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About Master Rothrock

I was always interested in martial arts when I started grade school. There were always your typical bullies growing up who would pick on you, take your lunch money, and threaten you with physical harm. I was a small, skinny kid and tried to avoid them at all costs… even to the point of walking home from school following different routes.

One day, I was watching the Olympics and saw a Judo match on the old black-and-white TV. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about it. I rode my bike to the local W.T. Grant store (the Walmart of that time) and went to the book section. I found a book by Bruce Tegner on Judo, bought it, and hurried home to study the moves.

In my room, I opened the book and began to mimic the pictures. The techniques made sense, but I had no idea if I was doing the moves right without a partner. What I learned was leverage and using your opponent's aggressive nature against them. My biggest lesson was that you cannot learn from a book.

When I was 15, a karate school opened in Allentown, PA. Several of my friends and I decided to go and check it out. It was somewhat scary because we did not know what to expect. It helped, though, because we did know someone at the school. We all took our first trial class together, and I fell in love with the martial arts.

Later, I was introduced to a martial arts master. At that time, it was a big deal because there were only about three masters in the entire state of PA. It was scary, and his classes were tough.

Here was the fantastic thing: I still needed to learn about Kung Fu or Tai Chi. One day, during a training session with the master, he introduced us to a few Kung Fu techniques. We used these for self-defense, and he stated that this was the origin of all martial arts. I was blown away by how easily these techniques could handle attackers, and Kung Fu used the same principles I learned from studying the Judo book: use the opponent's force against them.

One day, the master came to me and said, "You're driving me to Pittsburgh because I want to meet Grandmaster Pai and train with him. What? A Grandmaster of kung fu?" Now, don't forget that all I knew were a few kung fu techniques. I never saw the full breadth of techniques involved with kung fu.

Yes! We met Grandmaster Pai of White Dragon Kung Fu in Pittsburgh, and after he broke some blocks of ice, I was astounded. I had heard about this type of power but never saw it. From that moment on, I started learning kung fu, and it became my passion for learning everything that I could.

At that time, Bruce Lee's movie Enter the Dragon was released. We were asked to do a demonstration at the outdoor drive-in. When the movie started, I was blown away by the quick techniques that showed the power and effectiveness of Kung Fu. It was not people battling it out for 30 minutes.

Later, Jackie Chan's movies became popular. He concentrated on some specific Kung Fu styles and the teaching methods of ancient masters. Of course, he was always the student trying to learn from a tough master. The movies always started with strengthening his body and improving his flexibility before he could learn whatever style the film used. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was the first one I ever saw in Chinatown, New York. I went to the first showing on the first day it came out. I thought I would be early, but the line was 4 New York City blocks long when I got to the theater. If you get a chance, check it out.

A few years later, I heard rumors about another Chinese martial art called Tai Chi. Everyone was telling me that this was the Grand Ultimate of martial arts. I eventually learned that Tai Chi means Grand Ultimate.

While still attending college and working, I was busy. Moravian College, where I was going, started a self-defense program for the women. They preferred Judo, so that's what I was teaching. That created a passion within me to start teaching martial arts.

In 1972, I opened a Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy in Scranton, PA. It was tough initially, with little money, in a strange town, and no friends. I slept in the school on a wooden floor. I had to take cold water showers because I didn't have a water heater. It was rough, but I had a dream and loved the students I taught.

Eventually, my instructors moved away or just stopped teaching. I had to search for a new instructor. I wanted a system or style that fit my belief that I developed in grade school… use the opponent's force against them.

I trained with several instructors in slightly different styles, including Master Colvin Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Praying Mantis in Washington D.C., Grandmaster Willy Lin (Yang Tai Chi), and White Crane in Chinatown, New York.

In 1974, I opened my second school in Wilkes Barre, PA. The Wilkes Barre school was on the third floor of an old ballet school. It was perfect, and that's where I started my Demo/Competition team, which became unbeatable on the East Coast.

One day, I was at Henry Cho's tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. He had a small kung fu competition division (usually in a hallway because they didn't like kung fu). One of the competitors did a fantastic Eagle Claw Kung Fu routine that I had never seen before. I found out who his teacher was and where he was in New York City.

I called a few days later and made an appointment to visit. The following weekend, I drove the two-and-one-half hours to New York. When I arrived, I was greeted with a display of kung fu that I had always seen in the popular kung fu movies at that time. Students were doing routines, 2-person fighting sets, various weapons, and even the traditional Lion Dance in the corner.

Grandmaster Shum came over and sat down next to me. I had my duffel bag, and I was ready to start. He looked at me and said, "You like what you see." I said, "Yes! It's fantastic." He replied, "Okay, you come back next week." Wow! I drove two and one-half hours for 5 minutes.

The following week, I drove to New York again. I had my duffel bag and money. I had no idea what I would pay, but I did not care. I arrived, sat in a chair, and started watching. A few minutes later, Grandmaster Shum sat down next to me. He said, "So you come back." I just nodded. He continued, "Okay, five hundred dollars." I was expecting that. Remember, this is 1975. I was ready, though. Like I said, I was prepared. I took the cash from my pocket and handed it over (no credit cards back then for Kung Fu classes). After I gave him the money, he said, "Okay, you come back next week."

From then on, I would drive the 2 ½ hours every weekend to New York City to train with Grandmaster Shum. After moving to Pittsburgh, I would fly to New York and spend four 8-hour training days. The amazing thing was that group classes didn't start until five o'clock, so I got personal instruction in the finer points of Kung Fu and Tai Chi from Grandmaster Shum for five to six hours before anyone even came to the school.

I Receive my Master's Promotion

In 1980, I traveled to Hong Kong with Grandmaster Shum to meet his teacher, the Great Grandmaster Ng Wai Nung. He took me to the school where he trained, which was on the roof of a four-story building. Several students were working out. The Great Grandmaster asked me to perform several routines and other tests of strength and endurance.

When I was finished, he asked me to return the next day. He awarded me my Master's Certification. Unlike most certificates on paper, this one was a handmade cloth scroll.

In 1986, I moved to Pittsburgh and opened my third school. Eventually, I opened schools in Wexford and West Mifflin. I've also helped some of my other Black Belts open schools, the latest being in Butler.

The Beginner's Guide to Kung Fu

The Secrets of Kung Fu

Kung Fu for Little Dragons

A Simplified Guide to Tai Chi

A Master's Handbook on Tai Chi

A Master's Handbook on Eagle Claw Kung Fu

An Instructor's Teaching Guide for Kung Fu & Tai Chi

2005 - Voted Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the Gateway Star)

2006 - Voted Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the City Paper)

2007 - Voted Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the Tribune Review)

2008 - Voted Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the Tribune Review)

2009 - Voted Best Kung Fu School - (readers of the City Paper)

2009 - Voted Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the Tribune Review)

2010 - Voted One of the Kung Fu & Tai Chi School - (City Paper)

2010 - Voted One of the Best Martial Arts School - (Tribune Total Media)

2011 - Voted One of the Best (Gold) Martial Arts School - (Tribune Review)

2012 - Voted the Best Martial Arts School - (readers of the Tribune Review)

2013 - Voted the Best (Gold) Award - (readers of Trib Total Media)

The National Association of Professional Martial Artists

The Martial Arts Teachers Association

The Martial Arts Industry Association

The Ying Jow Pai Association.