Tag: Gift ideas

Posted on by

15th Dec News & Updates

This week should see the launch of our Winter Qigong Routine. We are preparing for Chinese New Year on January 25th. Our sale continues, there’s still time for it to arrive before Christmas, but hurry!! Our class times and online bookings are also updated for the week ahead.

Winter Qigong Routine

Winter Qigong Routine

We are still working on our Winter Qigong Routine but we should hopefully deliver it to you this week, as promised. If you have subscribed to our email list you will receive the information via your email. If you haven’t signed up yet, now is the time, don’t miss out, do it now!

In this routine we have carefully chosen specific qigong exercises which will keep you fit and healthy. We have targeted specific organs of the body which, according to qigong theory and philosophy, accompany and compliment each other for this time of year.

We will build on the knowledge from our Autumn Qigong Routine, to give you further insight into the benefits and practices of qigong and qigong theory. You don’t need to have read our previous article but if you have then it should compliment the information from it. As always, we would love to hear your feedback. You can either email us directly or contact us via our social media channels.

Horse Stance

Jackie Chan practicing horse stance in the film Drunken Master.

Our horse stance article is still available for you to read. It has an explanation of some of the benefits and a short video to demonstrate.

Give it a try and see for yourself. Why not challenge yourself over the festive holidays and see how long you can hold the stance for by the end of them.

Again, we are are always ready to listen to your feedback and we would love to hear from you. You can either email us directly or contact us through our social media channels.

Chinese New Year 2020

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations 2020 25th Jan

Although everywhere is winding down for the festive period and preparing for the holidays, YHGInverness are gearing up for one of the busiest times of year for us, the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year.

The Spring Festival is not a public holiday in the UK, however more and more people are taking part in annual Spring Festival events that focus on many aspects of Chinese culture such as food, calligraphy, decorations, martial arts and parades.

The UK, as a whole, doesn’t have an exceptionally high percentage of Chinese or Asian people living here. Major cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester have a concentration of Chinese people living there. London’s Chinatown is especially large and quite old. Their Spring Festival celebrations are famous for being very large and colourful.

The Spring Festival is based on the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday lasts for around 15 days in China and many other Asian countries. The Festival itself is celebrated worldwide in many other countries too, including the UK. On the eve of the Spring Festival, families get together and reunite for a traditional dinner. The last day of the Spring Festival is known as the Lantern Festival. The skies are filled with brightly coloured, paper lanterns.

The Inverness Spring Festival Celebrations coincide with YHGInverness’s 8th birthday. Other schools from Peterhead and Ellon will be joining us in the celebrations. We will be performing parades and displays in the Eastgate Centre, the Victorian Market, the High Street and at individual retailers and restaurants around Inverness City centre. You can keep up to date with times and places on our Facebook event page. Please feel free to like and share the event page. We will also be performing at events in Aberdeen and Inverurie. You can see all event pages here:

Inverness

Inverurie

Aberdeen

Hung Sale

Our sale is still on, get in the fast for Christmas!

Our sale continues in the Fu-kit section of our website. Everything is on sale including dresses, skirts, leggings, shorts, t-shirts, polo shirts, hats, caps, teaware, beanbags, mugs, hoodies and much more! (Excludes uniforms) If you are thinking of buying a gift for your training buddies or loved ones who have a passion for Hung Ga, there is still time for it to arrive before Christmas if you buy today. We can only keep prices this low for a short time, so get in there quick. Visit our Fu-kit shop for all sale items.

Classes

Our last class for 2019 will be on Thursday 19th December we will then open our doors to a new decade on Monday the 6th of January.

Current class timetable for Inverness

With a new year and the start of a new decade on the horizon, many people start to look at what they would like to achieve. Physical health and fitness is usually high up on the agenda. Mental wellbeing is often not as high on the list but it is becoming more of a priority. At Yee’s you can combine training both your mind and your body together. Take a look at our Horse Stance article to see just one method that we use which incorporates your mind, body and spirit. Our forthcoming Winter Qigong Routine is another excellent way to improve your overall health and mental wellbeing. Make sure you have subscribed to our email list to receive this information in your inbox!

