Sifu (Chinese for "teacher") Gilbert Leal is the Chief Instructor of Dragon Martial Arts in San
Antonio, Texas. He has been practicing martial arts for 36 years. His training
has been varied and includes the arts of Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Shaolin
Kung Fu, Wushu, Tai Chi Chuan, Pentjak Silat, Filipino Kali/Escrima and Muay Thai.
He considers himself to be extremely fortunate to have been accepted as a student
by three extraordinary martial arts Grandmasters: Wing Tsun (Wing Chun) Kung Fu
Grandmaster Leung Ting, Penjak Silat Grandmaster (Pendekar) Herman Suwanda and
Shaolin/Tai Chi Kung Fu Grandmaster Madame Wang Ju Rong.
Sifu Leal began his martial arts training at the age of 15 with the Korean
martial art of Tae Kwon Do. He especially enjoyed the high kicking techniques of
Tae Kwon Do and eagerly began training. Little did he realize that this would be
the beginning of a life-long involvement in the martial arts!
In 1980, quite by chance, while driving with a friend, Sifu Leal noticed a small
store front sign that read "Garden of The Temple Benevolent Society". It had a small
yin/yang symbol and the rest of the text was in Chinese. Intrigued, he immediately
stopped to investigate further. When he opened the door, he saw two men inside
practicing what appeared to be Chinese kung fu. He then realized that he had stumbled
upon an underground martial arts school - the only school teaching Shaolin Kung Fu in
San Antonio at that time. The instructor was a man named Sifu Arturo Morales. Sifu Leal
started training with Sifu Morales in the Chinese martial art of Shaolin Kung-Fu. Much
to Sifu Leal's dismay, his previous training in Tae Kwon Do did not prepare him for the
rigorous kung fu workouts conducted by Sifu Morales. Even though Sifu Leal had the
necessary flexibility and high kicking skills needed for Shaolin Kung Fu, this new style
was much more fluid and vigorous than the Tae Kwon Do that he had previously practiced.
In the course of his continued research of the martial arts, Sifu Leal became intrigued with the internal art of Tai Chi Chuan, and realized that it could help him with fluidity
and internal strength. He began to study Yang style Tai Chi Chuan with Sifu Horacio Lopez.
Sifu Lopez had recently moved to San Antonio from Argentina and was teaching a small group of students. This was Sifu Leal's first introduction to the internal Chinese martial arts.
He was very fortunate to have studied Tai Chi Chuan with Sifu Lopez, who went on to become one
of the best Yang Tai Chi practitioners in the country, and one of Yang Tai Chi Grandmaster
Yang Zheng Duo's top American students.
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Sifu Leal with his Wing Tsun instructor Grandmaster Leung Ting.
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In February 1982, Sifu Leal met Wing Tsun Kung-Fu Grandmaster Leung Ting and became
one of his first American students. Grandmaster Leung was the last student of legendary Wing Chun
Grandmaster Yip Man. Grandmaster Leung went on to create the International Wing Tsun Martial Art Association with branches in 64 countries. Sifu Leal became the
sixth American to receive the rank of Primary Level Technician from
Grandmaster Leung. In 1985, Grandmaster Leung awarded Sifu Leal his Second
Level Technician certificate and the title of Sifu (teacher). Sifu Leal served as the
Texas representative of the American Branch of the International Wing Tsun
Martial Art Association from 1984 to 1990. In November of 1988, Sifu
Leal was promoted to the rank of Third Level Technician by Grandmaster Leung.
At that point in the development of Wing Tsun Kung Fu in America, only three other Americans had received this rank. Due to personal reasons, Sifu Leal resigned from the International Wing Tsun Martial Art Association in 1990 and severed all ties to Grandmaster Leung and his organization. However, Sifu Leal continued his Wing Chun training, and sought instruction from
other prominent instructors in Wing Chun as well as other arts.
