Sifu John M. DeBellotte (Taoist name Yi Jin Lian 易金蓮) has been training in the Martial Arts for 23 years.

He began his kung fu training under Sifu Chris Jahovavich in 5 animal kung fu & Da-Sifu James H. Smith under the Wing-Tao Kung Fu system in 1988. In 1993 he received the Bai-si from Grandmaster Smith and began training under Daoshi Yi Shou Yun in Long Men Pai (龙门派) Kung Fu. In 1998 Sifu John expressed to both masters an interest in compiling a modern system of kung fu training that adhered to the traditional values of Chinese martial arts, he was given permission to begin and also received a Bai-si from Yi Daoshi.

The Long Men Pai Bai-si differed from the Wing-Tao ceremony in that Daoshi Yi Shou Yun renamed Sifu John naming him "Yi Jin Lian". Sifu John used this as inspiration to name his system Jin Lian Kung Fu (金蓮功夫).

In 2001 Sifu John was WKU Fighting and Forms twin crown champion. In 2008 Sifu John petitioned and was accepted as a student of Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong (黄德輝) under the Choy Li Fut (蔡李佛) Kung Fu system. Sifu John is seen here accepting his 2008 induction into the WKU Hall of Fame.

Sifu John M. DeBellotte is also a Pennsylvania State Police Certifed Leathal Weapons Agent.