I can’t say that I really knew Great Grandmaster Castro that well. In the late 80s, I lived in Daly City where Ralph Castro's Kenpo Karate has been located for decades. I passed by his school all the time because Daly City isn’t that big and it was right off the highway with a large prominent sign, but I never went in. I knew him only by reputation. Grandmaster Castro was a direct pupil of Grandmaster William K. S. Chow (1914–1987), a founding father of Kenpo. Grandmaster Castro was the first to bring Kenpo to Northern California, and eventually developed his own unique derivation which he dubbed Shaolin Kenpo. Despite being a Shaolin layman disciple myself, I don’t have significant connections into the Kenpo world. They are different styles, distant branches sprung from the same root.

Grandmaster Castro was one of the earliest supporters of Tiger Claw. Not only did he get his supplies here, he endorsed Tiger Claw to his friends and his students, many of which went on to open their own schools. If not for his support, Tiger Claw would not have been nearly as successful in those formative years of the company. Consequently, the Castro family and the Ohs, the founding family behind Tiger Claw, became very close, not just for business but as neighbors and friends. The grandmaster frequently visited Tiger Claw HQ. Daly City is only about 40 miles from Fremont, where Tiger Claw is located.

The first time I formally met Grandmaster Castro was in 2006 when he came by Tiger Claw alongside three other noted Grandmasters, Ming Lum, Art Novak , and Wally Jay. Someone was shooting a documentary, and all of these pioneering Grandmasters were very close to the Tiger Claw family, so we offered free use of the TC Media International studio. Since they were all here, we also jumped at the opportunity to do our own interview.

It was an off-the-cuff interview on my part. I knew all the Grandmasters of course, but I didn’t have time to prepare. I was more of a moderator, interjecting some leading questions, and let them all talk. It was great fun because all of the masters were so candid, knowledgeable and most of all, they were gentlemen through and through. That interview is in our KungFuMagazine.com archives, where it has been free access for 13 years now - Tea with Grandmasters: Pearls of Wisdom from Martial Pioneers Ralph Castro, Ming Lum, Art Novak and Wally Jay.

When that interview occurred, I knew all the other Grandmasters pretty well already. But I didn’t really know Grandmaster Castro. As it turned out, he was the most talkative of all of them. And he had a lot to say – lots of wisdom – the sort that can only be accrued after a lifetime devoted to the martial arts. I wish I got to know him better. His door was always open, and I regret never visiting him at his school when I had the opportunity.

 

As I mentioned in that interview, a common denominator for all four of those Grandmasters was Hawaii. They all had connections to Hawaii, which was a breeding ground for U.S. martial arts because it was the closest state to Asia and predominantly a military community, once you get past the tourism. My family is also from Hawaii. The bulk of my relatives still live there. It is where I spent several childhood summers, which sounds idyllic, but my family were mostly military and blue collar, so I didn’t see the ‘tourist’ Hawaii until I was a teenager. Nevertheless, I was enculturated into the ways of Hawaii at a tender age, and while I don’t speak pidgin, I understand it more than most tourists. Hawaii has the spirit of Ohana, of family, which made it into the popular vernacular with the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch (2002). But long before that, all of these Grandmasters carried Ohana with them to the mainland. That Ohana spirit permeated the west coast martial arts scene and is still going to this day. Grandmaster Jay hosted a noted San Francisco Bay Area martial arts gathering called ‘Ohana’ since the 90s and is still held almost a decade after his passing. Perhaps that was why it was easy to connect with them all – we shared a bit of Ohana. I like to think that, but it was probably something else. Although each of these distinguished Grandmasters were warriors and fighters with impeccable records, they were all gentlemen first and foremost, gentlemen of the sort of high character that you just don’t see in the world as much anymore, much less in the martial world.

 

Nevertheless, I crossed paths with Grandmaster Castro several times over the following years, mostly at tournaments or sometimes when he dropped by the Tiger Claw office to visit and pick up gear. He always seemed to remember me and would greet me with a handshake and bow, just as martial etiquette requires. But he’d also always go the extra step to check in with me beyond the usual ‘how are you doing?” He’d ask about my practice and what I was working on. He was so personable and friendly, disarmingly so. Frankly, I was always astonished he remembered me at all.

L-R: Front row: Grandmasters Ming Lum, Ralph Castro, Wally Jay, Art Novak;
Back Row: Manuel Berber, Gene Ching, Thomas Oh, Ed Parker Jr. Bob Maschmeier, Andy Ching.

 

I’ve often dreamed of doing more ‘Tea with Grandmasters’, to make it into some sort of series, but that was not to be. Grandmaster Castro was the last surviving member of this quartet of grandmaster forefathers. And his passing is another marker of the end of a formative era for American martial arts. Perhaps someday I’ll be able to add to this and make it into a series with other Grandmasters, but they won’t be of the caliber of this old guard foursome.

Rest in POWER, Grandmaster Castro. I’m sure you’ve reunited with Ming, Art and Wally and are enjoying some big ono meal. Mahalo.