Bodybuilding is important for the martial artist to keep strength and tone in their muscles. - Grandmaster Bill Louie
At age 55, Bill performs at a level many 20-year-olds would be proud of. Twice daily training - which includes sparring with his students - combined with business meetings and the responsibility of ensuring the Goju Ryu tradition lives on though his many adherents (Bill has trained over 25,000 people) and potential successors, keep Bill mentally and physically agile. Bill has been told he has the body of a natural bodybuilder, and he competes in open marital arts events occasionally - just to prove to himself he still has what it takes.
To hear Bill talk about his life in the martial arts is intriguing. A lifetime of devotion unfolds, as he weaves tales of a warrior's journey through the various arts, culminating in the development of a distinctive style, which embraces the good, and discards the bad. Past masters have guided Bill to where he is now guiding others through his unique system, Chinese American Goju Ryu Karate - where elements of the ancient Chinese Kung Fu methods are combined with the most effective aspects of Japanese Karate to form a progressive hard/soft system that teaches adaptability, and respect for traditional martial styles. Bill believes his devotion to this style has enhanced all areas of his life, and has given him the ability to see the world through enlightened eyes - the eyes of a master.
Martial Edge: What are you doing these days? What is your involvement in the martial arts?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Well, I'm head of the Chinese American Goju system. I've been in martial arts since I was nine-years-old, and I'm 55 now.
Martial Edge: Have you been involved in Chinese American Goju from day one?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Yes, I'm head of the system, and a direct descendant of Peter Urban.
Martial Edge: How often do you train Bill?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I train every morning.
Martial Edge: What kind of training do you do?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I integrate Karate with bodybuilding. I'm a traditionalist, so my style is traditional Goju, mixed with various Chinese styles of Kung Fu.
Martial Edge: How does this system differ from any other martial art style.
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Well, Karate is Karate, but I'm Chinese and have studied other forms of Chinese Kung Fu.
Martial Edge: What time do you train in the morning, and do you train at any other times?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: In the morning, I train at 6.45 to 8.00. At this time I do my Kata's and stretching. In the afternoon, I bodybuild.
Martial Edge: I understand you have just been away to a tournament. Did you compete?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Yes. I just took first place in the New York State Championship, in the 50 and over black belt division. I won this title last year also.
Martial Edge: So your still pretty active as a competitor?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: No, I come out once in a blue moon. I haven't competed in that many in along time, but I decided to start coming up for fun. Just to show that I've still got it. In this contest, my son took first place and my daughter took first place also. If you go to martialforce.com you will see an interview they did with my daughter.
Martial Edge: Would you recommend bodybuilding for the martial artist?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Bodybuilding is important for the martial artist to keep strength and tone in their muscles. I'm not a competitive bodybuilder so I personally do not aim for massive size.
Martial Edge: So the additional bulk of a bodybuilder will not decrease martial arts performance?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: It won't if you stretch, and practice the techniques every day.
Martial Edge: What are your strength training goals then?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: To increase the strength and power in my techniques, and also to stay in good shape.
Martial Edge: And what sort of shape are you in Bill?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I have been asked, when I am training, if I am preparing for a bodybuilding show. I'm not that big but some people obviously think I'm in good enough shape to compete in natural competition.
Martial Edge: Where were you born bill?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I was born in Brookland New York. I trained in New York when I was Nine, then I was transferred to Hong Kong for a while, trained there, then came back to New York and trained again. The style was established in New York.
Martial Edge: What are your thoughts on cross training various martial arts?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I've crossed and combined to make the Chinese American Goju Ryu a combination of tiger claw, white crane, praying mantis and Judo/ju-jitsu, and goju. I've studied under different masters.
Martial Edge: So combining different martial arts is nor necessarily a bad thing?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: No. Anything that it useful you use. As my teacher would say, always keep the good, and discard the bad.
Martial Edge: What are the practical benefits of Chinese American Goju Ryu?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Its about learning combinations of effective styles and combining them into one martial art, as opposed to just having the one. Everyone can pick up or adapt to certain techniques from different styles. Some systems stress low stances, some high stances; use circular motions; some use straight motions. This way you get to use all the different techniques and learn the ones that fit your body-type.
Martial Edge: How popular is your style? How many people have you taught?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I would say I've taught 25,000 people, easy in my career. We have competed against other styles and we have done very well - we hold our own. We go into open competition to compete against any style out there. I'm not saying we are better than anyone else, I'm just saying we hold our own.
Martial Edge: Speaking of competition fighting, what are your thoughts on some of the newer disciplines such as the UFC?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I think the ultimate fighting is a whole different style of fighting. All styles have their good side, but I like to look at the martial arts as an art form, rather than a sport where one is paid to fight and hurt each other. I don't think this is what Karate was meant to be. The martial arts as far as I'm concerned were meant to be something a person did to improve their health, and as a way of life. In the case of an emergency or self defence situation, of course this is of course an appropriate time to use it. I don't believe in being paid to hurt somebody, to try and show my superiority.
