83-Year-Old Achieves Kung Fu's Highest Honor in Brisbane

Henry Sue's journey to martial arts mastery began with broken windows and unpaid bills. In 1950s Brisbane, bikie gangs regularly targeted his father's Chinese restaurant, eating meals and refusing to pay, smashing property when confronted.

"Because of the White Australia policy, there was fighting almost every Friday, Saturday, Sunday," Sue recalls. The shop windows were shattered so frequently that insurance companies refused to cover them anymore.

As a teenager facing this violence, Sue turned to kung fu to defend his family and community. That decision would shape the next seven decades of his life.

This Saturday, the 83-year-old will receive the title of level 10 kung fu grandmaster at his Chinese Kung Fu Academy in East Brisbane. It's the highest rank possible in the ancient martial art, held by only a handful of people worldwide.

Sue's school is the oldest surviving kung fu academy in Australia. There, he teaches Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu mixed with his own style called Circular Tong Long, which incorporates the flowing movements of Tai Chi.

But walk into his dojo expecting to learn how to fight, and you might be surprised. Sue maintains a strict "no thugs" policy and has expelled students for using kung fu to bully others.

"Kung fu is the last thing you learn," Sue explains. "You've got to respect your parents, respect your teacher, respect the teaching, and learn to be kind, forgiving and courageous."

Why This Inspires

Marc Webster, one of Sue's disciples who now runs his own Gold Coast academy, says his teacher offers far more than martial arts training. "It's not just about the art, but making sure we're moving ahead with our lives in the right direction," Webster says.

Sue describes the relationship between sifu (teacher) and student as similar to father and child. He makes time for students facing personal problems, offering wisdom gained from 67 years of practice and a lifetime of overcoming discrimination.

The young man who once fought racist gangs outside his family's restaurant now teaches honor, discipline, and wisdom to new generations. For Henry Sue, kung fu was never about violence but about standing up with dignity and living courageously.