David Grago Sr.

David M. Grago grew up in Central New York where he began his martial arts studies in Kodakan Judo at the age of 12. Grago began to train in the Chinese Boxing Art of Southern Shaolin Chuan Ch'uang Pai (Kung Fu) as a closed door student of Sam (Iron Tiger) Wing at age 13 and opened the first Chinese Martial Arts School in Central New York in May of 1970. Grago attended college at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio and is an Alumnus of Spring Hill Jesuit College in Mobile, Alabama. Grago continued working in Shaolin Kung Fu with Sifu’s Bruce Ledger and James Cook while in Ohio. Grago opened up the first Martial Arts Club at Walsh University with over 100 participants and a demonstration team of 15 athletes. Grago opened three Martial Arts Schools in Ohio during his two year stay and taught Ohio State Police Self Defense and Security Defense and Training Courses for Merket Security and Buckeye Security Officers. While finishing his undergraduate studies in Mobile, Alabama Grago began the Spring Hill College CMA Club with an enrollment of more than 200 on campus students and faculty. During this timeframe Grago continued advanced instruction in Chinese Martial Arts, his first love, with: Norman Pedelahore (Lung Shou Pai - Dragon Claw Family Style); Mok Poi On (Pao Fa Lien Wing Chun); David Wei Kash (Emperor’s Shaolin Temple Boxing); WL John Ng (former Coach of the Peking Wu Shu Team - Wing Chun and Ng Family Style); and Andrew Tamper (Yee Chong Mu Gwan International) Currently, Grago has accepted the US Leadership of one of the most complex internal Kung Fu Styles under Patriarch (Inheritor) Ngoc An formerly of South Vietnam now residing in Moscow, Russia. In the early 1980s, Grago received permission from Leung Ting (of the Ving Tsun Kuen - Ip Man Wing Chun derivative) to develop his Art under the auspices of the Hong Kong International Chinese Martial Arts Federation. Leung Ting had made the personal introduction and recommendation to Mok Poi On, for Grago’s advanced study in a non-Ip Man style of Wing Chun Boxing. Grago established the Combined Wing Chun Association which was later accepted as a Group Member of the Chinese Kuoshu Worldwide Promotion Association by famous Chen Shou-Shan, President of the Kuoshu Worldwide, ROC, Taipei, Taiwan. Grago’s ICBA World Wide Organization and earned rank is recognized by: The Kuoshu Association of the Republic of China under President Chen Shou-Shan, The Hawaii Martial Art International Society under Professor Jaime Abreganna and Ming Lum. The World Congress of Amateur Athletes - TEAM USA Martial Arts - HL Mayle; The American Karate Black Belt Association - James Toney; The World Independent Chinese Martial Arts Federation under Klaus Schuhmacher, The Universal Tae Kwon Do Brotherhood under Eugene Humesky. Grago is recognized with rank and achievements by the Hawaii Martial Arts Internationally Society; The World Congress of Martial Arts; Associacion Venezolana de Kuoshu; The Universal Tae-Kwon-Do Brotherhood; and the US Kuoshu Federation. Grago is also the Dean of Chinese Scientific Studies for FIMA University. Grago received his Ph.D. from FIMA in 2004.

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