Kung fu fighter Kung fu fighter (December 17, 2003)

by Rachel Metz

Spend some time with Richard Branden and you'll learn that unlike the movie title, white men can definitely jump. They can also spin, fly and kick butt.

He's small and polite, but underneath his adidas warm-ups he's a wall of ass-kicking muscle and martial arts knowledge. A world-renowned kung fu expert, former "Mighty Morphin Power Ranger" martial arts double and six-time World Association of Kickboxing Organization champion , the 40-year-old Branden is a formidable force.

His recently-opened martial arts gym in Palo Alto, Studio Kicks, is a frenzy of activity with the classes Branden teaches to children and adults. Outside of class he teaches kung fu to local middle schoolers as part of their physical education curriculum.

With all this on his plate, Branden still finds some time to show off his talents. Flying across the mats at his gym, Branden twirls through a butterfly kick and thwacks the padding upon landing. Arms and legs spinning and punching air, Branden exudes grace and athleticism.

Watching from the sidelines, Branden is awesome and confusing. This is a guy who considers himself retired?

True, Branden's definition of retirement isn't standard. For him, it just means he's no longer competing professionally or posing for martial arts magazines, which are displayed throughout the studio. Instead, he concentrates on gathering clients for his gym and teaching students young and old the grace and discipline of Chinese martial art kung fu.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Branden worked out a group of seventh-graders from Palo Alto's Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School.

Running through kicking and punching drills, Branden walked the aisles of kids barking numbers in a high-pitched voice.

The students responded enthusiastically, attacking punching bags with intense -- though slightly clumsy -- force.

It's work that Branden finds uniquely satisfying. When somebody finally lands that one move they've struggled to master, "they're so happy and that's, like, the best right there," he said.

So far, Branden has devoted about 75 percent of his life to the sport, a devotion he said has kept him strong physically and mentally.

"I feel it's the one thing that no one can take from me," he said.

Kung fu didn't always play a central role in Branden's life. He grew up in the tough Boston suburb Lynn, Mass. His interest in martial arts was initially sparked by watching Bruce Lee movies and the "Kung Fu" TV series. He began practicing martial arts at the age of 10, but money was tight at home -- his single mother was stretched thin raising him and six siblings. Undeterred, Branden used his drawing and painting hobbies to forge his way in the martial arts world.

"I loved to draw and I had a huge book full of drawings," he said. "... My mom suggested I bring it to a local martial arts school and show it to them and offer to do drawings (for) them," he said.

At age 11, he drew a dragon mural for a Boston karate studio in exchange for free lessons. However, he soon tired of the rigidity of karate and felt there was little room for improvement after attaining a black belt in the sport.

"I wanted to be able to do the flips and the high kicks and the weapons. And the style I was in at the time didn't have any of that until I started checking and seeing more about kung fu," he said.

By age 13, Branden switched to kung fu, still using his art to score free lessons. Eventually he began designing brochures and business cards to earn his keep.

Money wasn't Branden's only obstacle. As a 4-year-old, he accidentally blinded himself in his right eye using a piece of glass to trim leaves off a tree switch. Consequently, Branden doesn't engage in fighting, he said.

"It's too easy to get hurt," he said.

However, the impairment never held Branden back. He's shown off his skills in movies, television programs, a Reebok shoe commercial and -- most recently -- a short film with Asian R&B star Jay Chou.

Evidence of Branden's high-flying past abounds in the Studio Kicks lobby. Framed promotional photos of him as the Yin-Yang Man in "WMAC Masters" and martial arts double for the Blue and Black Rangers on the "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" hang proudly on the walls.

There are also framed magazine cover photos, plaques commemorating medals won and shots of him dressed up as a scarily authentic ball-busting kung fu kangaroo for the 1999 film "Warriors of Virtue."

Though some of his roles might seem humorous to some, Branden is serious about his work and evidently proud of what he's achieved.

"I feel that I've been very successful. I've achieved more than a lot of martial artists that I know today throughout the last 25 years," Branden said.

Despite his association with such high-octane entertainment as the Power Rangers, however, Branden hastened to point out that martial arts really teach you to walk away from potentially violent situations.

"It's a lot better to walk away, because you never know what might happen," he said.

Such caution extends to the use of traditional weapons like wooden staffs, which Branden deploys as easily as his hands and feet. "A lot of it is not just to fight on the street, it's helping to keep alive the history of martial arts," he said.

In fact, the weapons do have multiple uses. A monkey stick involves balletic jumps and turns reminiscent of the prehensile-tailed primate, and helps build coordination. They also maintain kids' interest levels, keeping them involved in kung fu beyond the basic kicks and punches, Branden said.

"Once they learn kicks and punches and start sparring with each other, they're going to want to start learning the weapons," he said.

Still, it can be several years before a student is ready to start learning weaponry, Branden said.

Weapons definitely weren't on the menu when the Hausner students rushed into Branden's Palo Alto gym for their lesson. They arrived talking and laughing, but quickly split into straight lines across Branden's studio mats and answered "yes sir" and "no sir" in unison to his PA-enhanced orders.

Branden stresses discipline and respect between students and teachers, exemplified in bows exchanged by both parties in class.

"When you give the respect you get it back," he said.

He took them through a series of drills, then told them to hit the mats for pushups.

After a few, he told the kids to go down just halfway.

"Oy gevault," one whimpered.

It may have been difficult, but the kids got a good half-hour workout before pulling their sneakers back on and trotting back up the street to school.

Branden hopes the Hausner students are just the first local kids to work out with him. He'd like to put together classes with Terman Middle School as well.

"I think if we can get all the kids down here, it'll be great," he said.

Rachel Metz can be e-mailed at rmetz@paweekly.com

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