Our last class of 2022 has been held and we have drawn the final curtain on this year.
It has been a strange one, recovering from the legacy of covid and trying to maintain the momentum of various projects we have started, as well as continuing learning, developing and practising. We have had some very memorable moments, starting with our Chinese New Year Celebrations returning to Inverness after an absence due to covid. We also returned to the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and the Tartan Heart Takeover at Eden Court.
Thanks to the continued efforts of Si-dai Gung – Frank Yee – we have been able to continue our learning experience online. Schools from all over the world have been able to learn directly from the man himself via the magic of modern technology. We have also had the opportunity to continue with grading tests online too. This has enabled all students to move forward and continue to progress when they’re ready.
We have also had the honour of Si-dai Gung visiting Scotland and learning and testing with him “in person.” In October he was able to travel to Peterhead and Edinburgh to conduct tests, seminars and Bai Si ceremonies. You can read more about his visit in our post – Great Grandmaster Frank Yee Visits Scotland
We are very excited to see what is in store for us in 2023. Our regular timetabled classes will begin on Tuesday 3rd January. New students are always welcome to come along and try our Form class at 6pm or Qigong class at 7pm on Tuesdays. Our kids classes will begin again on Monday 9th at 6.15-7pm. Children aged 8-12 are always welcome and encouraged to attend this class. Your first class is free and our online options are still available to everyone too. At 7-8pm on Mondays we also have our lion dance classes. If you are interested in learning and performing with our lion dance team, you’re welcome to attend these sessions and practice with us. On Sunday 22nd of January we will be celebrating Chinese New Year with a lion & dragon dance performance and traditional shop blessing procession at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, beginning at 11.30am. Please come along and join in with our celebrations. All money raised at this event will be donated to Cash For Kids. You can support by donating on the day or via our fundraising page:
All donations, no matter how much, will be gratefully received and make a big difference to this amazing charity that supports families all across the North of Scotland. ❤️
May we take this opportunity to once again thank you for your support and wish you a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year.
1st March News & Updates
We have a busy week ahead of us at YHGInverness. Our public Qigong classes are due to be reinstated to our timetable. We have students undergoing pre-tests on Saturday morning and we also have our exciting seminar, available to anyone, on Saturday afternoon.
Highland School of Qigong
Our public Qigong classes make a welcome return this week. Our syllabus has been developed further to add extra sensitivity for our students. Springtime is traditionally a time of year for cleansing, renewal, creativity and inspiration. We have developed our Spring Qigong Routine especially for the Spring months to help balance and encourage growth in these areas. We will also harmonise energy in the physical body to boost health and productivity.
Qigong Classes
Our public Qigong classes are due to return to our Inverness Academy this week. On Thursday the 5th of March we will hold regular public Qigong classes. These will continue every Thursday evening at 6.15pm. The classes are open to anyone, of any age, who are interested in learning the art of Qigong.
Classes will be priced at £5 per class. There is also the option to buy a loyalty card for £30. This will grant you a 7th class for free. They will follow a similar format to our previous Qigong classes where we will practice a set routine. A Qigong exercise will then be taught to individual students to practice throughout the week. Comfortable, loose clothing should be worn with flat trainers or plimsoles. If you would like to enquire further about these classes, you can email us directly to ask any questions. We will also post updates on our Facebook page:
If you prefer to learn privately, we still have 1-1 tuition available. These sessions can easily be booked with our online booking system. Just select a day and available timeslot that is suitable for you on our calendar below. Fill out your details and you will then be taken to PayPal. You can securely pay for your session with any debit or credit card at this stage. We currently have availability all day on Monday this week.
[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]Spring Qigong Routine
Continuing from our previous Autumn and Winter Qigong routines, our Spring Routine is due to be released this month. This will follow a similar format, with everything that you need sent out to you, completely FREE, in an email. This will include a warm up, main practice and cool down. Each exercise will have a video of it being performed. It will also contain brief instructions, an explanation of any theory and a list of the main benefits. A workshop will also be held a few weeks after the release of the routine. This will aid you in your practice and help to clarify any questions that might arise after practicing it for a short time. Any notes from the workshop and general feedback will then be compiled and sent out to everyone, which should aid further practice and development.
All this information will be completely FREE of charge to anyone who is interested in learning the art of Qigong. To receive this information, you only need to complete the form below. Once compiled, we’ll send it all out to you at the email address that you provide.
