Lotus Self-Defense Guest Book

We would enjoy reading your story or comment about your experience with Lotus Self-Defense. Please contact us to share your Lotus story.

I was in Ubon, Thailand from December 1974 to June 1975 visiting my brother who was an IBM technician representative servicing C-130 gunships as the Vietnam War was winding down. We lived in a bungalow just down the street from Ajarn Precha's original dojo. I signed up immediately and went to 2 classes a day for most of my stay. The evening classes were my favorite. I was one of the few non GI Americans there. Some people I remember: Wendell Hockaday, Jimmy Shaeffer (Ajarn called him "yung" cause he was like a mosquito), Donn Dix, Bruce Shelley, Kenneth Bridges, Don Ford, Ed Guerrero, Sanchez (who lost a lot of weight in that heat), Dave Davis, and Chuck and Lily Quick. I was a blue belt ready to test for brown when we left. On the day we left Ubon, Ajarn awarded me a brown belt without testing because he said he thought I "can do." It was quite the compliment. The next year I moved from Massachusetts to Spokane to train in Chuck and Lily's school and made black belt there. I am happy to see that people have kept a good thing going and I feel lucky and proud to have been part of the Lotus experience from its origin in Thailand to the beginning of its growth here in America. Dave Gajewski

I studied with Grandmaster Tony Lasit at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas in 1968. I was a white belt, we use to spar against Joe Alvarado's Karate class, as a white belt, I didn't have alot of techniques but Grand Master Lasit taught me a front sweep kick, and I was always able to knock down several of Joe Alvarado's students when our two schools sparred each other. I only studied a few months with Grand Master Lasit, then I had to leave to go on Active Duty in the Navy. While in the Navy I was stationed in Key West, Fla. where I studied under 7th degree Black Belt Bruce Lyle, a Navy Seal, almost getting my brown belt, when I got out of the Navy and went back to Austin, where I then studied a couple of years in Pai Sholin Kung Fu, then I got married had a family and a career as and Austin Police Officer, and Detective and just got away from martial arts while I did my Police career. Now I'm 60 years old, retired, still work some with weights, and punch/kick on the heavy bag. Please let me know if Grand Master Lasit remembers me." Dennis Hill

"I was thrilled when I did a Google search for Tony Lasit and found your site. I had wondered for decades as to where he went and what he did with his amazing skills. I was a young boy when I met Master Lasit and his gentle, confident way along with his fantastic skill left a lifelong impression on me. I was a student of Kodokan Judo under Robbie Robinson at Bergstrom Air Force Base from 1963 until 1968. Master Lasit was the Karate Instructor there and I was looking forward to the day I was old enough to be accepted as one of his students. Sadly for me, he moved away. I was fortunate though to find a Kenpo teacher who was a student of Ed Parker's and learned Traditional Martial Arts. If you have access to Master Lasit's mail please send my message that "Chief Allen's boy Bob turned out well and became a lifelong Martial Artist." Sincerely, Robert Allen.

"I was looking at the website and would like to compliment you on a great site! It sure brings back memories from when I was in Thailand. I too was a student back in 1972-73 when I was TDY to Ubon. I was only able to obtain my purple belt before leaving the country. If you look at the Thailand photos (page 8) in the Photo Gallery section in the 4^th photo from the top is a shot of a going away party for some of the students. I am in the top row second from the left, with the flower lei. The person to my right is Chuck Maynard (with the camera over his shoulder). We both worked with Bill Cayford on the base. What a grand time it was being 19 years old and being in the best physical shape of my life. I miss those times of innocence and the fun times we had. Again, thanks for a great website and bringing back some wonderful memories from days gone by. I currently am living in Warner Robins, GA about 100 miles south of Atlanta." Cheers, Mike Miener

"The website is great and I have often wondered what became of Ajarn Precha and many of the other students I trained with, especially Henry Badgett and Gerald Strickland. Henry was perhaps the most gifted and natural self-defense student I ever saw. He never showed pain, only a smile when he was hurt." Bill Cayford (Black Belt #8)

"Hello. I will always be grateful that I was able to have studied under Ajarn Mack Petry along with then brown belt James Taylor. I was only able to study for approximately 6 months and attain a purple belt before I was discharged from the Air Force. I only wish that there was a place to study here in South Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale). I would like to thank all the Ajarns for their endless support and instruction to all students." Mal Colden Zweibrucken, Germany 1974-1976

"I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study Lotus for about a year in 1977-78 in Spokane. My instructor was James Taylor. I was forced to stop training due to a family cross country move. I had reached the rank of blue belt. Lotus was a great experience for me. My self confidence, balance, and hand eye coordination all greatly improved from my training. I felt that James Taylor was a great instructor and a good friend. I last heard from James in 1982 when he lived in New Orleans and I in Miami. Lotus was a great experience for me and I hope the style will continue to prosper. I would also enjoy a contact from James if he ever reaches this site. I can always be found on the net. Thank you and keep up this great site." Phil Bulgach

"Hello to everyone old and new! It is great to find this site and to have an opportunity to fellowship with everyone. I have some very interesting news to share." Larry Clark (Black Belt #30 from Thailand)

"I'm very glad to found your website. I practiced when I was 14 years old in LOTUS in Ubon in 1972. I remembered Chuck & Lily Quick, Don F. Dix ,Don R Ford. In 1972 I can't read and write in English. I 've good memoried with GI. Ajarn Precha, he still alive not far from the old place. He run the kindergarten school. Whenever I drove my car passed Lotus Ubon, I retrospected the crowded GI atmosphere in Ubon. If anyone want to know about Ubon now, or searches someone whom you loved in Ubon please let me know I'll help immediately." Regards, Nipon

"Tucker, I was just cruising around and was checking out your web site. Good job!" Allen Curry (Yoshinkan Aikido instructor in Huntington Beach, CA).

"The website looks great. I can tell that you put a lot of hard work into it. I started studying LOTUS in late Spring, 1995, shortly after Ajarn Mack began the Lafayette class. I had studied martial arts before, and was very impressed with the class, especially the techniques. I like how your website has pictures from all over, so I can put a face to some of the people who I've only talked to over the phone/e-mail, or heard about. Thanks for making a great website that everyone can enjoy." Mike Weeks (instructor in Atlanta, GA).

"Mr. Tucker, your hard work on this web site is an inspiration. The history and photos of our dojo in the 70's have brought back great memories. We truly were a close knit and hard working class. Ajarn was like a father to us, and to this day I still give him the honor and respect each time I open and close my classes. LOTUS is unique, and I pray that everyone studying this discipline will keep it that way. I would like to say SAWADEE to all of my former classmates." Jack J. Gentry (instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina).

"I enlisted in the Air Force in December 1968. After being trained in Aircraft navigation equipment, I was sent to Ubon, RTAF base in Thailand. As a serviceman, most people just went to the bars and counted their days. After seeing a few Chinese Kung Fu movies, I got the bug to join an authentic Thai Karate class. I lived with a Thai girl there and she told me about Precha and his class. I joined in about the summer of 1972. I never got into any real fights, just some close calls where I did not back down but convinced the other guy that I was no pushover. One thing that LOTUS taught me for sure was confidence in myself. I can walk down any street in the world and not worry. That is what I do now. I travel in many parts of the world and put in machines. I have seen your site and keep it in my favorites. It really brings back good memories as I never thought that LOTUS took off over here. I'm glad you all are keeping it alive." Phil Torney (black belt from Ubon, Thailand)

"Thank you for the work you have done with the website. My name is Glenn Kristiansen, and I am Ajarn Lily Quick’s student. I received my black belt 2 years ago, and still train with the Salem club. I started in the martial arts in 1983 under Nisei Goju master Owen Watson. From there, I worked with Peter Shoshin for 4 years before moving to Salem. I found Ajarn Lily after searching for an instructor for my son Jason. He is now a green belt. We welcome all fellow students, teachers, and anyone else to come, and get down with us. We have a great school. Thanks to everyone who helped make it so." Glenn Kristiansen (black belt from Salem, Oregon)

