Our Team

In any school, and in particular in martial arts schools, nothing makes more difference than the quality, experience and character of the teachers. They are the people who make the school great. We know that a great teacher not only needs to know their Kung Fu, they also have to know how to pass it on to others. They also need a genuine desire to get the best out of their students. We run ongoing teacher training 5 days a week to keep our teachers sharp and motivated because we know that if they are not constantly improving, they are not good enough for our school.

• All of our teachers are long term members of Nam Yang and all teach the same arts – no confusion, no contradictions.
• All lessons are taught in fluent english, meaning we do not use translators. For many of our teachers, english is their first language so they are comfortable with communicating complex concept efficiently.
• Our teachers do not go home on the weekends - they live here! They eat, train, and live together with the students, which is a testimony to the quality of our school and helps provide a good ethos. Meal times are therefore ideal for discussing Kung Fu and asking questions!
• They do not teach for money - they teach because they love Kung Fu and the lifestyle that goes with it.
• We do not have classes of 100 students with one teacher standing up front on a podium demonstrating. We have high teacher to student ratios and we use assistant instructors to make sure that there is usually at least 1 teacher per 10 students, usually more.

We have 5 levels of Instructors

Master - Master level Instructors are genuine Kung Fu Masters with over 30 years of experience. They are a rare breed indeed. There are not so many around. We are very lucky to have some outstanding international Masters who speak fluent English.

Senior Instructors - Experienced Kung Fu teachers who form the backbone of our teaching team.

Instructors - Not as experienced as seniors, but highly dedicated and competent teachers.

Assistant Instructors - Less experienced but still very competent

Trainee Instructors- Freshly Graduated from our Instructor Training Programs

Master Iain Armstrong

Master Iain is the driving force behind the Kung Fu Retreat. He and his wife founded the Retreat in 2007 and he lives and teaches here. He is a Kung Fu philosopher and author with 36 years of living Kung Fu. Trained personally by Grand Master Tan Soh Tin in Singapore, he’s a two-time world champion and veteran of real street battles. Famous for his high-quality Kung Fu teaching, his instructional films and magazine articles, and for his demonstrations of Iron Shirt Chi Kung, Master Iain is a mine of information but retains a very practical, down to earth, and realistic approach. Most people who meet him are struck by his air of calm, patience, and wisdom. Read his full biography here.

Instructor Ophir

Ophir found Nam Yang looking for personal recovery, injury management and healing. He found our training and stretching routines aided him in this direction and found more than what he was looking for regarding personal development. Eager to make his life better and aid those around him, he joined our instructor team seeing that it would do just this! Ophir is usually present at Nam Yang 4-6 months a year. He also assists with the Children's Classes.

Instructor Buddhason

Buddhason comes for a Chi Kung background with 20 years experience and has passed a 1 year medical Chi Kung course. He knows a number of different Chi Kung systems and is a qualified teacher of both yoga and meditation, having studied Vajrayana Buddhism under several master lineage holders. He came here to build up his Chi in preparation for performing Chi healing and because he wanted to be part of a community focused on self-development. He chose Nam Yang because we offer chi kung teacher training and have an English speaking master with real/serious credentials: lineage holder, world championships etc. During his time here he has become more and more interested in Kung Fu and is looking forward to gaining a solid, well recognised instructor qualification. He is also one of our Meditation Masters.

Instructor Prisca

Prisca first came to the Retreat in 2021 looking to further connect the body and mind, and find something that would help her constantly evolve. She enjoyed it so much due to our location, the full time training, and all of the opportunities that we offer that she returned and became an instructor in 2024. Now based in France, she continues to support the retreat by handling online bookings.

Learn more about Prisca's Kung Fu Story:

Instructor Selina

Selina first came for Chi Kung teacher training in 2024, seeking balance, clarity, and a deeper connection to herself. It was here that she discovered Kung Fu, not just as a discipline, but as a way of life rooted in awareness, breath, and inner strength. Her focus is the integration of mind, body, and breath, cultivating strength from within. In the future, she aims to create her own retreat space, a place for healing, deep awareness, and inner transformation.

Assistant Instructor Emrys

Emrys trains Kung Fu for personal growth (mind, body, and spirit) and to pursue a lifelong dream. Drawn to Nam Yang’s comprehensive syllabus, he returned after an initial visit to deepen his practice. He became an instructor because teaching nurtures the arts and fosters self-improvement. His prior experience was a six-week stay at a Chinese martial arts school at 21. For the foreseeable future he plans to train and teach at Nam Yang, returning to Britain during summers.

Tea Master Johnny

Johnny first came to our retreat in 2011, drawn by a lifelong passion for Chinese culture and martial arts. Since then, he has returned year after year, having discovered Nam Yang as the perfect place to deepen his skills in Chi Kung, meditation, and self-defense while maintaining balance in both mind and body. During his time here, Johnny has also become one of our esteemed Tea Masters, a role he holds with great pride and pleasure, feeling honored to be part of our global family. His expertise in the art of tea-making is both well-honed and highly respected.

What people are saying about our team: