RON CHAPÉL
American Chúan-Fa – SubLevel Tactical Kenpo – International Director
Dr. Ron Chapél, called by those who know him well, “Doc,” began his training and study in the Martial Sciences as a pre-teen in the Los Angeles California Chinatown under the Father of Gung Fu in America, Grandmaster Ark Yuey Wong. Located at 302 Ord Street, only a block from the famous Won Kok Kenpo eatery that became Ed Parkers’ and the local clans favored late-night eat spot.
Doc has always credited childhood close friend and Grandmaster Douglas Wong with being one of the greatest influences that ultimately drove him to begin training more seriously. Grandmaster Wong is the patriarch of the Royal Family of Gung Fu in America, along with his wife Carrie who is a Grandmaster in her own right. In terms of longevity, No one goes further back with “Doc” than Douglas Wong. Lifelong friends and a “Brother from another mother.”
At the time not knowing Mr. Parker’s relationship with Ark Wong or the influential Haumea “Tiny” Lefiti, (one of Douglas Wong’s Teachers), Dr. Chapél met Mr. Parker at a local tournament in Santa Monica in June of 1963 and began a lifelong friendship with him and his son. Coming to Mr. Parker already with a background firmly established by Ark Wong, gave him a unique perspective on Mr. Parker’s teachings of his “Chinese Kenpo.”
“Doc” began teaching at an early age. Right out of high school, landing a job with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Youth Service Division, he worked and taught inner city programs alongside his lifelong training partner and “brother” Guru Clifford Stewart.
Administering programs like Teen Opportunity Program, Teen Post, Upward Bound, and other community activities was a great learning and teaching experience. While a student at U.C.L.A. He and Guru Cliff Stewart, with the help of school program administrator Skip Johnson assisting with funding, established movie and excursion programs for inner city youths beyond the boundaries available under the L.A. City Schools Programs.
“Doc” became the first Head Counselor at the first “Black” session of UCLA Uni-Camp in the San Bernadino Mountains, hosting 116 kids for two weeks, every year. Establishing a one-of-a-kind playground program in the inner city, Doc and Cliff were assisted by notables such as the honorable Judge Joe Brown, (a schoolmate at UCLA), actors Bernie Casey, and Tracy Reed, and artist Varnette Honeywood, etc.
Ultimately Doc took his experience to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy and transferred to the LAUSD Police Department. Doc was then assigned as an Agent Resident Resource Officer at Manual Arts High School, where he continued teaching and established an after-school martial arts club. This club eventually spawned the Black Karate Federation with the urgings of Ed Parker and co-founders G.M. Jerry Smith, and Guru Clifford Stewart.
Working for multiple agencies, Doc has continued to teach at colleges and universities as well as police academies developing plenty of “hands-on” experiences while being tutored by Mr. Parker. Over the years, following Mr. Parker’s guidelines Doc managed to obtain rank from various top instructors and organizations, such as Ralph Castro, Edwin Hamile, Bong Soo Han, Sea Oh Choi, Dan Zan Ryu Jiu-jitsu, Kyukoshinkai, Hapkido, etc. as well as Guru Cliff in his art he called, W.A.R. (Within Arms Reach),
Doc became the Chief Defensive Tactics Instructor for Southern Zone California State Police/Highway Patrol. Doc is on the roster of the very first PR-24 Baton Instructors class with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s, and was the first to carry the baton in state service, and created an Arrest and Control System and video series that was well received and taught under California POST Guidelines and certifications through the academy.
Doc taught weapons certification at the academy for the U.S. Marshal Service, California State Police, Advanced Officer Certifications, Arrest and Control, etc. Doc is a Certified FBI Ringmaster with School Certification and holds an FBI Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification training with Tyron Tarvin of LAX Police as a partner.
Doc worked the Protective Detail for the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court of California. Having worked as a School Resource Officer, Deputy, and Police officer, he finished his law enforcement career as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal working in judicial security.
Doc was handed the reigns by Mr. Ed Parker Sr. and became the director of Mr. Parker’s International Karate Championships for over a decade and wrote the standard rule book for point fighting, and self-defense techniques, and forms, for events and tournaments.
Doc was one of the few who was in Mr. Parker’s book series, Infinite Insights, appearing in some fashion in all five volumes. Doc is listed as number 3 (alphabetically) on Ed Parker’s published Family Tree in 1981 and of the very few documented to reach the rank of 7th degree with only Ed Parker signing as his instructor.
Doc has been Inducted into the “Masters Hall of Fame,” “Kenpo Karate Hall of Fame,” Inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum by Curator Michael Matsuda along with Dr. Clifford Stewart and G.M. Jerry Smith as the founders of the Black Karate Federation, and the “Kenpo Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Recognized and certificated by the Los Angeles City Council and the California State Senate for contributions to public service, Doc continues to support Edmund and Baer Parker II to assist in the development of their groundbreaking Paxtial Arts Program which seeks to mitigate violence and enhance options of traditional martial arts training.
Dr. Chapél is the head of Martial Science University and continues to teach and develop the physical and academic curriculum moving toward accreditation of Mr. Parker’s work. With Independent Foreign Study Students in Japan, Ireland, England, and Puerto Rico as well as domestic students, Doc continues to spread Mr. Parker’s ideas.