Dragon Code

From the late 1960s and into the early 1980s the World White Dragon Kung Fu Society was the largest and most influential of the Chinese style martial arts organization in North America. The late grand-master and founder of Pai Lum is Daniel Kane Pai. Daniel K. Pai learned the family style of White Dragon Fist or Pai Lum from his grandfather. His grandfather emmigrated from China to Hawaii sometime near 1924. His name was Po Fong, but later adopted a Hawaiian name, Po Pai. Po Pai was the  grandmaster of the White Dragon System. This is the system with his family name Pai. This is a hard system or a chu chuan. Daniel K. Pai  moved to Okinawa where his grandfather made arrangements for him to study the art of Kempo. After that he returned to Hawaii to work as a cowboy at the Parker Ranch on the Big Island. This is the same Parker family where the late Ed Parker, famed Kempo artist, came from. It was here that he trained in Judo. Later he left to obtain his black belt in Kempo at the school in Okinawa. In late 1952, Daniel K. Pai came back to the mainland to join the army. He started his military career in San Francisco before shipping out to the Korean War. He opened his first mainland school in California in 1953, before leaving for Korea. When he returned he operated a school in Alexandria, Virginia. The next White Dragon school opened in 1954 in Richmond, Virginia. After that Daniel K. Pai focused on studying the ministries of the Pentecostal Church. It was during that time he opened an additional school with Rev. Mike Crane. His work in the Church was very esteemed. He became a Reverend, then a Clergyman and finally, a Bishop. Throughout the 60's and 70's many more White Dragon Schools were opened throughout the United States. In addition to his rank of Grandmaster in Kung Fu, Pai has earned Black Belts in many other Martial Arts including Kendo, Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Okinawan Kempo. Daniel K. Pai has influenced four generations of Kung-Fu practitioners throughout his life. His students have gone on to make significant contributions to the   martial arts. From Bruce Lee to Don "the Dragon" Wilson, and every sifu or student who has come from the White Dragon system, Daniel K. Pai's influence continues to impact the world of martial arts. Pai Lum focuses on the concept as stated by Daniel K. Pai's  grandfather, "Make the man strong to break anything with his body first then the fist." Students of Pai Lum study the five animal techniques of tiger, snake, leopard, dragon, and crane. Most of the emphasis lies in the dragon and crane techniques.  What separates Pai Lum Kung Fu from many other modern styles is that we train for "real life," where as many schools train for show. In that,  the schools have gone from a martial art to a martial sport. We train students to be warriors with compassion and scruples. The Pai Lum Dragon Code says it best:  "I am what I am because I choose to be. I am a dragon by choice and subject to its law. My brothers and my sisters are my heart  and my mind. Even though we may disagree with each other, we still strive to be one; forgetting all categories and letting energy which  wishes to exist, exist. But, as a dragon I must go forth to seek the tao and the void; understanding myself and finding peace within."