Peter Chong
| |
| Born | 1941 Singapore |
|---|---|
| Other names | Kancho Peter Chong, PBM Chong Seh Jam |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Style | Kyokushin |
| Teachers | Masutatsu Oyama |
| Rank | 9th dan |
| Organization | International Karate Alliance KyokushinRyu |
| Notable students | Jackie Chong James Chong Inamullah Khan |
Peter Chong (born Chong Seh Jam, 1941), known as Kancho Peter Chong and carrying the post-nominal PBM, is a Singaporean Kyokushin karate master, the pioneer of Kyokushin karate in Singapore, and the chairman of the International Karate Alliance KyokushinRyu.
Early life
[edit]Born in Singapore in 1941, Chong was introduced to martial arts at an early age through his father, who taught southern Chinese boxing. He was frequently bullied as a youth, and this experience drove him toward the martial arts as a means of self-improvement and resilience.
Discovery of Kyokushin
[edit]Chong discovered Kyokushin karate through the book This is Karate by Masutatsu Oyama. Deeply inspired by its philosophy of full-contact training and strong spirit, he made the decision to travel to Japan to train directly under Oyama.
Training in Japan
[edit]In 1965, Chong sailed to Japan without informing his wife or father, and began training full-time at the Kyokushin Honbu dojo in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. He received his 2nd dan in 1967 and returned briefly to Singapore when his father fell ill. He went back to Japan and earned his 3rd dan in 1968. During a summer training period, he also attempted the grueling 100-man kumite challenge.
Founding Kyokushin in Singapore
[edit]In 1969, Chong returned to Singapore and established the country's first full-contact Kyokushin dojo at a kindergarten on St. Francis Road off Serangoon Road. Because of its full-contact nature, the dojo could not join the Singapore Karate Federation, which only recognized sports karate at the time.
He attained 4th dan in 1972 during a three-month visit to Japan, where Oyama also appointed him Chairman and Chief Examiner for Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He reached 5th dan by 1975.
In 1978, Chong expanded the school into a formal society called the Singapore Oyama Karate-do Kyokushinkaikan (SOKK). By the 1980s, SOKK operated multiple dojos, including branches in the Police Reserve Unit and various community centres across Singapore. In 1982, he co-founded the Singapore Martial Arts Instructors Association (SMAIA), eventually serving as its president.
Public service
[edit]Chong served as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Singapore Volunteer Special Constabulary. Throughout his policing career, he served as a regular self-defence instructor for the Singapore Police Force, teaching the Special Constabulary, Police Reserve Unit, Police Radio Unit, Singapore Armed Forces Reservists, and the 2nd Singapore Infantry Regiment.
In 1988, he received the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) from then Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong, in recognition of his contributions to the martial arts and community service.
Later career
[edit]In 1998, Chong was inducted into the American Black Belt Hall of Fame for his lifelong promotion and teaching of Kyokushin karate. In 2018, he resigned from his long-held chairmanship position in the IKO Kyokushinkaikan to pursue a return to Kyokushin's original ideals. He then established and currently leads the International Karate Alliance KyokushinRyu (IKAK) as chairman. He was promoted to 9th dan in April 2019.
Family
[edit]His sons Jackie Chong and James Chong both followed him into Kyokushin karate and are active leaders within IKAK.