Rent Out Our School
If you have thought about running your own martial arts, yoga, meditation or exercise class but you’re put off by the high charges for renting space out, we have a great solution. Our Academy has a fantastic central location in Inverness. It is available throughout the day Sunday to Saturday. We also have Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights available for you to run your classes. If you wish, we can even designate space for your marketing and help get the word out on our social media platforms. It only costs £12 to rent out our school for an hour. If you need more time, speak to us about what you need and we can come up with a fair arrangement. As always, you can email us directly or read more about what we can offer you in this article: Space Available
Classes
Our classes this week see the return of our public Qigong classes on Thursday evenings at 6.15pm. We also have our Forres classes on Friday evenings at 7-8pm for kids & 8-9pm for adults. New students who wish to start are more than welcome at either of these classes. If you wish to begin in Inverness, the best class to start with is Tuesday evenings at 7pm. See the following page for further information: How Do I Join?
Private 1-1 Tuition
Many students prefer to learn in private, with 1-1 tuition from Sifu Hepple. Perhaps you feel anxious about learning in front of other students or just want to learn at a faster pace. These classes are an invaluable tool for any students who wish to perfect their art. Whatever your reasons might be for learning solo, they’re easy to arrange. Simply select a date and available time slot, fill out your info and then pay securely by PayPal with any credit or debit card.
[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]An Interview With Sifu Frank Yee
If you would like some insight into what Hung Ga training is like, or want to weigh up the options of contemporary vs traditional, perhaps you’ve been training for some time but need a little direction, then this interview with Grandmaster Frank Yee is extremely insightful. It was published almost 20 years ago, in 2001, for Kung Fu Magazine. It discusses the history of the Hung Ga style, Grandmaster Yee’s own background, how he started in Hung Ga, training requirements and some really good, solid advice. You can read the full interview here: An Interview With Sifu Frank Yee
Inverness Pre-Tests
This coming Saturday (7th March) we have scheduled pre-tests for our students. These help our students prepare for the rigorous grading procedure, which we are quite proud of at Yee’s Hung Ga. We ensure that our students are fully capable for the level that they are testing. Simply attending a grading does not guarantee a pass in the Yee’s Hung Ga system. A student must undergo a number of tests to pass each grading. This ensures that the art of Hung Ga is passed on fully for future generations. It also means that our students are under no disillusions about their strengths and capabilities. The pre-testing stage also helps to settle any anxious feelings that our students might have about the main grading.
Hung Ga Techniques For Combat Sports
On the same day at 1pm, Yee’s Inverness will host a seminar, suitable for anyone, students and non-students, to attend. This seminar will be delivered by Sifu Michael Rose, instructor from Yee’s Hung Ga Peterhead and Vice President of Yee’s Hung Ga Europe. The seminar is all about the Hung Ga fighting system and how it can be used for various combat sports including; MMA, Sanda & Kickboxing. Sifu Rose can also advise on correct stance, positioning, stretching, diet & nutrition in preparation for competing. Boxing or MMA gloves are suitable for this workshop. A limited supply is available at the school but we recomend that you take your own.
If you’ve ever thought about competing or would like to know more about the training involved, this is your chance to gain the knowledge you need to take it to the next level. The seminar lasts for about 3 hours. It is suitable for both men and women, basically anyone interested in learning. For students of Yee’s Hung Ga it is priced at £30 and non-students £35. Tickets can be pre-booked, to avoid disappointment, here:
Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports Tickets
Facebook event page for seminar
Coming Soon
The notes for our Winter Qigong Routine have now been compiled and will be ready to send out shortly. You can find out how our students got on in our Qigong classes, pre-tests and combat sport workshop next week.
Kung Fu Names & Terminology
All kung fu schools are very much family oriented. They are set up like a family and try to instil family values to their members. Family names are used to show respect to instructors and other students. At Yee’s Hung Ga we have many branches so it can be difficult to keep track of who is who and what the proper name should be. The following are the family names and meanings that you will commonly hear at a Yee’s Hung Ga school.
| English | Cantonese | |
| Male | Female | |
| Door Man or Founder | Jeurng Mun Yahn | Jeurng Mun Yahn |
| Lineage Holder | Si-Jo | Si-Jo |
| Great Grandmaster | Si-Tai Gung | Si-Tai-Poa |
| Grandmaster | Si-Gung | Si-Poa |
| Senior Kung Fu Uncle | Si-Bahk | |
| Senior Kung Fu Aunt | Si-Guma | |
| Junior Kung Fu Uncle | Si-Sook | |
| Junior Kung Fu Aunt | Si-Guje | |
| Teacher/Instructor | Si-Fu | Si-Fu |
| Teacher’s Husband/Wife | Si-Jeong | Si-Mo |
| Most Senior Brother/Sister | Di-Si-Hing | Di-Si-Jeh |
| Senior Brother/Sister | Si-Hing | Si-Jeh |
| Junior Brother/Sister | Si-Dai | Si-Mui |
| Student | Toh-Dai | Toh-Dai |
If you are a student at Yee’s Hung Ga in Inverness, anyone who has been training longer than you at the school, depending on their gender, you would call Si-Hing or Si-Jeh. Anyone who begins at the school after you would be your Si-Dai or Si-Mui, depending on their gender. They would call you Si-Hing or Si-Jeh. Sifu Hepple would be your Sifu and his wife would be called Si-Mo. Sifu Bruce Clark would be your Si-Gung. Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee and Sifu Yee Chi Wai would be known as Si-Tai Gung. Si-Jo is another name which Sifu Yee Chi Wai may also be known as. This means lineage holder.
If visiting another local Yee’s school, the students of that school would be your cousins. You would address them just as if they were training brothers or sisters at Inverness, Si-Hing, Si-Jeh if more senior and Si-Dai or Si-Mui if junior. The Sifu of that school would be your uncle. You would call them Si-Bahk or Si-Guma if they were Sifu Hepple’s Si-Hing or Si-Jeh. If they were Sifu Hepple’s Si-Dai or Si-Mui, you would call them Si-Sook or Si-Guje.
This might seem rather complex and difficult to learn but it is important to maintain the traditions of the kung fu school so that we can pass on our heritage for future generations. The important ones to remember are your Sifu and Si-Mo/Si-Jeong. Showing further respect to their teacher, Si-Gung/Si-Poa, and their teacher, Si-Tai Gung/Si-Tai Poa is also expected. Everything else can be worked out and nobody else is likely to take great offence if you call them the wrong name. If you are unsure, it is always best to ask, just like anything else that you may be uncertain of.
It is also worth noting that a senior uncle/aunt/brother or sister are senior only by the length of time practicing and not necessarily of a higher rank. Your Si-Hing is, and always will be, your Si-Hing. Just as an older brother can never be demoted to a younger brother, no matter how much you may wish for it to happen.
Other important terms that you may hear is the Kwoon or Kung Fu School itself. We shall look at the etiquette within and around the Kwoon in a future post. Suffice to say though, that it is important to remain respectful and uphold composure whilst in and around the Kwoon. Inside the Kwoon is the Sun-Toi or ancestral altar. We will also discuss this in a future post too. To show respect to the ancestors, who have passed down our art from generation to generation, we bow to the Sun-Toi. We use the traditional ‘sun and moon fist’ to bow to the ancestors, whilst entering and leaving the main training area. You may also hear your Sifu or instructor counting punches or kicks etc in Cantonese. The following table will help you to learn numbers 1 to 10:
| English | Cantonese |
| One | Yat |
| Two | Yee |
| Three | Saam |
| Four | Sai |
| Five | Ng |
| Six | Luk |
| Seven | Chat |
| Eight | Baat |
| Nine | Gau |
| Ten | Sahp |
Perhaps you have heard a term that you are unsure of that is not listed here. Please feel free to let us know and we can discuss. If you enjoy our posts and wish to be notified of further posts, notices, discounts and events, pop your email address in the box below and we’ll give you a shout when new posts are added. You can also like and share on Instagram, twitter & Facebook
Student Spotlight
This is a picture of Sifu Hepple and John Weaver. John has been practicing for 3-4 years now and is currently training towards his Yee Cup Jr (1st test of the 2nd level) Grading. Here John tells, in his own words, of his experience training at Yee’s Hung Ga Academy in Inverness.
What made you want to train in martial arts?
I previously trained in Jujitsu when I was about eight years old. When I reached twenty four, I became very interested in practising meditation, healing arts and focusing (balancing) my mental/physical energies. I read books, became Reiki attuned and watched videos to increase my knowledge on the subject. This led me to learn versions of qi gong, from some new age teachers and other kung fu personalities. I think I was the ripe old age of thirty one before I attempted to do kung fu work out drills; I was completely exhausted and realised I knew nothing of the hard work and discipline that was required to achieve what I wanted. It was then I started looking for a teacher.
How did you hear about this school and why did you want to train there? What were your expectations before you started?
Kung Fu was the obvious choice for me based on my interests. I did a little research on the different styles, and thought about what may suit my body type. I knew already I would prefer something that would be powerful and balanced, but more hand based rather than the flippy-flappy leg kicks. I saw some videos of the Hung style online after finding out that a new had school opened up in Inverness. I contacted Sifu to see if he would accept me as a student, and the rest is history. My expectations were realistic; having tried to keep up with drills on dvds and failed, I was open to whatever lessons Sifu had for me in order to progress.
What was your first class like?
I was slightly nervous and wondered what the other students would be like. At that very first class, I mentioned some of the things I had been doing and Sifu responded “this may be a little different to what you’re used to!” He proceeded to show us Tiger techniques, specifically how to break an opponents arm. After that class, I was aching all over. My legs felt like jelly, and I thought it would be very hard to build up my fitness to an acceptable level to continue. However, I stuck with it and after a further four or five lessons I got used to doing the warm up exercises! It is quite invigorating once you have built up the stamina and I am glad I have continued with my training. My life has changed considerably in the last two years and I now have a young family and a home to maintain. I haven’t had as much time as I would have liked to train recently but as my understanding of Hung Ga grows, so does my desire to push myself further.
What do you think of your training so far? Is there anything that you would change?
So far I have learnt the full Gung Gi Fuk Fu form and am now learning Fu Hok. I have also learnt about the theory of Hung Ga and some of the additional exercises that can be done to unlock potential skills; fighting and some softer skills like balance, conditioning and strengthening. I have attended seminars in Aberdeen with Grandmaster Yee Chi Wai and our Sifu’s teacher, Si Gung Bruce Clark – both are very well respected Martial Artists. It is hard to start with, but if you try and push through it is very much worth your while. Our Kwoon (school) is very friendly, and Sifu obviously loves Hung Ga; showing us how it becomes a solid foundation in life. I would change nothing about the training given but if I could give advice to other beginners it would be to put three times as much effort in to practising at home, as you do in class. Basic drills, form and practising stances – but also looking at the ways in which Qi Gong and breath exercises can improve your general well-being.
What are your hopes for your future in martial arts?
My hopes for the future are to continue training, and to push myself further. My aim at the moment is to improve my stances, transitions between movements and get more sparring practice to apply what I have learned. I enjoy the traditional Lion Dance practice and would like to do more of that for the school in the coming years.
Anything else that you wish to add?
While studying for the Fuk Fu test, I wrote this down. ‘Kung Fu is something that cannot be bought or stolen; you cannot cheat or make it easier as it is what it is. You get out what you put into it via training – body and mind with a strong spirit.’ I am beginning to understand more on the concept of ‘martial virtue’ and can say that with Kung Fu, actions speak louder than words – so come join us.
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Student Spotlight
This is a recent photo of Sifu Hepple with Jenny Thomas, one of the senior students of YHGInverness. Jenny has been training for almost 3 years now and is currently at Yee Cup Senior Level. Jenny occasionally helps teach some of the classes at the school and will also teach some Qigong classes in the new year. (Find out more details here: NEW CLASSES)
Here Jenny describes, in her own words, how she found out about the school and her training so far:
About 8 years ago, maybe more, I watched a documentary about a disillusioned priest…
On his journey through life he had lost his vision,lost his passion for life, lost his reason to be alive,even lost his faith and finally lost his family.
He had given up his secure,safe ,well paid yet now meaningless job in the clergy and was seeking. Seeking a refuge, seeking to fill the endless void, seeking a new life, seeking to end that dull painful ache inside, seeking a reason, seeking to find the answers to the questions he didn’t even know…
And all this he found in Martial Arts. He travelled extensively , visiting monastery’s, retreats, Martial establishments, government Martial groups and displays in the far east .He spent time in mist enshrouded mountains and beautiful lands…yet it was one day when he was sweeping a dirty floor that it suddenly clicked into place and his peace flowed from within. I can’t tell you how he found this peace, he didn’t know himself….but he found it inside himself through lengthy practice and meditation.
A true story and exactly what brought me to Yee’s Hung Ga! I felt exactly the same as that priest and I wanted exactly what he had found. And if he could do it so could I!