Beginning classes at Yee’s is really easy. Take a look at our “How Do I Start?” Page. In short, just come along to a Monday or Tuesday evening class at 7pm, it is that simple. No money needed. Just a bottle of water and some comfortable clothes to exercise in. If you need some inspiration to help you take that first step, read our “Motivation, Hints & Tips” article. Nobody can make that first move for you but we’ve tried to make it as easy and painless as possible for when you do. Once you do it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it years ago when we first told you!

If you prefer a more personal touch, you can arrange for a 1-1 training session with Sifu Hepple. An hours session will cover the basic warm-up and stance training exercises. It includes a section of your first form and basic principles of our training methods. For this coming week we have full availability on Tuesday 17th Dec. There are also a few 1-1 tuition slots left in the evenings too. Use the timetable below to book an available slot. You can even pay for it all online, that way there’s no backing out. Just turn up at the right time and we’ll take it from there.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Coming Soon

coming soon….

We have a few plans that we are working on at the moment. As mentioned earlier, we are putting the finishing touches to our Winter Qigong Routine to send out to all our email subscribers this week. We are also busy preparing for the Spring Festival next year on 25th of January. We also have some exciting workshops that we are hoping to bring to you in the new year. To avoid missing out on details of these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below. If you would like to register your interest in any of these workshops, please email us directly.

Posted on by

24th Nov News & Updates

This week we’re preparing for a few future articles and events. We have some exciting workshops, Chinese new year and a Winter Qigong Routine all in the pipeline for students and the general public to take part in. We have extended our sale on the Fu-kit section of our website to include all t-shirts and now all accessories, including tea paraphernalia, beanies & hat, mugs, beanbag chairs and our famous dit da jow is now almost half price. There are also updates to our private tuition & class schedule for the week ahead.

Hung Sale Extended Further

Our Hung sale is extended to include all accessories

Our t-shirt sale has been extended even further. We’ve added all our accessories, including all beanies, hats, mugs & beanbag chairs. Even all our tea paraphernalia and famous dit da jow is included. You can browse all sale items on the Fu-kit section of our website. We can ship worldwide, making ideal gift ideas for kung fu martial artists, wherever they might be, at amazing prices!

Chinese New Year

Our dragon makes an appearance at Belladrum

One of the biggest events in the Chinese calendar is the Spring Festival, commonly known as Chinese new year. It is the longest holiday of the year. The national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month. In 2020, the Spring Festival begins on January 25th and ends February 8th. All stores are closed during the first five days, with some not opening until the very end. Throughout the festival there are specific activities and traditions for each day which vary between regions. We’ll update you on some of these traditions as we get closer to the dates. The main day is on January 25th, which is the 1st day of the lunar calendar. It is a day for greetings and blessings. A day spent celebrating. There is an ancient Chinese practice where the weather, stars and moon are analyzed to predict the fortunes of the year. It is called zhàn suì (占岁). On this day it is forbidden to sweep or clean. It is symbolic of sweeping away the good fortune that the new year has brought in. Similarly, when the lion dancers ‘eat the green’, the leaves of the lettuce are strewn by the lion’s mouth, spreading good fortune. It is seen to be especially auspicious if the leaves land on you. Sweeping the leaves away, is seen to be sweeping away the good luck, so one must pick the leaves up carefully to dispose of them. To find out more about our plans for the 2020 Spring Festival or to book a lion dance for yourself or place of work, you can follow our special Facebook page: Yee’s North of Scotland Lion & Dragon Dance Team. Or you can email us directly for information.

Autumn Qigong Routine

Autumn Qigong Routine

Our Autumn Qigong Routine is still available for you to try out and practice. Just follow the link and give it a go. Don’t forget to let us know what you thought. We are in the process of developing a Winter routine for you to practice too. This will further develop the theory from our Autumn Qigong Routine. If there is anything specific that you would like us to cover, just let us know, send us an email or message us on our social media channels.

Classes

Current timetable for public classes

Private 1-1 tuition this week is available all day on Monday the 25th. We also have some evening slots available too. Just check the following calendar for available times on specific days.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Our public classes will be running regularly, right up until Christmas. If you are looking to join our classes, or just want to see what it’s like to train at Yee’s, you don’t need to be super fit or have loads of energy and stamina. These are some of the benefits that you gain from training. If you fancy joining us, it’s really easy and your first class won’t cost you a penny! Have a read of our How Do I Join? article. If you are thinking of joining but still not sure and would like to motivate yourself to make it off the couch, have a look at our Motivation Hints and Tips article. Whatever your reason for training, whether it’s to learn how to defend yourself; gain confidence; get fit and healthy; to get out of the house more and meet new people or you would like to learn something new, anytime is a good time to start. Right now is a great time to start though. The sooner you start, the sooner you receive the benefits.

Coming Soon….

In the pipe 555!

We have a few plans that we are working on at the moment. As mentioned earlier, we have over 2 weeks of preparations for Chinese new year to get ready. We also have some exciting workshops and a brand new Winter Qigong Routine that we are also preparing for. To avoid missing out on details of these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below. If you would like to register your interest in any of these workshops, please email us directly.

Posted on by

10th Nov News & Updates

It has been a bumper week this week at YHGInverness. We have had students gradings in Peterhead with Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee. He also conducted some amazing seminars for junior and senior students. Our ‘Furious Five’ t-shirt sale continues. We have updated info for private tuition and public classes this week. Chinese New Year draws closer, it will soon be time to dust off our lions. There are uniform updates for our kids t-shirts and adult shirts.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee (seated in the middle) surrounded by sifus from the three Northern branches (in black) and students being tested (in yellow)

Gradings & seminars in Peterhead

On the 5th of November, students from three of our North of Scotland branches congregated in Peterhead for gradings and seminars. Yee’s Hung Ga is an international association with branches all over the world. Inverness is one of three across the North of Scotland, along with Ellon and Peterhead. The Northern schools often collaborate together. We join forces for displays such as Belladrum and Chinese New Year, as well as fund raising events and also for gradings and seminars.

Our students train for a long time to prepare for their gradings. It can take a year or longer to achieve the standard necessary for the first grading. At Yee’s Hung Ga, we pride ourselves in the fact that we have a high standard set for the different levels within our system. Students need to train consistently with focus, passion and determination to succeed. For each grading every student is tested individually on form, knowledge, technical ability and foundation & endurance.

The form is a pattern, or routine, of fighting applications. It consists of various stances and methods to train the body and mind for combat. It creates awareness of surroundings, co-ordination, develops speed and different power applications, breath control, accuracy, endurance and confidence. It is the basic building blocks that we use to train ourselves with. Each student is asked to demonstrate the form for their level and is judged by a panel on how well it has been executed.

Knowledge is assessed by asking the students questions on the fighting applications contained within the forms. This can be tricky as there is often more than one application for any particular section within the form. Students are also asked question about philosophy, the history and development of the forms and the Hung Ga system, language, different ways to generate power and the students own personal development through their training. If the student is grading on one of the many weapons of the Hung Ga system, they are also asked about the weapon itself, its uses and limitations.

To understand how each student can use the knowledge and physical applications that they have learned practically, they are paired off with another student of the same level. They are then asked to spar with each other, using techniques of their level and ability. This is to gauge how well the students have grasped the basic principles, applications and concepts of their level.

The foundation and endurance of the students are really put to the test during the last part of the grading procedure. All students are asked to perform the basic stance, ‘sai ping dai ma,’ or ‘four point great stance.’ This stance is sometimes known as, ‘ma bu,’ or ‘horse stance.’ The length of time required to sit in this stance depends on the level the student is grading at. Jo Gow gradings, or our equivalent of black belt, can be half an hour or more. The stance can be difficult to master and the students must really focus to regulate their breathing. They must use their mind to overcome the physical limitations of the body, elevating the spirit above what is perceived as possible. This can only be done with regular and consistent practice. A break in practice, due to injury or personal circumstances, could set a student off course for years. We will discuss the ‘Horse stance’ in a future article and you can test your own endurance and stamina.

As we also have a pre-testing stage, it makes it a little easier on our students nerves when gradings come around. All our students did very well at handling their nerves though and this was reflected in their results.

