Written by Tania Levin
Photos by Charlie Pycraft

In the twenty two years since Master Simon Wong first came to England, he has seen many great changes in the world of martial arts, as the West becomes further detached from the true purpose and philosophy inherent in these arts. While there still may be a few martial artists who are in search of the true meaning behind the art, it is often difficult if not impossible to find a true master. There could not be a more poignant time than the start of a new millennium for Master Wong to promote a clear understanding of how the Chinese arts can benefit our lives.

Master Wong began practising the martial arts at an early age, progressing through different styles from Taekwondo, to boxing, karate, Pak Mei, Chow family Mantis and Wing Chun. This progression ultimately led him to the study of Southern Mantis "Bamboo Forest Temple" kung fu and Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, where he learnt the most lethal and effective martial applications.

As a Kung Fu Master with wider experience of other martial arts, Master Wong understands how styles interweave and which moves work in a real combat situation. You do not mix and combine styles to show off, but rather to employ the most effective technique at the correct time. Nowadays, we have seen too many so called martial artists that have merely studied one or two years of this and that and created their own "style." This type of martial art we refer to as the "chop suey" style!

Master Wong has been studying martial arts for about 30 years now. He is the 7th generation master of "Bamboo Forest Temple Mantis" Kung Fu, the UK representative of 100 day Chi Gung and a master of Yang Style Tai Chi. Master Wong founded Yellow Dragon Fist Kung Fu in 1986. Through his teaching he found that something was still missing until he was able to put meaning into his life learning about spirituality. After this point he was more concerned about teaching students about their mental attitudes, which is the reason why he has kept such a low profile for the past 10 years. Now today he is a spiritual master and he feels it is time to teach more students what Yellow Dragon Fist Kung Fu really has to offer. It is not just the application of the most powerful and lethal fighting techniques but the skill to manipulate and control any given situation using your mind. Indeed, with the right knowledge and wisdom, you too can learn to see through the commercial aspects of many styles currently being taught in order to learn the true meaning behind martial arts.

To this end, Master Wong has trained to a high level in many of the other Chinese arts that stem from the same philosophical tradition as Kung Fu and Tai Chi, including Feng Shui, Chi Gung, Tantric Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese Astrology.

He is one of the few Chinese Feng Shui Masters practising in the West. Feng Shui is an advanced science developed by the ancient Chinese which allows us to harmonise all the aspects of our living environment. This means one can study more easily, have more stable relationships, be healthier, wealthier and more focused mentally. With less external worries, one has more time to meditate and develop a more peaceful mind.