Abe Santos

Abe Santos was a senior instructor and taught the Wednesday night classes at the Jun Fan Gung Gu Institute of Seattle from 2001 to 2017. On February 2012, he was given a 5th Rank Full Instructor certification by Sifu Taky Kimura himself. Also, later that year Sifu Taky Kimura wrote a letter personally authorizing Abe Santos to promote and represent him and the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. He has been a student and friend of Sifu Taky Kimura for over 35 years. In 2018, he left the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute and together with Mike Hilow started the Jun Fan Gung Fu Academy.

In 1983, he was priveleged to see Sifu Taky Kimura at a martial arts exhibition held at Seattle Pacific University. Although he was only 14 years old at the time he had already read Bruce Lee's book, The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. At 10 years old, this was the first book he ever bought while with his parents shopping at a Japanese grocery store called Uwajimaya. At first he was reluctant to spend $20 of his hard earned allowance money to buy the book. But he went ahead and bought the book for $10 and did'nt realize it then but it was one of the best things he ever did. He still has this book today with his hand written notes.

After seeing and hearing Sifu Taky speak he wanted to learn as much as he can about Bruce Lee and eventually had the opportunity to meet Sifu Taky Kimura. That opportunity came after he wrote him a letter when he was 14 years old explaining his desire to train at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. The rest is history. Several yesrs ago, Sifu taky reminded him of that letter when one day someone cleaning out his garage found that same letter and showed it to him.

It has been an honor to know Sifu Taky and learning the philosophical aspects of Jun Fan Gung Fu Jeet Kune Do as well as its art. You cannot have a better teacher and mentor than Sifu Taky Kimura to teach the full totatility of Bruce Lee's art and philosophy of Jun Fan Gung Fu Jeet Kune Do. He currently teaches the Wednesday night class and assists in perpetuating and promoting the legacy Si Gung Bruce started and continued by Sifu Taky for the past 53 years. In Sifu Taky's own words, we are not there to teach you how to fight but to help you express and find yourself and be the best person you can possibly be.