Kung Fu Instructors

In addition to head instructor Sifu Peter Berman Yee, several of his students have been certified as Jo Gow level (black belts) and regularly assist in teaching.

Malcolm Pollack

Malcolm Pollack, longtime student of Sifu Peter Berman Yee, and Dai Si Hing of the Brooklyn, New York branch of the Yee's Hung Ga system, was born in 1956, and has practiced southern Chinese kung fu for more than 30 years.

Malcolm's earliest exposure to martial arts came as a boy, when he learned the fundamentals of Judo from his father, a 4th-dan instructor.

Malcolm began training in Lam Sai Wing Hung Gar and Kwong Sai Jook Lum Praying Mantis under Grandmaster William Chung in 1975, and earned his black belt in 1981.

After teaching privately for several years, Malcolm joined the Yee's Hung Ga organization in 1993, and began learning the complete Tang Fong Hung Ga system under the supervision of Sifu Peter Berman Yee, who is a senior disciple of Grandmaster Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai).

Having earned his Yee-family Jo Gow in 2006, and Sifu level in 2009, Malcolm serves as an instructor in the Brooklyn kwoon while continuing his study and practice.

Malcolm lives in Brooklyn, New York. In his private life he is a recording engineer (Grammy nomination 2004, for Best Engineered Album), software developer, and blogger. He is married, with two grown children.

Alex Bragg

While training in hopkido as a child in North Carolina, Alex Bragg didn't want to get serious about training in martial arts until he found a traditional school that taught a style that stayed authentic to its roots while still being applicable in the modern day. He found that school after moving to Brooklyn and joining Yee's Hung Ga Brooklyn Branch in 1999, where he's been training ever since.

Having recently attained 1st Dan Sifu from the Yee family, Alex regularly assists in teaching, and regularly leads the mixed level class on Saturdays. You can also find him making lots of loud noice every Chinese New Year as an active member of Sifu Berman Yee's lion dance and demo team, which he's been a member of for the last 10 years.

Alex lives with his wife, Julye, and their infant triplets(!) in Brooklyn, and works in the world of advertising when he's not practicing his kung fu or changing three diapers at once.

Dan Betz

Dan Betz began his martial arts training as a teenager, studying Lama Pai Gung Fu in Long Island, NY. He started training with Sifu Peter Berman Yee at the Brooklyn branch of Yee's Hung Ga in 2002 and has since achieved the rank of Jo Gow and the dubious distinction of being the sweatiest guy in class. Dan has also been an active member of Sifu Berman Yee's lion dance and demo team for the past 7 years, performing at events around the New York City area.

Dan lives in Park Slope with his beautiful wife and hilarious young daughter and works as web designer by day. Dan also designed and maintains the school web site.

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