Sifu Jack Roberts has been involved in martial arts for thirty-five years. His first experience with martial arts was mimicking the television characters of “Kato” (Bruce Lee in the ‘Green Hornet’ TV series), “James West” (Robert Conrad of the Wild Wild West), and David Carradine of the “Kung Fu” TV series. At the age of 14 (1973), he started training in Shotokan karate taught to him by Green Beret and Vietnam veterans. After suffering a humilating defeat by a Tae Kwon Do stylist, he switched to the Korean art known for its kicking and earned a brown belt. During that time, he also learned some Hapkido, and at 19 (1977) years old, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. In the Air Force, he met a Jeet Kune Do stylist, a dream come true. He studied with two people, Nelson Adams in 1981, (JKD) and Jose Ramos in 1984, (his first wing chun instructor). While studying JKD, Nelson would point out the technique and what style the technique originated from. All of the wing chun techniques resonated with Sifu Roberts. Later Sifu Roberts started training in wing chun kung fu with Sifu Jose Ramos in 1984. Sifu Roberts credits Sifu Ramos with giving him the ground work and foundation of wing chun. “Sifu Ramos was very proficient and patient with me, and a master.”

In 1994, Sifu Roberts read an article by Grandmaster Swift (it was actually a response letter, correcting another wing chun instructor about the “bot cham dao” form) in “Inside Kung Fu” magazine. Upon reading the article and convinced, “this guy knows what he talking about”, he contacted Grandmaster Swift. Grandmaster Swift told Sifu Roberts he was moving to Tampa in a few months and contact after he moved. Sifu Roberts contacted and started training with Grandmaster Swift and the rest is history. “Grandmaster Swift opened a entirely new world to me in terms of wing chun kung fu, I thought I was good until I met Grandmaster Swift.”








If you are an instructor trained under Grandmaster Swift and would like to be included on this page, please send us an email including your Wing Chun related biography and photograph.