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| History of IFCMA & Green Dragon Kwan The proper name of the School is “Ching Lung Kuoshu Kwan”, and the system of Chinese Martial Arts taught in the school is “Chung Kuo Chuan Kuoshu” (Chinese Boxing Art of Taiwan). The styles of training and methods of techniques include the Tiger (Strength), Leopard (Quickness), Crane (Gracefulness), Dragon (Spirit), and the Snake (Flexibility), The school also teaches the Shaolin Fukien White Crane system, and the Chu - Lin Praying Mantis system.
The school originated in Taiwan under the direction of Grandmaster Wen Hsueh Hung, and was relocated to the United States in 1969. Master S. L. Martin was appointed as the U.S. Director and the school was initially headquartered at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey in 1970. The original class was comprised of seven men and one woman.
Master Martin was then a 5th Degree Black Belt and was charged with the responsibility of engineering the development of the system in America. The Chinese martial arts were not highly respected during the early seventies because many people thought that the techniques that they saw in the movies were too ridiculous and ineffective. Master Martin began a campaign of student development that led to the Green Dragon School being considered as the “School to Beat” at most East Coast Tournaments.
It was now the early seventies, and the school now boasted an enrollment of more than 100 students, and was headquarted in Mt. Holly, New Jersey. Although Master Martin was the only Black Belt in the school, the Brown Belt and Green Belt students went on to make their claim for recognition on the East Coast. The first U.S. Black Belt was promoted in 1975. The roster of Green Dragon Champions began to grow: M.D. Tunney, K. Thomas, G. Fleming. C. Hare, T. Butler, E. Hampton, L. Lake, G. Sheridan and others.
The eighties came in like a storm with new Black Belts M. Steigerwald. D. Hicks, and R. Solomon setting the pace for future challengers. The eighties also saw seven Branch Schools extend the range of the Green Dragon effort. Performing hundreds of exhibitions and other community involvement activities spurred the Dragons on to an ever-increasing East Coast audience. The Headquarters School was averaging more than 200 wins per tournament.
The nineties saw many Green Dragon Black Belts go on to win National, International, and World titles. It also saw the Dragons being show cased at the International Kuoshu Championships in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The Headquarters was relocated to Bordentown, New Jersey and saw it’ s first tested Black Belt, J. Palumbo, carrying on the White Crane torch lit in the seventies by Master L. Steigerwald. Together they both went on to capture numerous wins performing their awesome two person fighting set.
The new millennium brought a new crop of talented and skilled black belts. Mr. Sean Eriksson lead the way, followed by Mr. Damian Ciccariello, Mrs. SafIya Baker, Mr. Steve Cianelli, Mr. Joshua Glynn, and Mr. Edward J. Dallas.
The Green Dragon Instructors have continued to set a standard of excellence, and are constantly upgrading their skill and instructional levels. The instructors and students are bound by the “Ten Standards of Honor”, and the school motto: “EXCELLENCE THROUGH EFFORT AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH PERSEVERANCE”
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