Tag: Seminar

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8th March 20 News & Updates

Some weeks it’s business as usual and then other times you just can’t cram anything else into the week. Last week was one of those weeks. We’ve had new classes beginning on our timetable, pre-tests and a combat sport workshop as well as all our regular classes. Our Forres school has even made the local papers too.

Forres News Article

Our school in Forres has only been opened a short while, yet have already managed to have an article published about them in the local paper. The Forres Gazette wrote about the opening of our new branch and focused on how Sifu Hepple’s own journey with Hung Ga Kung Fu has shaped his own life, as well as the lives of many of his students. You can read the whole article here: New Kung Fu Class in Forres Helps Build Physical and Mental Strength.

Pre-testing

Exams are never easy. The pressure to succeed can be overwhelming. Nerves can make you flustered. Trying to remember all the information you need can be a hard task on its own. Trying to recall it all ‘on the spot’ adds a whole new level of panic! The kind of skills you learn to deal with these pressures are useful in all walks of life. During our gradings at Yee’s Hung Ga, there can be a lot of information that students have to process. To take some of the pressure off and to set their minds at ease, our pre-testing stage is a valuable part of the whole testing procedure.

Pre-testing in Inverness

We conducted the pre-testing stage on Saturday the 7th of March. All students who participated passed with flying colours. The next stage is the final grading. Until then it’s back to business and lots of practice!

You can read more about one of our students who attended our pre-testing on Saturday. Emma Archer, who will be looking to take her Yee Cup Junior Level test (1st test of 2nd level) at the next grading, is the focus of our latest Student Spotlight Article. Due to her busy work schedule and commitments, Emma trains at various branches of Yee’s Hung Ga across the North of Scotland. This is a testament to her commitment and dedication to the training at Yee’s Hung Ga. If you are inspired by her tenacity and perseverance, you only need to make it along to your first beginners class to see why Emma is so dedicated. Read the article here: Student Spotlight: Emma Archer.

Hung Ga for Combat Sports

Working the pads in our combat sports workshop

After the pre-test on Saturday, we also held a unique workshop in the Inverness academy. Sifu Michael Rose, Vice President of Yee’s Hung Ga Europe and instructor of the Peterhead branch, conducted a hands-on seminar about the use of Hung Ga techniques for competing in combat sports. Sifu Rose has first hand experience with competing and we were lucky enough to receive the benefit of his knowledge. More of these exciting workshops are in the pipeline, so to keep up to date, make sure you sign up to our email alerts below.

Rent Our School

Available for hire

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 current timetable

Our Qigong classes commenced last Thursday and will continue at the same time of 6.15-7pm every Thursday. Our timetables and price list have been updated. These classes are suitable for anyone, of any age, who is interested in learning the art of Qigong. 1-1 tuition will still continue in the normal fashion.(see below)

Highland school of Qigong

As well as Qigong, we obviously have Hung Ga kung fu classes too. Our kids class is on every Monday at 6.15-7pm. There’s no waiting list for this so your child could start straight away. We also have our beginners class at 7pm on Tuesday evenings. There is plenty space available for anyone who wishes to begin their training. For more information on beginning, see our page: How Do I Join?

Current Prices

As well is these classes which are oriented for complete beginners, we also have a Techniques, drills and applications class on Monday evenings at 7pm. This is designed for students of all levels to practice turning their skills into 2nd nature. Our Lion Dance & Performance class is designed for students of mixed ages and abilities. The stances, footwork and co-ordination are a great accompaniment to your Hung Ga training. Traditional training & sparring is for more experienced students to hone their skills with. Anyone who has completed an introductory Tuesday evening class is welcome to attend any of the classes on the timetable. On Friday evenings we also have classes, available to anyone, at our Forres branch of Yee’s Hung Ga.

1-1 Private Tuition

Sifu Frank Yee & Sifu Hepple

Whether you wish to learn Qigong or Hung Ga kung fu, you have the option to learn in our public classes, 1-1 private tuition with Sifu Hepple or a mixture of the two. Private tuition is simple and easy to arrange. Simply pick the available time that suits you, enter your details and then pay securely via PayPal.

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Still on the way….

