Round Rock Karate Academy is host to Lee Wedlake as their tai chi instructor. Lee has been practicing Yang style tai chi since 1985. In the 1990's he became a student of Tom Baeli in Ft. Myers, FL, who was a student under Professor Cheng Man-Ching at the New York studio. The curriculum he teaches includes the Yang short form, Four Corners, tai chi sword, push-hands and Eight Treasures chi-kung (qi-gong). Lee has been a full-time professional martial arts instructor since 1976 and taught for Edison State College and the Lee Memorial Health Systems group of hospitals in Ft. Myers, FL. Along with his classes here in Round Rock, he is a sought-after seminar instructor across the US and abroad.
Teaching Philosophy
"I do not make the claim of being a master", he says. Lee holds that designation from two groups but feels his job is to assist students in becoming better than he was and to be able to function to their fullest as they age.
Other Martial Arts Experience
Lee Wedlake started studying Judo in 1967 at the Shindo Kan school in Chicago, IL where he achieved the rank of Brown belt.
In November 1972 he initiated study of Chinese Kenpo at a school in Evergreen Park, IL. He left that school was later promoted to 1st Degree Black belt in Kenpo on June 2, 1975 by Michael John Sanders, 5th Degree Black Belt of Sterling, IL., It was Mr. Sanders who also promoted him to 2nd Degree Black. After Sanders' death in July 1979, Lee began studying with Senor Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker, "The Father of American Karate," at Pasadena, CA. in November 1979.
Mr. Wedlake was trained there by both Mr. Parker and Mr. Frank Trejo for two years and promoted to 3rd Degree Black belt in 1981 by Ed Parker. In 1982, he was introduced to Mr. Richard "Huk" Planas at the International Karate Championships and studied concurrently with Mr. Planas and Mr. Parker. In September of 1986, Mr. Parker, Mr. Trejo, Mr. Planas and Mr. Joe Palanzo promoted him to Fifth Degree Black. His 6th Degree was awarded by Mr. Parker on November 19, 1990, approximately one month before Mr. Parker's passing. Mr. Frank Trejo and Mr. Planas promoted him to 7th Degree on June 27, 1993. Then in October 1998 during the annual Kenpo Camp in Ft. Myers, Florida, Mr. Planas promoted Mr. Wedlake to 8th Degree Black. In 2009 he was designated as Chief Grandmaster Instructor "Hanshi" by the Shidokan International. He currently holds a 9th degree in American Kenpo and is the senior consultant to the Progressive Kenpo Systems group.
Over the years, Mr. Wedlake has written numerous magazine articles for Black Belt, Martial Arts Professional, Inside Kung Fu and many others. He also wrote the preface for Volume Three of Mr. Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo series and was the model for the forms in Volume Five. He has also written and published eight books, the first being Kenpo 101: What Every Beginner and Black Belt Should Know and his latest release being Lessons with Ed Parker. He is also one of the featured instructors in The Journey and the follow-up volume, The International Journey (March 2012 by Tom Bleeker).
Lee was also certified as an instructor of Russian Systema under Vladimir Vasiliev but does not teach The System. His experience also includes Western Fencing and boxing, along with Filipino Martial arts and some other Chinese styles.
Competitor
Lee Wedlake was in the National Top Ten in 1980, as evidenced by Karate Illustrated magazine's annual ratings. He was also recognized as such in the American Karate Association ratings from 1979 through 1985 in fighting, forms and weapons.