BRYAN BUTTERWORTH

My Journey to Tai Chi began in 2002 when I joined the Fujian White Crane Martial Arts club. It was shortly after starting that my instructor Neil Johnson recommended I learn the soft style Tai Chi called Shuang Yang. When Neil left the Fujian Club in 2006 I joined his new club and trained with them until the end of 2016. During this time I gained my Tai Chi instructors grading and began teaching in 2010.

From the very first, although I enjoyed other martial arts, my interest and focus has always been on the Tai Chi. To me the philosophy of softness and the idea of letting go your attachments in favour of flow and smoothness is fascinating. It has a major influence on how you not only undertake a movement but also how you interpret and understand all movement, yours and everyone else’s around you. From this perspective one finds one’s self continually returning to the shoes of the beginner as your reach greater understanding and you come to understand that the learning never ends.

While still with Neil’s club I went to China in 2008 and 2012 and studied under Master Zei Pei Linn who is in direct lineage to Master Chen Yijiu. In 2011 he came to the UK where I was also privileged to be taught by him.

I have also studied with Iain Armstrong of the Nam Yang Pugilistic Association, who traces his Shuang Yang lineage back to the Shaolin Temple in Quan Zhou.

The lineage is as follows:
Xiao Dan Qing. Shaolin Temple. Quan Zhou. Fukien.

Miao Sian Meng. Shaolin Temple. Quan Zhou. Fukien.

Ang Lian Huat. Nam Yang Pugilistic Association.

Tan Soh Tin. Nam Yang Pugilistic Association.

Iain Armstrong. Nam Yang Pugilistic Association.