When it comes to Kung Fu territories outside of China, no other place matches the notoriety of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Case and point, there are two Kung Fu themed TV shows currently set here: Max’s WARRIOR and KUNG FU. So it seems only right that SF’s Chinatown celebrate its unique Kung Fu legacy. The first Kung Fu Day was held on June 3, 2023, in the heart of SF’s Chinatown.*

Last year, there was a previous Kung Fu Day held outside the city that got things started. On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the Sanctuary Task Force hosted a Kung Fu Day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, which is located a few cities south of San Francisco on the peninsula. It was in observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, held in May. The 2023 Kung Fu Day was also in honor of AAPI month, as well as an event staged to bring more tourism back to Chinatown. Its objective was to bring a festive environment back to San Francisco’s Chinatown, especially as thecommunity and its businesses are still recovering from the detrimental effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. Held on Grant Avenue, Chinatown’s main artery, Kung Fu Day 2023 closed two city blocks of between Broadway and Jackson. Grant Avenue commerce relies heavily on tourists. Consequently, its economy has suffered as manyof its businesses have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic.

San Francisco in notorious for its fog, which often blankets the fair city during the summer in what locals call ‘June gloom.’ However, after weeks of gray overcast conditions, a shining blue sky broke out in Chinatown for Kung Fu Day, glorious T-shirt weather that made the city by the bay sparkle.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was present to honor the gathering with an official declaration for Kung Fu Day, as well as to present certificates of recognition for the grandmasters in attendance. She even went so far to greet the audience in Cantonese during her speech. California Senator Scott Wiener also spoke and presented certificates. After the political speeches, a ribbon cutting ceremony and a traditional Chinese roast pig slicing was observed. And then came the Kung Fu demonstrations. Nearly twenty local schools presented short programs ranging from five to twenty minutes each, making for several hours of solid Kung Fu demos.

For traditional Kung Fu aficionados, Kung Fu Day was a banquet of old school Kung Fu. The grandmasters that were honored were the pioneers of Kung Fu in the Western world. Many opened their schools in the United States long before modern Wushu came to pass. There were no sequined rayon outfits that were more befitting of competition ice skaters than warriors. Practitioners were clad in traditional Kung Fu attire, and demonstrating methods the old-fashioned way, completely bereft of aerials and 720 flying kicks.

The performance stage was set right in front of Jack Kerouac alley, an artsy corridor that connects Chinatown and Little Italy. It made the spectator area tight – only the width of Grant Avenue, less the small stage – so the end of Grant at Broadway became a traffic pinch point as Kung Fu fans and unexpecting tourists squeezed by on the crowded sidewalks. All along the east side of Grant were tables and booths for various sponsors like the Chinese Historical Society of America, which was coincidentally holding an exhibit dedicated to Bruce Lee, as well as several of the attending schools. As the afternoon progressed, this was the sunny side of the avenue as the shadows from the shops and restaurants on the west side from the setting sun.

For those unsuspecting tourists that just happened to wander into the scene, they must’ve felt like they walked on to the set of WARRIOR or KUNG FU. They suddenly found themselves surrounded by Kung Fu warriors, clad in their understated uniforms, casually carrying all manner of time-honored Chinese weapons. But instead of bearing witness to some fearful tong war, they were met with an atmosphere of joyful sharing. For the Wulin (or perhaps Mo Lum is more appropriate here as that first generation of immigrant masters were predominantly from southern China), it was all about reuniting with old friends. Masters, grandmasters, and students greeted each other with respect and courtesy. Everyone had the same goal – to support and promote the Kung Fu community and Chinatown. And everyone was genuinely pleased to see each other keeping up the practice, pandemic be damned.

Hopefully Kung Fu Day 2023 is the beginning of a new annual tradition for Chinatown. Everyone agreed that this was a wonderful gathering and should have been happening for a long time by now. The rich legacy of Kung Fu in San Francisco’s Chinatown is something to be cherished and shared.

We wish Kung Fu Day continued success in the years to come.

 

 

*NOTE: After publication, it was brought to our attention that there was a prior Chinatown Kung Fu Day held on March 19, 2022 at the Willie "Woo Woo" Wong Playground in Chinatown so our title was in error. We apologize for the mistake.