About
Geof was born in Grinnell, Iowa in 1958. Moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1962. And has lived all over the Western United States, teaching Eagle Claw, Praying Mantis, and Ba Gua Kung Fu in Denver, Las Vegas, L.A., Seattle, and Santa Fe.
He has settled back into the Boulder area, with no plans of leaving his home turf.
My father was an excellent, and quite respected Martial Arts instructor. We moved to Colorado from Iowa when I was four. He was a Sargent on the Boulder Police Department and also the Leader and Point man of the Riot Squad teaching the police department hand to hand Martial Arts. It was 1968 and there were plenty of riots to go around!! I remember watching my dad teach in his small matted studio in our basement … or often times in our backyard. In 1964, when I was six he began training me in earnest on those same mats. I remember anatomy charts and technique lists with complete drawings of applications hung upon the wall. He had black belts in Jiu Jitsu (soft/hard technique), and Karate (Way of the empty hand) and a brown belt in Judo (soft way). All quite Japanese … the rage in the 50’s and 60’s. He was most interested in Aikido (Harmonious Energy Way), which is considered to be the Japanese version of Ba Gua. We had rich talks throughout his life on the “Internal” meanings of these arts, and how to put these ideas into action.
When I was seven he sent me to his Judo instructor Frank Goody. I was terrified, though I achieved two belts before I implored my father to let me quit. I was perhaps too young.
I think he kind of resented that in me since he quit teaching me formally after that. Though his greatest lessons came after this in the form of his forte … Ju Jitsu (the Japanese version of Chin-Na). He was truly a master of manipulating Joints, no doubt to his many altercations in Police Work. Anyway, I was a difficult child, often getting into mild trouble of one kind or another. I often deserved the
punishment I received … and in so doing, he transmitted more than he ever realized onto me about how joints and nerves work first hand … and how a Master applies these techniques with finesse!
Though I did not like the formality of Judo I thoroughly enjoyed Wrestling in Middle School. When I was 16 I found Tai Kung Fu. I fell in love with this beautiful Art and have never looked back. 45 years later my passion has only intensified.