Peter Chong (karateka)

Last updated

Peter Chong
BornChong Seh Jam
1941 (age 82–83)
Singapore
ResidenceSingapore
Style Kyokushin Karate
Teacher(s) Masutatsu Oyama
Rank9th dan karate
Notable school(s)IKO Kyokushinkaikan,International Karate Alliance KyokushinRyu
Website http://ikak.net/

Chong Seh Jam a.k.a Peter Chong, [1] [2] PBM is the pioneer of Kyokushin karate in Singapore and a former Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) of Singapore. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early life

Chong was born in 1941 in a kampong at Ah Hood Road. He grew up during the Japanese occuption. [7] As a young boy, Chong was taught Chinese martial arts by his uncle for self-defense. [7] He would practise three times a week and also get into fights with others. Chong would also learn Judo and Taekwondo before learning about Kyokushin karate while he was working as a security guard in Metro department store. [7]

Karate Career

Chong first learned of Karate from This is Karate, a book written by Kyokushin founder, Mas Oyama. [7] In 1965, Chong sailed to Japan to train under Mas Oyama, without informing either his wife or his father of his intentions. [3] In 1967, he received his 2nd dan blackbelt and returned to Singapore as his father was seriously ill. [8] When he arrived, he found out that his father had already passed away. [7] Thereafter, Chong left for Japan again in 1967 and reunited with Mas Oyama. He attained the rank of 3rd dan in 1968. [3] During one summer training, Chong attempted the 100-man kumite under Mas Oyama but stopped after fighting 30 opponents. [7]

In 1969, Chong returned to Singapore once again and officially established his own dojo , becoming the founder of Kyokushin karate in Singapore. [9] The dojo was located in a kindegarten at 88 St. Francis Road off Serangoon Road. It was the first full-contact karate dojo in Singapore and as such, was unable to join the Singapore Karate Federation which only had sports karate. [8]

Chong had attained 4th dan in 1972 and 5th dan by 1975, [10] and was at that rank until at least 1979. [11] Chong was responsible for training Inamullah Khan, pioneer of Kyokushin karate in Pakistan. [12] [13] In 1973, the kungfu film Ring of Fury was released starring Peter Chong, which had featured various locations around Singapore. [14] [15]

In 1978, Chong expanded his karate school into a society, the Singapore Oyama Karate-do Kyokushinkaikan (SOKK). [16] In 1982, Chong along with other martial arts practitioners founded the Singapore Martial Arts Instructors Association (SMAIA). He would later become the vice president and president. [16] Under SOKK and SMAIA, he raised funds for various charities such as the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). [16]

By the 1980s, beside the main dojo there were dojos in the Police Reserve Unit at Mount Vernon Camp and various community centres around Singapore. [16] Chong himself trained policemen, prison officers and members of the public. In 1988, Chong received the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) from Ong Teng Cheong, then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, for services to the martial arts. [3] He would eventually be appointed the chairman of Middle East and South East Asia of the IKO Kyokushinkainkan by Mas Oyama. [16]

In 1992, Chong organised the Singapore Open International Tournament where participants from over 30 countries participated and popular actor and kyokushin practicitioner Dolph Lundgren and Mas Oyama attended as guests. [16]

By 2007, the headquarters of SOKK had moved to the seventh floor of Orchard Towers. [16] The SOKK had about 300 active members. In 2018, Chong resigned from his position as a chairman in the IKO. [17] Chong is currently the chairman of the International Karate Alliance KyokushinRyu (IKAK) and a 9th dan in Kyokushin karate. [3] He was promoted to that rank in April 2019.

Volunteer Special Constabulary

Peter Chong joined the VSC in 1959. After training to become a police officer, he was posted to various police stations such as Joo Chiat Police Station. Chong was posted to the Police Academy in 1964 and put in charge of training the VSC and Police National Servicemen in self-defence techniques. He was also in charge of the range where VSC personnel took part in their annual shooting test. [6]

Chong retired in 2000 as an assistant superintendent of police. [6]

Personal life

Chong is a Roman Catholic. [3]

Chong married in 1964. Chong has two sons who are also Kyokushin karate practitioners: Jackie, 6th dan, and James, 4th dan. [3]

Related Research Articles

Kyokushin (極真) is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training.