Nerves of steel! Our students line up, ready for grading.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee also conducted two seminars whilst he was visiting. One for junior and senior students and another for senior students only. The junior seminar explored the devastating elbow techniques of the Hung Ga System. The applications learned in this seminar utilised ‘inch power,’ to generate a lot of power in a small space and concentrated at the point of the elbow. This can be very explosive. It can cause serious injuries or knockout. These techniques are only shown to loyal students who have demonstrated the restraint necessary to use them if a life threatening situation arises and not to abuse the knowledge frivolously. The senior seminar was to review key points on Grand Master Tang Fong’s famous form ‘Ngauh Gwat Sin’ or ‘The Beef Bone Fan.’ This form was created by our Great Grandmaster Tang Fong. It utilizes close range concealed techniques, locks, and pressure point strikes to disable an opponent. There are many practical applications for this unique weapon.

Display team

Chinese New Year

Chinese new year is just around the corner and we have already begun our preparations for this busy time of year. Chinese New Year officially begins on January 25th 2020, and ends on February 4th. It will be the Year of the White, Metal Rat. Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than 20% of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people. There are lots of festivities everywhere. Yee’s Hung Ga are no exception, we perform lion dance displays, parades and demonstrations. If you would like to get involved, promote your business or would like us to perform a lion dance, please email us directly or get in touch through our social media networks

ALL our Furious Five t-shirts are now on sale!

Hung

All of our ‘Furious Five’ 5 animal t-shirts are now on sale in the Fu-kit section of our website. The prices have been discounted to give you some amazing deals such as our ‘Eye of the Tiger’ design. It comes in 14 different colours and is reduced from £20.50 down to £13.99.

You can also find our new kids uniform t-shirts and new adult uniform shirts on the Fu-kit section of our website under the uniform menu. They can also be purchased, in the school, from Sifu Hepple.

Completely FREE Autumn Qigong Routine

Autumn Qigong Routine

If you haven’t tried it already, we highly recommend that you give our Autumn Qigong Routine a shot. It is a gentle, low impact, form of exercise which has a huge impact on physical and mental health & wellbeing. It is easy to follow and shouldn’t take too long to complete. Best of all, it’s completely free and won’t cost you a single penny. You don’t have to subscribe or give away any personal details. There’s a description of the exercises, a YouTube video to follow along to and a detailed description of the main benefits and theory behind the exercises. The background knowledge and theory is a great way for interested beginners to find out more about qigong and its benefits. It should also be an interesting read for more advanced practitioners who are looking to further their studies and personal development with qigong.

If you’ve already tied out our routine, perhaps you’ve practiced it every day, we would really love to hear your feedback. Have you noticed any benefits? Did you enjoy the experience? Did you adapt the routine? You can email us your thoughts or leave your feedback in the comments section of our posts or on the YouTube video.

Current timetable for Inverness

Classes

If you fancy taking on the challenge and think you have what it takes to pass our rigorous grading system or perhaps you are interested in learning more about qigong or kung fu? Why not book a private tuition timeslot that suits your own schedule. You can book on our homepage, Facebook or Instagram pages. There is also an appointment scheduled below. This week we have availability all day on Monday 11th & 12th of November, as well as in the evenings on the other available days. Just check the calendar for specific times on certain days. Private tuition is a fantastic way to improve on your qigong & kung fu practice; whether it is learning new form, theory, meditation or a mix of everything.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Forthcoming seminars & Workshops

We will be releasing details of two practical seminar workshops taking place at Yee’s Hung Ga in Inverness. These will be open to the public as well as Yee’s students. They will be an exciting opportunity to learn the theory and practical application of the five elements. One workshop will be based on qigong and the other on kung fu applications. To avoid missing out on details of these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below.

Posted on by

3rd Nov News & Updates

We have some awesome deals for you in our shop this week. Our students are in the final stages of prep for their gradings in only a few days time. Our Autumn Qigong Routine is still available for you to try completely free. There’s updates for classes and private tuition schedules for the week ahead. We have new uniforms for students and there’s news on upcoming qigong and kung fu seminars.

Hung

All our ‘Furious Five’ t-shirts are on sale!

