Grandmaster Daniel K. Pai

     Daniel Kane Pai (Born: Daniel Kalimahae Pa’i) was born in Kameula, Hawaii on April 4, 1930. His grandfather, Pai Po-Fong, taught him the Pai Family martial arts system (Pai-Lung Ch’uan-Fa). It is said that Pai Po-Fong had sent Daniel to the “1 White Lotus Monastery” (Pai-Lien Ssu / Byaku Ren Ji) on the north coast of Okinawa. Daniel trained in an art which we refer to as White Lotus Kempo (Pai Lien P’ai /Bok Leen Pai) for five years under a senior monk named Okamura. After the end of World War II, Daniel studied Judo/Ju-jutsu under H.S. Okazaki and Richard Takamoto. Daniel also studied Okinawan Kempo under Richard Takamoto, under whom he attained an 8th Dan in 1970.
     Other people Daniel Pai Had trained with, or was influenced by were Lum Tai-Yung (Fut-Gar), Shigeru Nakamura (Okinawan Kempo), Gogen Yamaguchi (Goju-Ryu), and Morhei Ueshiba (Aikido).
     From the late 60’s until his death in 1993 Daniel K. Pai was a driving force in the spreading of Chinese and Okinawan martial arts in North America. Originally teaching Okinawan Kempo & Goju-Ryu in the 50’s and 60’s and then spreading his Kung-Fu method in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
     Some time around 1972, due to the passing of one of his relatives (His Uncle; either a blood relative or Kung-Fu relative), Dr. Pai inherited the rank and title of Grandmaster in his family’s Kung-Fu Method (Pai-Lung Ch’uan-Fa). In the early 1970’s, Dr. Pai formed the “Pai-Lum Association.” During these early days, he also served as chief instructor for both the “USKA (Chinese Kempo Division)” and the “Canadian Fire Dragon Association” while also serving on the board of directors for the “East Coast Karate Federation.” This era peaked out with over 2400 students in fifty plus “Pai-Lum” and “Fire Dragon” schools operating in North America.
     In the mid 70’s the “U.S. White Dragon Martial Arts Society” was formed. and produced a team that on July 4, 1976 was awarded a “Certificate of Merit” for superb achievement during the Kuo-Shu demonstrations (held in Taipei, Republic of China), by Tsai Hung-Wen, president of the Kuo-Shu Federation. Dr. Pai’s team participated in the 2nd World Kuo-Shu Tournament in 1978 (Taipei, ROC.), leading to Dr. Pai’s being appointed “Delegate at Large” for the “Chinese Kuo-Shu Worldwide Promotion Association” (CKWPA).
     The 3rd World Kuo-Shu Tournament was organized by Daniel K. Pai and was held in 1980 (Hawaii, USA). In 1983, Dr. Pai’s U.S. team, participated in the 4th World Kuo-Shu Tournament (Taipei, ROC.). On November 10 of that year he was elected as Vice president of the 2nd executive board of the CKWPA. In 1984 Dr. Pai organized, and served as President, of the CKWPA-USA Branch.
     The “Amateur Athletic Union” (AAU) appointed Dr. Pai as delegate at large to the National AAU Kung Fu committee and the “International Kung Fu Association” (IKFA), representing the Florida State Region in April 1984.
     The Summer of 1989 saw Dr. Pai organizing and hosting the 6th World Kuo-Shu Tournament (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.). This was the last Major Kuo-Shu event personally oversaw by Dr. Pai, as his tenure as President of the “International Chinese Kuo-Shu Federation - U.S.A” (formerly CKWPA-USA) came to an end in late 1990.
     With Dr. Pai’s passing in 1993 the arts of the Pai Family are being spread, in many variations, by his senior students (2nd generation) and their students (3rd generation).

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