Martial Art Institute

Great Grandmaster Yui Choi

Grandmaster Yui Kil

Master Wai-Po Tang

The 70's-80's media played a massive influence on Wai-Po's martial way. Programmes like 'Kung Fu' starred David Carridine, and as well as all the 70's new wave of late night Kung Fu films in Soho. Leicester Square, London was a typical hangout place for the Kung Fu buffs.

This era of Kung Fu manic manifested in Wai-Po's greatest appetite to emulate the portrayals of the silver screen martial art life and it's culture.

Wai-Po's first formal martial art club lesson (1978) was Wado Ryu Karate, with an instructor called 'Charles' (based in Chiswick, London). Wai-Po recalled that Charles was a very good instructor and very attentive. Unfortunately he did not stay there long enough to benefit the quality instructions.

Wai-Po moved on to a different club training in Northern and Southern Style Kung Fu (Wu Shu). Training under Master S K Yong, a master from singapore. Wai-Po respected him and got on very well him.

Wai-Po remembered his first lesson at this Wu Shu club's free sparring session. As a novice Wai-Po was chased and kicked from one end of the hall to the other. He incurred massive bruises from the brown and black belts karatekas who also trained the Wu Shu club.

Rather than giving up, Wai-Po was determined to improve. Hence, two months went by, Wai-Po was kicking back big time and easily defeated or matched others who had trained several years.

The obsession of Kung Fu took a strong and significant hold especially when the comparisons favoured well. Wai-Po was training between 5-7 hours a day every day. Regular 2 hours in the morning, cycle 5 miles to school, train during lunchtime, and travel 1-3 hours to clubs all over London to workout for another 3 hours. This was sandwiched between school time. An unbelievable task driven purely by self motivation.

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