2
Shuai Chiao Kungfu & Tai Chi Chuan
with
Sifu Dave Pickens
Back in 1974 not many Gweilo’s (ghost fellows) a Chinese term for white people were doing Chinese Martial Arts, much less teaching it.
Sifu Dave was awarded permission to teach as well as rank students for the efforts he had put in obtaining (skill over time) Kung Fu in Chinese Martial Arts while running the base gym at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, Texas.
He was back from Thailand and full of desire to spread the art that had both taught him how to defend himself and achieve better health.
Upon discharge he began going to college and working as a bouncer at the Armadillo World Headquarters, where he learnt the art of patience, tempered with decisiveness when the situation warranted ejecting a patron. It’s was a great place to learn chin-na, joint locking and controlling methods he recalls. His abilities earned him back stage duty protecting the talent working for Frank Zappa, Waylon Jennings, Dave Mason, Charlie Daniels, Albert Collins, and Gatemouth Brown to name a just few of the dozens he protected.
As the Armadillo was fading he got serious about his college studies and had a three night a week gig at the legendary “Rome Inn”. He recalls my partner and I laughed later in life since he did Paul Ray and the Cobras, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and all the touring acts and (stuck) me with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Leroy Parnell, and W.C. Clark!
It was also at this time Austin Community College approached him to teach Tai Chi for college credit making his class the first in Texas to award college credit for taking classes in Tai Chi.
Later he was working as the Director of Security for an independent oil and gas company down in San Antonio where he shared his time working on organizing set security for movie projects and as body guard where he provided protection for political and well known dignitaries they had at their polo games. From James Michener to the Pope there was as wide range of personalities for who’s safety he was responsible!
Both state and local law enforcement became interested in his apprehension and retention techniques wanting to incorporate them into their procedures. It was also then that his students started making names for themselves in the tournament circuits, claiming 5 World Championships, over 40 National Championships, and so many State Championships they lost count!
He has continued to make progress in the American Chinese Martial Arts community becoming the 1st elected National Chairman of Chinese martial Arts Division for the United States of America Amateur Athletic Union and today serves as General Manager of the World Shuai Chiao Society.
He is now presently accepting adult students for instructions in Chang Style Tai Chi and Shuai Chiao. You can contact him at rrkungfu@hotmail.com to set up an introduction.