"Your web site is excellent and the pictures of the 1970's training hall brings back many old memories. My name is Robert D. Price and I was there in that first 70's class in Ubon. I came to Grand Master Precha as a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Korean Tang Soo Do straight out of Osan Korea. I was one who helped in the development of the LOTUS Art of Self-Defense and brought to Grand Master Precha kicking techniques form my Tang Soo do background that was originally used in the development of our beloved Lotus in 1971 there at Ubon, Thailand. Seeing LOTUS alive still today after all the years is hard to believe. I was honored as being the first American to be tested for the black belt in Thailand in January 1972. There were to have been two of us testing that day but Badgett broke his leg in training and that left just me. I tested with two Thai nationals and 4 Black Belt rings were awarded that night. I left Thailand and was reassigned to the US at George AFB outside Adelanto, Ca. a month later. Now some 34 years later I still proudly wear the gold LOTUS insignia ring that the Grand Master awarded me that night after our last 5 hour day of testing. I am currently a 2nd Degree Black Belt (awarded in 1976) in LOTUS and a 6th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do last year. My thanks to you and all the LOTUS students throughout the US for keeping such an outstanding martial art alive and well. You older brother in the LOTUS Style of Self-Defense." Robert Price (black belt #04B who trained in Thailand)

"I thought that it gave some interesting information about the style, some stuff I never heard in my time studying in the form. I think that it gives a good idea to people who never heard of the form an understanding about where it comes from and some idea of what it is. Good job." Thomas Martel (green belt in Lafayette, LA)

"Wonderful job on the website sir!! It looks really good!!" Neo El (black belt in Charlotte, North Carolina)

"It was great getting a call from you and finally seeing your website. The call happened, of course, way back in April of 2005. I am very
pleased with the way your website has unfolded and heartened to see more information come in every day. I hope that through your effort that many of the original students of LOTUS in Ubon might connect with those of us who have come behind as "second and third line" students and I hope that those early students might reconnect with their fellow students from Thailand, as well. Helping you reconstruct the history of LOTUS and providing you with what information and pictures I had available has been fun and I'm glad that many of the missing pieces of our history are starting to fall into place. As I have said many times before, keep up the good work and thanks for doing it." Tim Hollembaek (black belt instructor from Oregon)

"The LOTUS web page is very impressive. You really have done your homework. I'm really proud that you have taken it upon yourself to expose the style to more people. Some days I get a little anxious thinking about how it would really be a shame to see LOTUS disappear. We have a very limited number of actively teaching black belts and what I like about the page is that it gives not only the opportunity for new people to be exposed to the style but also gives a way for students to stay in contact with each other. I remember when you and I first started training, we had many unanswered questions about how the style had grown into the states and on what scale. You have pretty much become the central information "hub" for the style." Jacob McMillan

"Mr. Tucker let me start by saying sawa dee. Came across your web sight and it brings back some fond memories. I am black belt 027b in the group photo. I am 2nd from right standing next to Chuck Quick, also the guy in the photo sparring is me. It's great to know that LOTUS still lives. I don't practice anymore, but the discipline I learned has sustained through the years. My sport of preference is bodybuilding. That photo of Ajarn Precha is fantastic. He looks good. He has to be about 80 years old. Well keeping it short and letting you know that LOTUS is a good thing. Keep it going." Jimmy Schaeffer (black belt who trained in Thailand)

"I am in my 3rd year of LOTUS study and the art has become a big part of my physical training. I started at age 53 and was in pretty good shape aerobically. However, I found that all the running and cycling I was doing was making me stiff and, with age, my reaction time was starting to slow. I went looking for something to enhance my balance, speed, flexibility. I found LOTUS. I also found in this martial art a challenge for my mind. There is so much to learn and I get better at the martial part of it every time I practice. Thanks for the web site." Bill Landry (purple belt in Lafayette, LA)

"You've done a really great job with this site. I've been taking LOTUS for most of my life and in all my years training with this style, didn't really know a thing about it's history until I accidentally came across this site. It's got everything you need to know and more. Thanks for broadening my knowledge base of this excellent style." Devin Thelen (black belt in Salem, Oregon.)

"I have been studying with Ajarn Roy Harrington in Spokane, Washington for 16 years and was totally thrilled to hear your interview with Robert Price on your website. Roy has spoken much about you and we love your website and what you portray and say about LOTUS. I received my black belt in 1995; my son is also a LOTUS black belt, my daughter a brown, and my husband nearly brown. So we are quite involved and were even able to go to Ubon, Thailand with Roy and the group in 2003. What an opportunity to train with Ajarn Precha and see that he is indeed a grandmaster! So to hear Mr. Price's interview was truly invaluable and filled in the details of the origins of "the LOTUS," and confirmed the strength and beauty of the style. Thanks again." Pam Silverstein (black belt in Spokane, Washington)