And so my journey began…I had done a bit of karate in my younger years but had moved away and never took it up again. I tried a few different styles which worked for a while but then I grew restless again. The self defence was good but the fitness was lacking…or the style was good but the egos were too big…or the fighting was great but the spirit was dead….I finally feel I have “come home”…in Hung Ga I am continually learning; it is a constant in my life amongst the ups and downs of every day life; I am strong, physically, mentally and spiritually ;I have met wonderful people and have lovely training brothers and sisters…the list goes on. I can truly say that walking up those stairs to meet my Sifu for the first time was the best thing I’ve done!
Speaking of those stairs…after my first lesson I could hardly get down them! My legs were shaking so much from using muscles I had never used before. But I knew straight away I had found what I was looking for …Lazy legs however soon learn the stances and you’d be surprised how soon your muscles get stronger and you can do things you never thought possible. Practice, perseverance and patience is what you need. And if you don’t have them you can learn them too! Anything is possible if you go for it. We train our minds with horse stance…you’ll just have to come to a class to find out how! We do patterns, techniques, applications and drills, sparring,body conditioning….and just when you think you’ve sussed it, then you develop on what you’ve already learned and it suddenly makes sense as to why you had to twist that hand in that direction in the first place!
And Qi gong, Hung Ga’ s gentle twin…or rather the yin of the two: the internal, the subtle, the gentle, the dark …Compared to yang: the external, the extrovert, the vivacious, the fire…..Hung Ga is a hard and soft style, without one you cannot balance the other and both should be trained. Qi gong trains the use of the internal energy, the bodies Qi. It also nourishes the spirit , trains the breathing, balances the bodies organs and helps the body remain in a healthful state. Regular practice can help increase your spiritual awareness, develop perception; you learn to use and lengthen that gap between stimulus and response, to act but not react…. It is slow, gentle and relaxing yet still powerful. (Qi Gong is trained during Hung Ga classes and as its own class. It is suitable for all ages, we currently have age 10 to age 75!)
Of course we also learn to fight, to defend ourselves and our families if the need arose, and to spar amongst ourselves and also in competitions. But if you only know how to fight then you are a fighter, not a Martial artist. Our Grandmaster Yee Chi Wai says: “To be a martial artist you must learn Martial virtue, Martial knowledge, Chinese medicine and Chinese philosophy.
And that you shall! All of this and more at Yee’s Hung Ga …like the priest, I too have found my peace, I don’t really know how either. It just happens!
Come and find out for yourselves! Enrich your life!
Sifu Hepple Tested by Master Frank Yee
It was smiles all round this weekend (26th-27th May 2012) as 30 students from the Aberdeen branch, the European headquarters, of Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Association passed their gruelling tests in front of the watchful eye of 10th Dan Great Grand Master Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai.)
Master Frank Yee filmed some of the occasion specifically to broadcast on Chinese television. He has previously filmed a four part documentary which reached critical acclaim in China. He hopes to repeat this success with his new documentary featuring the many branches of Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Association Worldwide. Master Frank Yee said, “We have many branches, the headquarters being in Guangdong Province, China but also throughout America and we are also branching out into Europe. Our European headquarters are in Aberdeen but we also have schools in Peterhead, Edinburgh and a new one has just opened up in Inverness, as well as new ones planned for Berlin, Prague and possibly even London too. This demonstrates a trend in martial arts students favouring more traditional styles all over the world.”
A large portion of the tests were completed at an advanced level. Chief instructor of the newly opened Inverness branch, Sifu Simon Hepple, passed his 3rd Dan black belt and was also a judge on many of the tests. “The level of skill and determination over the weekend was fantastic to witness. There was a lot of nerves and tensions were high but the passion illustrated by all the students was very obvious. They all worked extremely hard to achieve their goals and all deserved to achieve them.” On receiving his certificate another student said, “I’ve never trained so hard or wanted anything so badly in my whole life. I was incredibly nervous and now that it is all over, I feel a tremendous relief. The hard work never stops though and my black belt is only just the beginning.”
Master Yee Chi Wai To Visit Aberdeen
I was very happy to hear the news of Master Yee Chi Wai‘s welcomed return to Aberdeen this coming May. Master Yee will be conducting seminars and tests at the Yee’s Hung Ga European Headquaters in Aberdeen, where I trained with Sifu Bruce Clark.
Here is a video of Maser Yee which aired on Chinese television a few years ago. It shows many sections from some of the Hung Ga forms, some drills and some fighting applications. It also stars Master Pedro Cepero Yee.