We are STILL working on our Winter Qigong Routine notes and our Spring Qigong Routine. Due to testing and workshops, they’ve pushed onto the backburner slightly. We will, however, be back on track soon and should deliver on our promises shortly. To make sure that you don’t miss out, sign up to our email alerts below….

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1st March News & Updates

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes

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

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

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes
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.

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Spring Qigong Routine

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

Our Inverness 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

Updated timetable

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.

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An Interview With Sifu Frank Yee

Sifu Hepple being taught by Grandmaster Frank Yee. 28 May 2005. Aberdeen

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

Pre-testing in Inverness

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

Hung Ga 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.

Fight like a tiger!

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

We’re working on it….

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.

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23rd Feb News & Updates

You can find out how to rent our school out for your own classes, workshops or groups. Our new Qigong classes are due to commence at the beginning of next month. We also have an exciting seminar workshop to coincide with our scheduled pre-testing at the beginning of March. This is available to Yee’s students and non-students to attend.

Spring Festival/Chinese New Year Video

One of our students has created a fantastic video from footage of our performance at this years celebration in Inverness for Chinese New Year. We welcomed in the Year of the Rat at the end of January with a large lion & dragon dance display across the city centre. This was the result of three Yee’s schools from across the North East, collaborating together for one big celebration. You can see the video below and subscribe to our channel for more:

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations 2020

Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports

Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports

On the 7th of 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.

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 and MMA gloves are both suitable for this workshop. A limited supply is available at the school but we recomend that you take your own.

Fight like a tiger

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

Highland School of Qigong

Highland School of Qigong

Our Spring Qigong Routine is due to be released in March. Springtime is traditionally a time of year for cleansing, renewal, creativity and inspiration. We have specifically developed this routine 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. Our public Qigong classes will make a welcome return next week. Our syllabus has been developed to add extra sensitivity for our students.

Spring Qigong Routine

Spring Qigong Routine

Continuing from our previous Autumn and Winter Qigong routines, our Spring Routine is due to be released at the beginning of March. 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.

Qigong Classes

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes
Qigong Classes

Our public Qigong classes are due to return to our Inverness Academy on the 5th of March 2020. We will hold regular public Qigong classes every Thursday evening at 6.15pm. These 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:

Highland School of Qigong

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 and Tuesday this week.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Rent our school

Rent 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 great central location in Inverness. It is available throughout the day all week. We also have Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights available for you to run your classes in private. We can even designate space for your marketing and help get the word out with our social media. 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 our article:

Space Available

Classes

Current timetable

Our classes continue at our academy in Inverness and at the swimming pool gymnasium in Forres. Anyone wishing to begin their martial arts journey at Yee’s can attend our Tuesday evening beginners class at 7pm in Inverness. Both our classes in Forres are suitable for complete beginners. We have a class at 8pm for adults or 7pm for kids. Anyone is welcome to come along and give it a go.

1-1 Tuition

We have private 1-1 tuition classes available for anyone who would prefer to learn solo. These classes are 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]

Coming soon…

On it’s way…

We will shortly be releasing our notes from our Winter Qigong Routine. The notes give further information about each exercise and Qigong practice in general. We will soon be announcing further details about another seminar based on Hung Ga techniques. This should take place towards the beginning of April. To keep up to date with announcements, make sure that you sign up to our email alerts below.

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16th Feb News & Updates

We’ve had another exciting week in Inverness. New Qigong classes have been announced and are due to commence at the beginning of next month. We have also planned an exciting seminar workshop to coincide with our scheduled pre-testing at the beginning of March.

Highland School of Qigong

Highland School of Qigong

Springtime is a time for getting out and about and putting all those plans you made over the Winter months into action. It would seem that March is the month where it is all going to happen. Our Spring Qigong Routine is due to be released then. We also have the long awaited return of our public Qigong classes.

Spring Qigong Routine

Spring Qigong Routine

Continuing from our previous Autumn and Winter Qigong routines, we will also be compiling a Spring Routine. This will follow a similar format with everything that you need sent to you, completely FREE, in an email. This will include a warm up, main practice and cool down. Each exercise, within the routine, 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’ve arisen 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 sign up with the form below. Once compiled, we’ll send it all out to you at the email address that you sign up with.