Martial Edge: Who were some of your earlier influences Bill?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Obviously Bruce Lee was one. My cousin (Richard Louie) who taught Kung Fu was another. All my instructors were obviously very influential, as were the martial arts movies I watched growing up.
Martial Edge: What was it that made Bruce Lee so great do you think?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I think his passion for the art, and for what he believed in.
Martial Edge: Who do you think would be the greatest martial artist that ever lived? would it be Bruce Lee?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I couldn't really say that. I respect all the masters for their own style and what they mastered. I think the master who started judo is the best in judo; Bruce Lee who started Jeet Kune Do, is the best in that style; Yamaguchi, Oyama (Mas), these are all great men, who are the best at what they started. I couldn't say who the greatest martial artist is. I like to think I'm the best in my own system. But am I better in judo, than the Originator of judo? No.
Martial Edge: You have a background in acting also. What are some of the films you have been in?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I have made six kung fu movies. I actually starred in one with Jackie Chan's instructor. The guy who taught Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung starred alongside me.
Martial Edge: What was that experience like?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: He was great, at that time I believe he was 77 or 78 and he could still do handstands, and do martial arts. I actually went on to do some directing and choreographed all the fights scenes in these movies.
Martial Edge: What are some of the more memorable experiences you had as an actor?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: Probably working with the grandmaster (Jim Yuen Yu) who taught Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
Martial Edge: What are some key precepts as far as Chinese American Goju Ryu is concerned?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: My style definitely practices what it preaches. It the hard and soft system. My students when they are young, practice the hard style. When they are older they graduate to the soft system.
Martial Edge: So what are the main differences between the hard system and soft system?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: With the soft system, you don't have to exert as much energy. First of all you have to understand what hard is to understand what soft is. We teach the hard first because youngsters all like to engage in more of an action based fighting with ore explosive power. As you become older, you become more calmer, and you learn how to deal with life in a more calmer manner. The fist approach is hard, because it all comes with maturity.
Martial Edge: Is there a certain age where martial artists become more adept, or more in control what they are doing?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: It is not so much the age, but the level of perfection in technique they attain. It’s sort of like when you become more confident, you don't really feel you need to prove anything. You become more confident in yourself, more at peace with yourself, to where you don't have to display anything - you know in yourself that you are superior.
Martial Edge: Are there any fundamental problems inherent in martial arts today?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I just think that some of the masters would be turning over in their graves if they saw some of the acrobatic moves that people are doing now in Karate. I'm not in agreement with all these summersaults and back-flips double-jointed moves that they call the martial arts. I think it's more gymnastics. The changes are not what martial arts are all about as far as I'm concerned.
Martial Edge: Is it good in terms of movies, or would you prefer to see more traditional styles used?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: In the movies it's good if people don't take it out of context, and understand that it is a movie. There not going to come to a Karate school and learn how to fly through the air, or to jump from roof to roof. It's good for entertainment purposes in the movies. It's not good for the art itself if it masks people think that that's what we do.
Martial Edge: What is your view on Jet Li, one of today's martial arts icons?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I think he is a great film martial artist, and a great Wushu practitioner. I've seen him do Wushu and it think he is one of the best at it. As a martial artist, I don't know what his philosophies are, so I can't really comment about the man. But he does have great martial arts technique and he is promoting martial arts very well, and he is a champion. You can't take that away from him.
Martial Edge: And do you think you are making improvements as you age?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I haven't slowed down, let's put it that way. I like to think I'm still in pretty good shape, and that's why I entered the competition.
Martial Edge: You are a tenth degree black belt, and the head of the Chinese American Goju Ryu system. Is there anything left for you to accomplish?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: There's a book called History of Karate in America. I'm mentioned in there a few times. I'm always learning about life and Karate is all about perfecting yourself in your life. I consider Karate to be a way of life and every day I look at things through the eyes of a Karate instructor. Or a master. I don't look at things from the perspective of a normal person. I see things and try to learn from them. Can I perfect my technique? Well, sometimes I add a little something more to the system, when I see it can fit, or if it is good. I learn from other masters. Sometimes they teach me stuff, and I look at it and say "now that's good". I absorb it. What do it want to do? I want to leave a legacy. When I leave this world I want to say "I didn't just pass by". Rather, I did some time to leave my mark so that people will benefit from what I've learned.
Martial Edge: Bill. Thanks for your time. Is there anything would like to say in closing?
Grandmaster Bill Louie: I would just like to say that I would like to see the martial arts going back to what they were - the way the masters in the past had intended it to be. I don't like to see people training to hurt people, but I would rather they concentrate on perfecting there own personalities, and to improve their health.
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