Senior Grandmaster RIchard Lee

Grandmaster Richard Lee had his first lesson in pugilism in 1946. His father was a professional boxer and his grandfather was a professional wrestler. Needless to say, there was a lot of encouragement in the subject at home. Lee grew up in a government housing project in a tough and poverty stricken neighborhood in New England. He learned quickly that life in the projects demanded a certain fighting mentality necessary for survival. Life at home was no different. Lee spent his youth under the watchful eye of his father, enduring a strict and unforgiving training approach that schooled Lee in the ways of boxing. It hardened Lee to the realities of his environment but inside he yearned for something more, a better life.

In 1953, seven years into his training in boxing, Lee joined the local YMCA. Having learned how to swim before he learned how to walk, Lee joined the Y primarily for the swim team. But he found himself hanging around after swim practices observing a group of Frogmen, today known as Navy Seals, who were using the pool for underwater training. After several sessions, the Frogmen noted the curious Lee and began to show him things. Impressed by his enthusiasm, the Frogmen quickly took Lee under their wing. They taught Lee the jujitsu movements they had been trained to use for combat, taking turns working the applications on their new apprentice. Lee felt first hand the effectiveness of the joint manipulation, joint striking, and the grappling that characterized the martial art... Learn More