Katsuaki Satō is the founder and director of Satojuku Karate, also known as Odo karate. The Satojuku honbu (headquarters) is located in Tachikawa, Japan.

Miyuki Miura is a prominent Japanese master of karate, first practising Shotokan, then Kyokushin, then World Ōyama, and now operating independently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Arneil</span> Martial artist (1934–2021)

Steve Arneil was a South African-British master of Kyokushin karate. He learned directly from Masutatsu Oyama and was a senior instructor in Oyama's International Karate Organization (IKO) until 1991, when he resigned from the IKO. Arneil was the founder and President of the International Federation of Karate (IFK), held the rank of 10th dan, and held the title Hanshi. He and his wife settled in the United Kingdom in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mas Oyama</span> Zainichi Korean karateka (1923–1994)

Masutatsu Ōyama, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a Zainichi Korean karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate.

The 100-man kumite is an extreme test of physical and mental endurance in Kyokushin karate. Kumite is a form of sparring, one of the three main sections of karate training, and involves simulated combat against an opponent. The 100-man kumite consists of 100 rounds of kumite, each between one-and-a-half and two minutes in length. Normally, the karate practitioner undergoing the test will have to face similarly or higher-ranked opponents, and may face the same opponent more than once in the course of the test. Each opponent faced will be fresh and not fatigued or injured. Each of the rounds are done under test conditions, where either of the fighters are allowed to deliver knock out blows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loek Hollander</span> Dutch martial artist (1938–2020)

Loek Hollander was a prominent Dutch karate practitioner.

Francisco "Chiquinho" Alves Filho is a Brazilian Kyokushin Karateka and kickboxer. He is one of the few karate-ka to have successfully completed the 100 man kumite more than once.

Howard Collins is a Welsh master of Kyokushin karate based in Sweden. He holds the rank of 8th dan (2015) and the title of Shihan. Collins learned directly from Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin karate, and was a prominent competitor in world karate tournaments through the 1970s. He has been teaching his martial art since the 1960s, and has written several books on karate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shokei Matsui</span> Zainichi Korean MMA fighter (born 1963)

Shokei Matsui, also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang-gyu, is a South Korean martial artist in Japan. He is the master of Kyokushin karate and current Kancho (Director) of the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan, faction of the International Karate Organization (IKO) founded by Mas Oyama (1923–1994).

Terutomo Yamazaki is a Japanese karateka from the Kyokushin Kaikan (極真会館) and professional lightweight kickboxer. He is the founder of Gyakushin-Kai (逆真会館) and a Director of Karate in Japan. He presides over the International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai from the headquarters of the organization (honbu) in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan. His title as head of the Gyakushin-Kai organization is “Kancho”.

Edward 'Bobby' Lowe was a prominent Chinese American master of Kyokushin karate. He was the first uchi deshi of Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin karate, and established the first Kyokushin school outside Japan. Lowe held the title of shihan and was the Senior Instructor and an International Committee Chairman of the International Karate Organization founded by Oyama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoshukai Karate</span> Branch discipline of the Japanese/Okinawan martial art, Karate–dō

Yoshukai is a Japanese style of Karate–dō. Karate-do. Karate-do translates as "Way of the Empty Hand." The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translate as "Training Hall of Continued Improvement." However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence." Yoshukai Karate has been featured in Black Belt Magazine. Yoshukai karate is a separate Japanese style from Chito-ryu. Kata, kobudo, kumite, and all karate aspects are drawn from the Founder, Mamoru Yamamoto. Yoshukai is a newer derivative Japanese style.

Yoshiji Soeno is a Japanese karateka and a retired professional welterweight kickboxer.