Qigong Classes

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes
Qigong Classes

Our public Qigong classes are due to return to our Inverness Academy next month. From the 5th of March 2020 we will hold regular public Qigong classes every Thursday evening at 6.15pm. These classes are open to anyone, of any age, who is 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. 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:

Highland School of Qigong

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 and Tuesday this week.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Rent our school

Rent 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 great central location in Inverness. It is available throughout the day all week. We also have Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights available for you to run your classes in private. We can even designate space for your marketing and help get the word out with our social media. 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 our article:

Space Available

Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports

Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports

On the 7th of 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.

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 and MMA gloves are both 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

Classes

Current timetable

Our classes continue at our academy in Inverness and at the swimming pool gymnasium in Forres. Anyone wishing to begin their martial arts journey at Yee’s can attend our Tuesday evening beginners class at 7pm in Inverness. Both our classes in Forres are suitable for complete beginners. We have a class at 8pm for adults or 7pm for kids. Anyone is welcome to come along and give it a go.

1-1 Tuition

We have private 1-1 tuition classes available for anyone who would prefer to learn solo. These classes are 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]

Coming soon…

On it’s way…

As well as our Spring Qigong Routine, our Qigong classes commencing, our pre-tests and seminar, regular classes in Inverness and Forres, we will shortly be releasing our notes from our Winter Qigong Routine. The notes give further information about each exercise and about Qigong practice in general. We will soon be announcing further details about another seminar based on Hung Ga techniques. This should take place towards the beginning of April. To keep up to date with announcements, make sure that you sign up to our email alerts below.

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2nd February News & Updates

The dust has settled after our Spring Festival/birthday celebrations in Inverness last weekend. We really had a blast but now back to our regular training routine. Our sale has ended but there are still a few bargains in our store. There are updates to our classes for this week and we also have a new branch opening in Forres this week.

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese New Year Celebrations in the Eastgate Centre, Inverness. January 25th 2020

The Spring Festival, known as Chinese New Year, is a big event in China and many parts of Asia. It is gaining more and more popularity in western countries too. It comes at a time of year when a flash of colour and excitement is much needed to bring us all out of the gloom of Winter. Our celebrations in Inverness definitely did just that. Our troupe is forged from the bond of three separate Yee’s Hung Ga schools that are spread across the North East of Scotland. All three schools descended upon Inverness on the 25th of January to celebrate the Year of the Rat. Our lions performed displays across the city centre. We also performed around 50 traditional ‘Choi Chang’ blessings at retail and business premises. It was a very tiring day for all the students who took part but a hugely successful and enjoyable experience for everyone. You can find out more in our article:

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations 2020

We have already announced next years dates. You can find our Facebook event page for it here:

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations 2021

Hung

Our sale has now ended. We hope that you managed to grab a bargain while our prices were so low. There are still a few bargains in our Fu-kit Store. Just have a wee browse.

Training Aids

Training Aids

Find our liniments and care kits here.

Shop now

Classes

Current classe timetable

Our classes at Yee’s Hung Ga are always open to new students. If you are interested in attending a class, all you need to do is turn up and try your best. We’ll take care of the rest. For more information on starting, see our webpage: How Do I Join? The best classes to start with are as follows:

Men, women & children are always invited to come along and try our classes

Kids Class every Monday evening at 6.15pm. If your child is between the ages of 5 and 8, this is the right one for them.

Older Kids class every Thursday at 6.15pm. This is for older kids between the ages of 8 and 13.

Big kids Tuesdays at 7pm. This is for “adults” basically anyone over 13.

The line up

Come along and try out a class for free and see how you get on. If it’s not for you, no problem. You don’t need to sign up for regular classes or fill out forms or give us your bank details or any of that stuff. If you like the class, come back for more. If you want to learn, then we want to teach you.

Our Troupe ready for the Chinese New Year Celebrations

We also have regular classes on Mondays at 7pm for Techniques, drills & applications this is where you learn to develop your skills. Tuesdays at 6.15pm is our Lion Dance class. If you have seen us perform and would like to get involved, come to this class. Thursdays at 7pm is our Traditional Training & Sparring Sessions. It is recommended that you have regularly attended a few classes before you attempt to spar, however the traditional training is open to all students.

If you want to learn, we want to teach you!

