Sifu Share K. Lew

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Sifu Share K. Lew

by Ayleyaell Amy Kinder

In the United States is an unpublicized treasure, a treasure in every sense of the word. Living simply and quietly in the San Diego area is an authentic, temple-trained Taoist priest (formerly a monk) from the famous Luo Fu Shan mountains in Guangdong Province, north of Guangzhou (Canton). His name is Share K. Lew.

Grandmaster Share K. Lew, who prefers the simpler title of Sifu, will celebrate his 80th birthday this March. Gathering to honor him at a restaurant in San Diego will be a panoply of people who are teachers in their own right, students, and students of students, movie and television stars, medical doctors, psychologists, acupuncturists, and others whose lives Sifu Lew has touched in some way.
Five years ago, Sifu celebrated his 75th birthday in a similar manner. Among those attending were honored guests Sifu Doo Wai, Tai Chi teachers Wen-Mei Yu of Los Angeles and Hai-min Shen of Monterey Park, and actors Chao-Li Chi and Eric Lee. Notable among the students attending were Sifu Frank Primicias, Sifu Carl Totten, Sifu Doug Wong, Sifu Carrie Wong, Bruce Baptie, Sifu Steve Grody, Sifu Todd Takeuchi, anthropologist Dimitri Kostynick and Sifu Jason Lee.

Sifu Lew was presented with gifts, including a plaque from the Mexican government acknowledging his work and thanking him for his efforts in keeping Mexican youths off the streets and engaging in activity that helped their self-esteem and growth. As we enjoyed a gourmet vegetarian dinner, watched kung fu demonstrations, stories were traded back and forth about the many ways Sifu has taught and helped us all.

Perhaps most moving of all, at Sifu Lew's birthday celebration, a lineage chart was drawn up showing the spread of knowledge and influence from Sifu Lew to all who have known him, and to the students and grandstudents of those students.
 

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