"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell"
~ Buddha
6th May 2024
Meet Michael:
A student, our Instructor, and Nam Yang's Ambassador.
Meet Michael Worthman, an integral and very much valued member of the Nam Yang family. Michael first came to the Retreat in 2015 as a student and loved what he found here so much that he returned the following year, making a big life change by joining our instructor team. He is very interested in the history of Kung Fu and Nam Yang Pugilistic Association, and is very proud to be a part of such a distinguished tradition. Michael strives to live Kung Fu and incorporate it into all aspects of his life, as well as helping others looking for the same thing. While he currently lives in Guatemala teaching Kung Fu And Qigong (Chi Kung), he often travels between there, the United States, and Thailand, all while helping us at the Retreat.
In 2016 when he first started as an instructor, he said:
“I truly don't know where to start here. I cannot begin to describe what my experience has been like here. I remember my first meeting with Master Iain. He asked me what I was looking to get out of this. I said that I wanted to get in better shape and maybe calm my mind down a bit. I have done this and so much more. I've learned that Kung Fu is a way of life. It's everything I do, the way I breathe, the way I walk, the way I interact with others, even the way I think. It's all encompassing, and it has helped me improve each one of these things.
Of course there is the harder side of Kung fu as well. Kicking, punching, blocking, sparring, etc. and that can be as intense as you need it to be for yourself. There are people here from all over the world, men and women, of all body types and fitness levels. It has been said that all you need to succeed in Kung fu is to begin and not give up, and I truly believe that EVERYONE can do this if they put forth the effort.
I'll just leave it with this. My girlfriend asked me how Nam Yang and Kung fu had changed me. I paused, and then said, "I'm calm now. Truly calm." And that is the biggest thing that Nam Yang has given to me. And through that calm, I begin my journey to peace. True inner peace. What a wonderful gift.”
Michael is not only an Instructor, student, and family member, but also our Ambassador. He helps us with assisting and advising anyone interested in coming to the Retreat. If you book a call with us or send us a whatsapp message, he will be the person you speak to. He is very friendly, approachable, neither Ai or a Robot, speaks both Spanish and English, and was born in the Year of the Monkey. We’re very, very grateful to have him in our global family.
