Although there are many clubs at Trinity High School, one many may be unfamiliar with is Kung Fu Club. The ECHO recently sat down with the head of the club, John Baldwin, to learn more about the martial arts and his history with it.

Kung fu is a primarily unarmed form of Chinese martial art. Some may think it’s only used in situations for protection, but Baldwin believes it has a different usage. “Kung fu is a path to really get to know yourself. It means hard work. The direct translation is hard work, but it’s a way to really get to know who you are and what you’re about.”

Throughout the interview Baldwin showed his longevity in the field of kung fu. When asked when he first started, Baldwin added, “I started training martial arts when I was 12. I did judo and then I did a little bit of taekwondo. I moved to Wing Chun Kung Fu, Shaolin Chin Na, a little bit of Toga Kari Ryu, some Aikido, and that’s about it.” Baldwin has widespread amounts of experience in this field.

Just like in school, students need a teacher to teach them their ways. Baldwin said he was taught by Dan Ship and is still under his influence currently.  “My teacher was Dan Ship and still is Dan Ship…His teacher was Grandmaster Henry Cook. Grandmaster Cook taught in Louisville. He’s from South Louisville, taught Louisville for about 50 years and they’re both wonderful people (who) taught me a lot about kung fu and life.”

When speaking in terms of using it in the real world, Baldwin made it clear that protection is not the only thing that kung fu provides. “That’s kind of a byproduct, the whole protection thing, it helps you solve your problems. I think that’s the best way of working, working through your problem,” said Baldwin.

For those interested in learning about kung fu with Baldwin, the club meets Fridays after school in room S155 anywhere from 2-3 p.m. Any student is welcome.