It all began in the 1980’s with a mild obsession with Bruce Lee movies. This led to some home karate training followed by a study of Chinese martial art, praying mantis (northern version). After reading about ‘tai chi gladiator’ Dan Docherty I decided I’d have to learn this all encompassing approach to tai chi, including the full contact fighting and self defence aspects. Dan had learned from the legendary Cheng Tin Hung while working as a police officer in Hong Kong and became an international full contact fighting champion using this Tai Chi. After winning British titles in the wrestling aspect of tai chi at the time (pushing hands) and competing around Europe and in Taiwan (world championships) I ended up training with the early professional mma fighters in the uk, doing some trial matches for selection in the first pro fights in the Uk. I ended up fighting for the first professional heavyweight championships (a draw). This was 1997. Our small group of training partners became known as ‘London Shootfighters’ shortly after and has become one of Europe’s leading mma gyms.
After this I took my then student Sami Berik to Holland for the first European tai chi championships. We both won all 23 of hour pushing hands bouts and each won the fixed and moving step championship in our weight divisions. I have since had many students from my clubs win various competitions.
Around this time i was also working as a bouncer in various west end nightclubs, getting some good practice and experience at using martial arts and conflict resolution for defence of myself and the people we were hired to protect.
In the 2002 I took a trip to Latvia to spend a month or so with Vasily Ginko, 7 time world kettlebell champion. He trained me one to one twice per day in all the intricate details of kettlebell lifting. Around this time I also completed a level 3 (advanced) personal training diploma.
After coaching kettlebells with Ginko at various national camps in the Uk and promoting kettlebells through my powerseekers company I decided to upgrade my scientific exercise knowledge and moved to Scotland to complete a MSc Strength and Conditioning course. This gave me an excellent understanding of the most cutting edge approaches to performance training and nutrition.
I then opened a training studio in London Bridge and was based around there for a few years. Now I am based from a studio in Camden Town but also train in other locations, online and via courses etc.
I have a genuine excitement and passion for all forms of useful training. I personally gravitate to the practice of some of the genius methods of the traditional Chinese martial arts, due to their extremely holistic nature. Training that is natural, highly effective and whole is what I tend to prioritise for my clients. Clients have and do include gifted athletes, rehabilitating people, people interested in combat or self defence as well as people who just want a highly interesting, effective and enjoyable method of keeping active and healthy.