Gary Dill
Gary Dill is a recognized grandmaster of Bushido Kempo and has an official rank recognition from mainland China as an 8th-degree Black Sash in Chinese Wushu. He studied and trained Jeet Kune Do under Sifu James Yimm Lee at Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Oakland branch school.
| Gary Dill | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Grandmaster Gary Dill, Bushido Kempo |
| Style | Jeet Kune Do,Bushido Kempo, Wushu Primarily Jeet Kune Do |
| Teacher(s) | Sifu James Yimm Lee, Hanshi Lou Angel |
| Rank | Grandmaster |
| Website | Jeet Kune Do Association Official Website |
Martial arts history
Gary Dill started training in the martial arts in December 1963 at the age of 17, focusing on the self-defense aspects, starting first in karate and jujitsu.
In 1964, he switched to Goju karate under Hanshi Lou Angel, in which he enjoyed the bare-knuckle full-contact fighting. In October 1965, Hanshi Lou Angel made Gary Dill one of his karate instructors until 1971, when James Lee accepted and started training Gary Dill into the exclusive JKD garage class in Oakland.
On December 7, 1972, James Lee wrote a personal letter to Dill giving him permission to train JKD and Wing Chun with a select few students in a non-formal, noncommercial way.
During that same month, James Lee also gave Dill a two-year JKD training outline along with a dozen of the "JKD Student Handbook". Thus, Dill started teaching JKD in January 1973.
Public service background
Dill has spent most of his adult life either in the military or in law enforcement. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps (1965–67) and U.S. Navy (1968–72), and is a Vietnam veteran. In regards to law enforcement, he was a Special Agent with Naval Investigative Service (NIS), Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI); Agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI); and Chief of Police of two cities in Oklahoma. He was also the senior police defensive tactics instructor in Oklahoma; was training coordinator, firearms instructor, and defensive tactics instructors while as a federal agent.
Founding and purpose of the Jeet Kune Do Association
The JKD Association was formed in 1991 for the purpose of preserving and maintaining the original JKD; to provide a structured, organized training format for JKD and to utilize a professional certification and instructor development program.
Self-Defense Systems, International Combat Martial Arts Federation (SDS)
Gary Dill's Self-Defense Systems; International Combat Martial Arts Federation (SDS) conducts clinics and seminars around the world.
Training sessions consists of specialized training in several martial arts systems including Jeet Kune Do, Kempo, Jujitsu and Aiki-Jitsu and has been conducted by Dill for over 17 years.
Advanced students completed oral board examinations and tested their physical technique for advancing their rank as martial artists. Students are graded by a group of high-level instructors, much like board examinations in a university program. Like college courses, at the end of each course there are finals the student must pass to move up.
References
Sources
(Wayback Machine copy)
- Martial Arts Biography, US Dojo
- World Hapkido Association News, June 2006 by Master Frank Ehnle
- The JKD Professor an Interview with Gary Dill Conducted by Paul Bax
(Wayback Machine copy)
(Wayback Machine copy)