KUNG-FU and a CUBAN LEGEND IN THE MISSILE CRISIS

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"Kung-fu and a Cuban Legend

Only twice in the second half of the 20th century, were the secrets of kung-fu given to people who were not Chinese, and one of them took place in Cuba during the Missile Crisis

By: Luis Martínez Menocal *

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2009-04-08 | 13:48:04 EST
I

According to the information received about the martial arts, only twice in the second half of the 20th century, were the secrets of kung-fu given to people who were not Chinese.

One of these took place in Hong Kong, when Bruce Lee, for commercial reasons, revealed the mysteries of this practice in his action films. Until then, such knowledge had been a jealously kept secret by the Chinese wushu masters.

The other case happened in Cuba, but for a very different reason: on the last day of October, 1962, the master Rufino Alay Chang decided to transmit his knowledge as a contribution to the defence of his homeland. This happened in the period of the so-called Missile Crisis.

On October 22, 1962, US president John F. Kennedy had announced the air and sea blockade against Cuba, which would be carried out by US military forces. So, the Cuban security bodies were ordered to take all necessary additional measures to guarantee the defence and integrity of the Cuban territory.

Thus, it was decided to prepare an agent to be infiltrated into a counter-revolutionary group linked to the mafia residing in the United States. Among those selected was Rufino Alay Chang whose code name was Arturo.

Rufino Alay was born in Cuba on March 12, 1928 and lived in Havana where completed twelfth grade. He collaborated with the July 26 Movement and in 1959 jointed the Revolutionary National Militias. In addition, he organized the “José Wong” battalion in the Chinese community.

In the context of the Missile Crisis, the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) created a battalion in charge of special missions, in which the agent Arturo was inserted. There, his knowledge of the mysteries of personal combat provided by old masters of the martial arts was uncovered. This knowledge could be useful for other combatants in this new situation.

Rufino was assigned to train the recruits, and the previous plan was changed. So the true origin of this Chinese combat was not detected, the Master proposed calling it karate, a name that had been made popular by the Japanese films.

In this way, the knowledge we could adquire about kung-fu could be kept secret and Arturo would not get in trouble with the Chinese masters in Havana’s China Town. These masters forbid their pupils to reveal these mysteries to unauthorized people.

Arturo’s proposal was accepted. Finally, the first days of November of that year arrived, and as is known, the Missile Crisis did not bring about military actions against Cuba. So, the US air and sea blockade finished on November 20, 1962 and the special battalion was deactivated.

II

In a meeting with Commander Manuel Piñeiro, Chief of Intelligence, the work of the staff incorporated into the “special battalion” was updated and it was agreed to deepen more into Kung-fu to analyze if this martial art could be included in the preparation of special agents who were still in training.

The report showed that there was a fraternal organization called Hai Yut Wui in China Town, on Zanja and Campanario Streets, which Rufino Alay belonged to. There martial arts were practiced and taught by a few kung-fu teachers that were in Cuba at that time.

These teachers just taught the deep knowledge of Kung-fu to a select group of people, particularly descendants of Chinese parents, who had to follow strictly a group of ethical norms.

Among these, the most important are:

1.Not to use Kung-fu for personal benefit.

2.Not to use it against weaker people; which would be an abuse.
3.Not use Kung-fu when the opponent was already defeated.

The three most important teachers of that organization were: Wong Kei, the instructor of Rufino Alay, Lee Choi and Lee Wu.

The report enabled Commander Piñeiro, after analyzing it with Commander Ramiro Valdes, Minister of the Interior, to agree to teach this technique to a group of trainee agents at that time. Moreover, a small section was created to guarantee the entire infrastructure for this new specialty.

Heriberto and Domingo Rodríguez Oquendo, nicknamed Agustín and Raúl Rizo, were the two first officers in charge of teaching this technique

The first special gym that we organized and provided for such purposes, in March 1963, was located in the basement of the house where Heriberto Rodríguez lived, in the Havana neighbourhood known as Nuevo Vedado.

