CPA: My outlook has always been very multi-cultural. I've never considered anybody by their color, religion, or any other basis. I only go by the individual's way. So if they're no good it doesn't matter if they're West Indian or African or white ... I try to take another route. You know a tree has many branches, I try to climb on the branches that are good. If the branch is good I go that way, if not, I go on a different limb! (laughter) That's my life. (laughter) Metaphorically speaking, every tree even though they may be maple trees or whatever, they all look different, even the flowers, but they all accumulate to the beauty that's around us!

Drumcultures: Right. You've been on this path for a long time. What do you notice is changing, improving, or developing?

CPA: Yeah. I notice that the martial arts are increasing in popularity probably because of the UFC which is now legal in or province.

Drumcultures: Ultimate Fighting

CPA: Yes, Ultimate Fighting Championship is legal now. I hear that 40 percent of ticket holders are female, which is extraordinary. With an increase in the popularity of the martial arts its probably the best time for me to open my club. Everybody wants to smell the roses and be a part of it... One of the teachings of the martial arts is not to hurt or harm people, but rather it encourages health while making you able to defend yourself in case something happens.

Drumcultures: Have you had to use your skills for any reason or is it just something you carry with you?

CPA: Yes, I've had to use it. For some reasons I don't even understand people want to make trouble when they don't even know how to defend themselves. But I've used it in a controlled manner such that some of the people that I've had aggression with would be my friends later on because I never did more than I had to.

Drumcultures: Right.

CPA: I control and I negotiate. One of my biggest martial arts skill is that of negotiation. I'd rather gain another friend than to brutalize an enemy who can then be behind my back when I'm not looking. I try to treat people with courtesy and kindness, even when one is wrong its better to speak about it rather than being aggressive right away.

Drumcultures: Do you consciously work on developing your skill in Chinese language?

CPA: Not consciously, subconsciously! (laughter) I was married to a Chinese lady, we have two kids, and we were together for over twenty years.

Drumcultures: Cool.

CPA: Yeah. You could say she was my translator when the language got too deep for me to understand. But I've got my basics. How are you? Basic communications. I can get by a bit. I'm fairly good at numbers, I can probably count up to 1000 in Chinese.

Drumcultures: What role has Hung Luk played in the community around here?

CPA: We play a big role in the community. Now and then we go to schools. We perform on Chinese New Year. We perform the Lion Dance. We do Kung Fu demonstrations. We've even received a certificate of appreciation from the Toronto School Board for performances and shows that we did there. We answered questions about the martial arts from the little kids. Things like that. We help neighborhood people, and even people from far away, who come to join the club to learn all the skills that I've learned.

Drumcultures: Fifty years is a long time for a club to be consistently functioning in the community...

CPA: It is a long time! Even when I'm gone from Hung Luk and doing my own thing I'll still be connected there. I'll still consider myself a student of Hung Luk. My teacher at Hung Luk, Chen Yuk, he's in his late 70s almost 80, he's recently been teaching us a lot more stuff than in the past when things were more secretive. He apologized for that recently, you know, not teaching us so much when we were younger. So we were very patient with him. You know martial arts you sometimes have to be patient. Now he's flooding us with a lot of knowledge! If I left now it would be a disadvantage for my own thing. So I intend to continue to learn from my teacher so that my students will benefit. But for now I'll be focused on teaching my students the basics of our art. At the beginning you have to have great basics.

Drumcultures: Have you been to China?

CPA: No I haven't. I had the opportunity to go a long time ago with the club. I was young and I just didn't have the cash for it. But I hope to visit there sometime God willing!

Drumcultures: Thank very much Clive.

CPA: You're very welcome.

Fri 2 Aug 2011.