When Henry Sue was a teenager in Brisbane during the 1950s, his family's Chinese restaurant faced a brutal reality. Bikie gangs would arrive, eat their food, and leave without paying. When the family demanded payment, they smashed windows and furniture. The problem was so severe that insurance companies refused to cover the damage.
In that environment of casual violence and racial hostility, Sue discovered kung fu. What began as a practical necessity for survival would become the defining passion of his life. This weekend, at 83 years old, he will be recognised as a level 10 kung fu grandmaster, the highest rank the ancient martial art can bestow. The Chinese Kung Fu Academy in East Brisbane is Australia's oldest surviving kung fu school, founded by Sue in 1958.
Sue says kung fu taught him something deeper than combat techniques. "Kung fu is the last thing you learn," he explains. "You've got to respect your parents, respect your teacher, respect the teaching, and learn to be kind, forgiving and courageous." He enforces a strict no-thugs policy at his academy, having expelled students who used the martial art to bully others rather than to live with honour.
The martial art he now teaches is his own creation: Circular Tong Long, a fusion of Southern Praying Mantis kung fu with the circular, flowing principles of Tai Chi. A direct descendant of the Chen School of Tai Chi, he has uniquely incorporated the circular yin and yang principles of Tai Chi into kung fu to produce a pure fighting system, which he has given his own name. The technique is known for aggressive, close-range striking combined with the grace and economy of movement found in traditional Tai Chi.
Only a handful of level 10 grandmasters exist anywhere in the world. Marc Webster, one of Sue's senior students who now runs his own academy on the Gold Coast, describes what the ranking means. "Sifu is a teacher, a father," Webster says. "If we have a problem and want to come see him he'll make time for us. It's not just about the art, but making sure we're moving ahead with our lives in the right direction."
For Sue, the journey from a teenager protecting his family's livelihood to a globally recognised master reflects a deeper philosophy. He learned kung fu not as a path to dominance, but as a means to stand with dignity in a hostile world. The martial art became a tool for personal transformation rather than violence. That philosophy, embedded in every student who passes through the academy he founded nearly 70 years ago, is perhaps his greatest achievement.
The ceremony conferring level 10 grandmaster status will take place at the Chinese Kung Fu Academy in East Brisbane on Saturday.