Aloha and Greeting Sifu Davis,
Just received your e-mail correspondences...I've been on several Bay Area book-signing tours with Dragon and Tiger. I apologize for the delay in returning your missive.
I'm very familiar with your fine work with promoting JKD and really continuing a great tradition. I've followed your growth for many years and you have set a perfect example of what and who a true martial artist should be. As we know, when one has been in the martial arts for several decades, we all ultimately realize that growth and dedication transcends styles.
You have definitely set the bar for yourself and others that walk the warrior's journey. Continue that fine tradition my friend.
I'm pleased that you enjoyed the fruits of Greglon and my labor that has taken over 20 years of strenuous and labor intensive research. We began critical research 10 years after Bruce Lee's death and traced every path the Bruce walked during the times he first visited Oakland and met James Yimm Lee.
The 5-Volume set has essentially resulted with over 11.000 typed pages of research material before I started writing. The finalized manuscript is over 1,800 pages and thus the reason for 5 volumes. (Plus many old and never before seen photos that were in Greg's dad James Yimm Lee's archives).
I wrote in1st and 3rd person so that the reader would get the feel of being there with Bruce and James while JKD was being developed. I believe you will thoroughly enjoy the next volume which will go to press near that later part of this year. North Atlantic Books, Frog, Ltd. (Our Publisher) requires a year per book to market and get it into stores worldwide...I'm sure you know that drill...right? So, regretfully, we have to wait until they do their work before we get the next on into the public's domain.
Interestingly, you are an Alabama Boy there in Birmingham. I was born in Montgomery, Alabama and moved to Selma at a very young age...It's always good to know another "Good Old Boy." <smiles> I left at 17 and joined the Navy and never went back home until 2 years ago. But, lately, I've tried to get back to my roots as often as possible.
I was suppose to go back in February (Landing in Birmingham) but because of another required trip to Hawaii (I'm nearing completion of a book titled The Cultural Weapons and Warrior Arts of Ancient Hawaii) {see book cover below[...So, I must go back to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii where they are letting me in the vaults again to take pictures of the ancient weapons of the times long before James Cook arrived there in 1778. So, my postponement to Selma will be in June.
Since I would fly into Birmingham, it may be of interest to do a book signing there at your Kwoon? There would be plenty of time to promote it and I have lots of promotional materials available. Please let me know if that would be of interest. Also, should you need 1st edition autographed books of Dragon and Tiger 1 and 2 you can get then from me here in Oakland, both for yourself and your students. As a historic biography series the Dragon and Tiger series will be around for ever. And that's the way it should be about the Oakland Years which, until now, has never been fully chronicled. I'm glad we decided to document these accounts 20 years ago because many of the people in Oakland that were a past of that history are quite old or have since passed. God bless each and every one of them because they contributed immensely to these works...
OK Sifu. A little winded here so I'll get this on the wire...
Stay in touch,
Much Aloha and Mahalo for the gracious words and complimentary kudos.
That means a lot for us that worked so many years to document this important time in martial arts history...
All the best,
Sensei Sid Campbell
Oakland
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Keep Blasting!
Sifu Lamar M. Davis II
Senior Instructor
Hardcore Jeet Kune Do
Sifu@HardcoreJKD.com
http://www.HardcoreJKD.com
http://www.RealCombatOnline.com
Phone (205) 956-1901
"Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit First - ALWAYS!"
