might find.
One thing I have been told is that the person who was accused of killing Konsevic was probably not the person that actually did it.
SIMPLE...."STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS".....in a case such as the dragon wars...if the real info came out....people could be charged, prosecuted, and maybe even go to jail. It's a hot issue.....my advice....LEAVE IT ALONE!!!
4a. What is the version you heard as to what happened when Keehan went to Black Cobra Hall?
THAT IS CLASSIFIED...."I COULD TELL YOU......."
5. Is there anyone who would talk to me on film about this event and the circumstances surrounding it.
NO TRUE MEMBER OF THE GDS WILL OPENLY SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.....FOR THE ABOVE REASONS.....ALSO....THE PERSON(S) INVOLVED WANT TO LEAD QUIET, LOW KEY LIVES...THEY DO NOT WANT TO "STIR THE POT"....."LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE".....again...my advice.....LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!
I hope this does not take up too much of your time. I appreciate you taking the time out to answer my questions.
I debated for a long time whether I should contact you. Decided to give you a "heads up". Remember, or maybe you are not aware of this....both the GDS and the BDFS....have connections with the "underworld"...and the "intelligence community"........"they"....are also very concerned about how deep your project may go and where it may lead.
Chingzhang
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This gives me a bit to think about. It links to other information I have heard. I have never heard of the "logo conflict." This is truly new information. We are gonna have fun with this one!!!!
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