I decided to just quit pussyfooting around and called Richard Lee’s East West directly. After what I saw last weekend, I felt confident that they weren’t apt to hiding things.
In order to be a Bok Fu black belt, one must be registered with Richard Lee’s school/list. Ron Lee is not part of the BFD association. He never was a BFD black belt. He left Richard’s school many years ago and started his own school. According to the woman on the phone, this was in Vallejo. She knows the people who currently run the school under the Tracy Kenpo banner. This woman, Norma, has never met Ron Lee. But last she heard, about 5 years ago he up and left the country. None of the other BFD people I mentioned (who hold WW black belts) are legitimate, either.
She hinted at a lot of stories being told about West Wind, but she was hesitant to tell me, because she had no idea who I was or what I really wanted. I didn’t try to pry too much. I did get the feeling that she has heard some really bad things about people who have tried to find out information. She told me that sometimes, in the martial arts world, people lie and do bad things, and don’t like it when others try to pry and inquire too deeply about what is going on. She told me to trust my instincts about not wanting to go there.
It sounds like there’s some really REALLY freaky shit going on. I might try to be a bit more persistent with them, but I’m wary about pushing boundaries. I want to know more, and would relish the opportunity to speak with GM Richard Lee himself, but I don’t want to be too forceful and risk my opportunities.