Six months later, we had already developed training courses of various agents, as well as some teachers, which allowed us some flexibility in the new task. Then, we decided to expand the teaching of the new martial art to groups of combatants from the Personal Security Division, the National Revolutionary Police and officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR for its Spanish initials.) In 1964 karate was still not practiced as a sport.

Coincidentally, at that time, cooperation between some Japanese organizations of solidarity with Cuba and the Cuban Ministry of the Fishing Industry had started. Among the Japanese advisers who were hired, there was one named Kohagura Masaaki, to whom his new Cuban colleagues gave the name of Camilo and showed a mastery of the karate techniques.

Immediately, our teachers contacted that Japanese friend, a second dan black belt, titles acquired in the Hyoshinmon School of Martial Arts, in Tokyo, headed by the teacher and sixth dan black belt in karate, Hoshu Ikeda.

Camilo was willing to share the knowledge he had, and classes were taught in a former ballroom located between the Prado and Neptuno streets. The first Cuban dojo of Karate do was set up there.

The result of that integration, which later increased with another Japanese collaborator named Kobayashi Seiki, was an interesting fusion of the knowledge and techniques of both schools.

In 1969, when our fusion of karate and kung-fu was no longer a secret martial art, Professor Hoshu Ikeda, director of the Hyoshinmon School of Karate, travelled to Cuba invited by the Cuban authorities of sports and the Ministry of the Interior.

During his stay in the country, Ikeda gave a large number of master classes and public exhibitions, with great impact on the population. In addition, he conducted tests to grant the rank of second dan black belt in karate to the most advanced Cuban students from the Prado and Neptuno dojo, along with other talented students in the country.

Professor Ikeda then announced a free collaboration commitment, which resulted in the presence in Cuba for several years of the second main teacher from the Hyoshinmon School, named Ito. He continued enhancing the technical level of our karate players.

Since 1973, our most advanced teachers and students have been sent to Japan, where they reach higher levels in karate. The first Cuban who reached the fifth dan black belt in karate there was precisely teacher Raúl Rizo.

Parallel to this, collaboration began in the gyouksul techniques with the Democratic Popular Republic of Korea, as well as in self defense with the USSR Ministry of the Interior. Since the ’90s, young people have been sent to China to learn martial arts and in 1995 the current Master Roberto Vargas Lee, travelled to that country.

Roberto studied the Wushu techniques, taught at the University of Physical Education in Beijing. Since his return, the practice of Wushu as a martial art and mass sport has spread extraordinarily.

III

Arturo and Augustín are not longer physically among us. The first died on July 2, 1985 and the second on August 17, 2005.

During their prolific years of service at MININT, both received numerous decorations. These include the award 20th Anniversary of MININT and FAR, 20th Anniversary of the Moncada, and 20th Anniversary of the State Security.

At the end of 90s, the karate player and friend Camilo was granted the Friendship Medal in Japan, at a ceremony held at the Cuban Embassy in Tokyo. Sergio Corrieri presided over the ceremony.

The work that began 46 years ago as a secret kung-fu, which later dressed up as karate and was finally merged with Wushu, is summarized in the Cuban School of Martial Arts. This school is part of the sports and combative heritage of the country.

On the morning of Saturday October 13, 2007 a solemn ceremony in Havana’s China Town took place, with the presence of Raúl Rizo and several of the companions of Arturo and Agustín. Then, the China Town dojo was named after Agustín Rizo, which symbolizes the mass practice of this sport. Nowadays, free Wushu classes are taught there for children, youths and elderly fans of this martial art.

Similarly, the headquarters of the Cuban School of Wushu were named after Rufino Alay. There, they also teach valuable knowledge about the use of traditional Chinese medicines.

When on March 22, 2008 the 47th anniversary of the creation of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation of Cuba (INDER for its Spanish initials) was celebrated, a great display of martial arts took place in the Coliseum of Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva. At the ceremony, the fruitful work of teachers and Augustín and Arturo, as well as the work of other precursors, was remembered and given great ovations.

* The author is a retired senior official from the Ministry of the Interior."
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