One such prominent instructor was Guro Dan Inosanto. Sifu Leal attended several of Guro
Inosanto's Texas seminars in the early 90's. In these seminars, Guro Inosanto taught an eclectic mix of various arts, including Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Kali/Escrima, Muay Thai, and Pentjak Silat.
with his extensive background in Wing Chun Kung Fu, Sifu Leal was able to understand how Bruce
Lee had modified his Wing Chun to create his art of Jeet Kune Do. He also saw the similarities
of the concepts and techniques of Kali/Escrima and those of Wing
Chun. Although at first glance these arts appear to be quite different, they are actually very
compatible and enhance each other. Sifu Leal is grateful to Guro Inosanto for sharing his
extensive knowledge in these arts with the martial arts community.
In 1991, Sifu Leal sought further instruction in the art of Muay Thai. His friend, Rudy Vasquez,
teaches Muay Thai in Austin, Texas. Vasquez is a student of Thai Boxing Master (Arjan) Surachai "Chai"Sirisute, head of the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A. Sifu Leal was able to train with Master "Chai" whenever he taught at Vasquez's school in Austin, as well as in Houston and Forth Worth. Sifu Leal feels that although Muay Thai is a relatively simple art compared to more complex martial arts like kung fu, the conditioning achieved through training in Muay Thai is second to none!
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Sifu Leal with his Pentjak Silat instructor Pendekar Herman Suwanda.
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In 1993, Sifu Leal decided to further his training in the Indonesian martial art of Mande Muda
Pentjak Silat under the tutelage of Grandmaster (Pendekar) Herman Suwanda. Mande Muda is the Suwanda family martial art created in 1951 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, by Pendekar Herman Suwanda's father, Pendekar Uyuh Suwanda. Mande Muda Pentjak Silat was originally comprised of 18 styles of Pentjak Silat. Pendekar Herman Suwanda
added 8 more styles to bring the total to 26 Silat styles. These styles include Harimau, Chimande, Cikalong, Kari, Sahbandar and others. This makes Mande Muda Pentjak Silat extremely comprehensive. It includes both stand-up fighting and groundfighting, locking and nerve strikes as well as weapons. Pendekar Herman Suwanda traveled extensively, teaching Mande Muda around the world. Sifu Leal became one of Pendekar Suwanda's top Texas students and trained with him in Austin, Dallas and Tulsa, Oklahoma for 8 years. In April of 1998, Pendekar Suwanda awarded Sifu Leal the title of Certified Instructor in the art of Mande
Muda Pentjak Silat. Sifu Leal continued to study Mande Muda Pentjak Silat
until Pendekar Suwanda's tragic death in a car crash in March 2000.
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Sifu Leal with his Shaolin/Tai Chi
teacher Grandmaster Madame Wang Ju Rong.
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In 1995, Sifu Leal was accepted as a student by Grandmaster Madame Wang Ju Rong of the
Houston Institute of Chinese Martial Arts and Medicine. Madame Wang was the daughter of the
legendary martial artist, Grandmaster Wang Zi Ping. She began her martial arts
training at the age of five and by the time she was 18 years old, Madame Wang had won first place
in a National Chinese Wushu Competition. She was the first woman to have achieved this honor.
Madame Wang went on to become the first woman Wushu professor in Chinese history. She
was Wushu Professor Emeritus of the Shanghai Physical Education University. In 1960, when Shanghai
Physical Education University officially began the first Department of Wushu ever in China, Madame
Wang was appointed head of this department. Madame Wang and her husband, Dr. Wu Cheng De,
moved to the U.S. in 1989 and settled in Houston, Texas. She was actively engaged in the promotion
and organization of Wushu competitions and was twice voted Inside Kung Fu Magazine's “Woman
of the Year“. Sifu Leal was fortunate to learn Shaolin Kung Fu and Yang style Tai Chi Chuan
as well as traditional Chinese weapons and Wushu from Madame Wang. Madame Wang's husband, Dr. Wu, taught Sifu Leal Northern Shaolin Cha Chuan Kung-fu and Chi Kung. Sifu Leal remained a student of Grandmaster Wang until her death in December 2005.
Sifu Leal feels honored to have been taught by such respected Grandmasters in
these arts, and wishes to honor his teachers by passing on the knowledge that
they so graciously shared with him. Sifu Leal has been teaching continuously in San Antonio, Texas since 1984. He continues to train and refine his
martial art skills. In addition, he practices Tai Chi, Chi Kung, and Yoga for relaxation.
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