Hatsuo Royama also known by his Korean name of Noh Cho Woong is a master of Kyokushin Karate and was current Kancho (Director) of the Kyokushin-kan International Organization Honbu, one faction of the International Karate Organization (IKO) founded by Mas Oyama (1923–1994) until April 2022.

Shigeru Oyama was a karate practitioner and instructor who operated a dojo in New York for half a century. He taught Kyokushin karate for many years before forming his own organization World Oyama Karate in 1985. He was hand-picked by Mas Oyama, karate master and founder of Kyokushin karate, to spread his contact style of karate in the United States and was sent to New York City to teach in 1966. S. Oyama is acknowledged as one of the first Kyokushin stylists to successfully complete the 100-man kumite. Oyama has taught many students, including Willie Williams and Frank Clark. Of the many Japanese Kyokushin karateka who sought training under S. Oyama, Joko Ninomiya chose to stay in America to also teach, and he became branch chief for Kyokushin in Denver, CO in 1976.

World Karate Championship in Weight Categories is the second largest competition in Kyokushin Karate. This tournament is arranged by several kyokushin organisations and usually held every fourth year in between World Tournaments which do not have any weight classes.

Kenji Kurosaki is a Japanese martial arts instructor, specializing in full-contact karate and kickboxing. He is a 7th dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate and operates various martial schools. He is most well-known as a pioneer of full-contact karate and kickboxing in both Japan and the Netherlands.

Masashi Ishibashi, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Ishibashi had an extensive career in Japanese television, where was famous as portraying villains in historical dramas, in roles such as bad lieutenants, shifty merchants, yakuza, bandits, and corrupt priests.

References

  1. ↑ Shimmen, W. (1969): "Peter Chong Seh Jam, Oyama 3rd dan, claims defeat of 100 men in exam," Black Belt (January 1969), 7(1):9.
  2. ↑ Chong, P. S. J. (1969): "Chong's claims," Black Belt (July 1969), 7(7):3.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kim, A., & Quek, D. (2003): Singapore Oyama Karate-Do Kyokushinkaikan: Biography of Shihan Peter Chong Archived 25 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 27 December 2009.
  4. ↑ IKO Kyokushinkaikan: Kancho & Committee Members Retrieved on 21 December 2009.
  5. ↑ International Karate Alliance Kyokushinryu: Kancho Retrieved on 19 September 2019, Archived from the original on 7 January 2019 on the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 3 "CHONG, Peter Seh Jam @ Peter Chong – Oral History Interviews – Record Details (Accession Number 002620) – Reel/Disc 4 of 7". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "CHONG, Peter Seh Jam @ Peter Chong – Oral History Interviews – Record Details (Accession Number 002620) – Reel/Disc 1 of 7". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 "CHONG, Peter Seh Jam @ Peter Chong – Oral History Interviews – Record Details (Accession Number 002620) – Reel/Disc 2 of 7". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Shimmen, W. (1969): "Mr Shimmer (sic) replies," Black Belt (July 1969), 7(7):4.
  10. ↑ Yussof, S. (2009): Shaharin Yussof Retrieved on 27 December 2009.
  11. ↑ Singapore Oyama Karate-Do Kyokushinkaikan: Penpicture of Shihan Patrick Teo Archived 25 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 12 January 2010.
  12. ↑ International Kyokushinkaikan Karate Organization, Pakistan: Pioneer in Pakistan Archived 16 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 31 January 2010.
  13. ↑ Pak-Kyokushin: Kyokushin kaikan & Shihan Archived 4 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 4 February 2010.
  14. ↑ The Straits Times (31 August 2017). Former actor Peter Chong on filming locations for Ring Of Fury . Retrieved 3 August 2024– via YouTube.
  15. ↑ Pao, Tee (4 May 2020). "James Sebastian and Ring of Fury". Asian Film Archive. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "CHONG, Peter Seh Jam @ Peter Chong – Oral History Interviews – Record Details (Accession Number 002620) – Reel/Disc 3 of 7". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Kancho, Daihyo & Council Members – International Karate Alliance" . Retrieved 5 August 2024.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.