Our October promotion for £5 off a hoody and beanie has sadly ended. There are some awesome new bargains in our store though. All of our ‘Furious Five’ 5 animal t-shirts are on sale in the Fu-kit section of our website. The prices have been discounted to give you some amazing deals such as our ‘Eye of the Tiger’ design. It comes in 14 different colours and is reduced from £20.50 down to £13.99.

Or if you are a fan of winged creatures, our ‘Crane in the Rain’ design has been reduced to the same price, from £18.50 down to £13.99.

There are lots of unique, exclusive designs to choose from. Just visit the Fu-kit section to grab yours while the prices are still as low as this! They would make some great gift ideas for the martial artist in your life or a well deserved treat for yourself!

Gradings & Seminars

This week our students have been training really hard for their upcoming gradings in Peterhead. The gradings and seminars are on Tuesday the 5th of November, so only a few days left of final preparation.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee will be overseeing the test procedure and leading the seminars. Sifu Pedro Yee is a 9th Dan Sifu of Hung Ga. He is the eighth Senior Yup Sut (In the Room) Disciple of Master Frank Yee (Yee Chee Wai), as well as one of the first Americans to be accepted into the Yee’s Family Lineage at the New York Chinatown’s Yee Fong Toy Association and their world headquarters. At present Sifu Cepero Yee teaches and practices Hung Ga Kung Fu and Tuina as well as conducting ongoing workshops in the United States and the UK. He is also a well published author on Hung Ga Kung Fu. His article, “Hung Ga from Canton to New York”, is permanently on display at the Huang Fei Hong (Wong Fei Hung) Museum, the ancestral home of the style, in Foshan, China. He is the first non- Asian person to appear on the Cover of the Hong Kong Magazine, “New Martial Hero” (Fall 2005), in its 35 year history. He is also featured on the cover along side his Sifu in “Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine” (May/June Issue 2006).
There will be lots of photos from the day of the gradings and seminars. Look out for our future posts to find out how everyone got on at the gradings.

Autumn Qigong Routine

If you haven’t tried it already, we highly recommend that you try our Autumn Qigong Routine that we published last week. It is a gentle, low impact, form of exercise which has a huge impact on physical and mental health & wellbeing. It is easy to follow and shouldn’t take too long to complete. Best of all, it’s completely free and won’t cost you a single penny. You don’t have to subscribe or give away any personal details. There’s a description of the exercises, a video to follow along to and a detailed description of the main benefits and theory behind the exercises. The background knowledge and theory is a great way for interested beginners to find out more about qigong and its benefits. It should also be an interesting read for more advanced practitioners who are looking to further their studies and personal development with qigong.

Completely Free Autumn qigong routine

If you’ve already tied out our routine, or perhaps you’ve practiced it every day, we would really love to hear your feedback. Have you noticed any benefits? Did you enjoy the experience? Did you adapt the routine? You can email us your thoughts or leave your feedback in the comments section of our posts or on the YouTube video.

Classes

If you are interested in learning more about qigong or kung fu. You can book a timeslot that suits you on our homepage, Facebook or Instagram pages. This week we have availability all day on Monday 4th November, as well as in the evenings on the other available days. Just check the calendar for specific times on certain days. Private tuition is a fantastic way to improve on your qigong & kung fu practice; whether it is learning new form, theory, meditation or a mix of everything.

Yee’s Inverness Timetable

Please note that due to gradings and seminars in Peterhead, there will be no public classes or private tuition on Tuesday 5th November.

Uniforms

We have new uniforms for kids. Please contact Sifu Hepple with your sizes. These will replace the black t-shirts for kids that are currently available on the website shop.

Uniform Shirt Cuff
Red Student Uniform Cuff

Our new uniform shirts are also available to purchase on the Fu-kit section of our website under the uniform menu. They can also be purchased, in the school, from Sifu Hepple.

Forthcoming seminars & Workshops

We will be releasing details of two practical seminar workshops taking place at Yee’s Hung Ga in Inverness. These will be open to the public as well as Yee’s students. They will be an exciting opportunity to learn the theory and practical application of the five elements. One workshop will be based on qigong and the other on kung fu applications. To avoid missing out on these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below.