We also have private tuition classes available. This week we have slots available all day on Tuesday and also on some evenings. For these, you can easily book and pay for them with our calendar below. Simply select a day and time that suits you best, pop your details in the form and then you’ll be taken to PayPal where you can securely pay for your booking, even if you dont have a PayPal account.

If you would like to discuss any requirements, intentions or ambitions. Please feel free to email us directly.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Yee’s Hung Ga in Forres

Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu in Forres

A new branch of Yee’s Hung Ga will open this Friday in Forres. Sifu Hepple is excited to announce the first classes to begin in his hometown of Forres will commence on Friday the 7th of February. There will be two classes every Friday evening starting at 7pm in the swimming pool gym.

The first class from 7-8pm is for 6-12 years old. It is £4 per session.

The 2nd class from 8-9pm is for adults. This is £5 per session.

Classes begin in Forres

All are welcome to attend. No experience is necessary. No special equipment, no sign ups, no bank details. Just turn up and we’ll take it from there.

If you are feeling anxious about attending your first class and not sure what to expect. Have a look at our page: How Do I Join? You will find lots of information and it may set your mind at ease.

Coming soon…

More on it’s way….

Highland School of Qigong

We shall soon be releasing our Winter Qigong Routine notes. This will accompany the routine we developed last year and the workshop which we held in our school. The notes give further information about each exercise and about Qigong practice in general. Don’t miss out, sign up to our email alerts below.

Seminars

We are currently developing a seminar which will be open to anyone interested in Hung Ga. Our seminar will cover techniques, stances & drills for some signature Hung Ga applications. It will be an ideal opportunity to find out, first hand, about the martial art of Hung Ga. Make sure that you are signed up to our email alerts to be the first to find out about this exciting opportunity.

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Festive Special News & Updates

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2019. Our Winter Qigong Routine has finally been sent out and we have set up a workshop to compliment it. Our Chinese New Year preparations continue. Only 5 more weeks to go! If you are looking for last minute gift ideas, we have got you covered, with tickets to our Winter Qigong Routine Workshop and Gift Certificates. Although too late for Christmas delivery, there’s plenty of bargains still to be had in our ‘Hung’ sale. Our public classes have now drawn to a close, however the new year beckons. It is a time for reflection and new beginnings. If getting fit and healthy, meeting new friends, getting out and off the settee, learning something new and interesting that could potentially help you in a tricky situation, is high on your agenda, read on to find out how to start your kung fu journey at Yee’s.

Winter Qigong Routine

Winter Qigong Routine

Here in Inverness, Winter has arrived. Freezing temperatures, short daylight hours, the stress of Christmas, parties on every corner. It can all take its toll on your mind and body. Luckily our Winter Qigong Routine has also arrived in time to help you relax and refocus. Refresh your mind and body with our qigong routine. We have designed it especially for this time of year.

If you haven’t signed up for our FREE qigong routine yet, simply complete the following form and we will send it to you.

Inside our Winter Qigong Routine email you will find an introduction to the routine, the routine itself with YouTube links to every exercise, a YouTube link to the whole playlist of every exercise and also a description of the physiological effects of the routine on the body. Every YouTube video has a brief description of how to complete each exercise, as well as a description of its purpose and benefits. All this information is completely FREE!! If you are interested in learning about qigong, this information is invaluable.

As well as our FREE qigong routine, we have also set up a workshop to compliment it. In this workshop we will practice the whole routine. It will be an ideal opportunity to ask any questions that you might have, or may have arisen from your practice of the routine. We will discuss the main theories and philosophies behind the routine, the organs and channels involved in each exercise and how they are put together to benefit the entire system in a holistic manner. This workshop will take place on the 4th of January 2020. Ideal to set off the new decade on the right foot. You can keep up to date with this event on our Facebook event page:

Highland Scool of Qigong, Winter Qigong Routine Workshop Facebook Event Page

The workshop costs £15. (£10 for Yee’s students) You wont need any special equipment. Just some comfortable clothing and shoes. If you would like to make notes, bring a notepad and pen with you, perhaps a bottle of water too. Filming is prohibited, however if you wish to take photographs, this is fine. You can buy tickets to this workshop on our website. Ideal for a last minute Christmas present:

Winter Qigong Routine Workshop Tickets

We would LOVE to see you practicing our routine! Follow us @yhginverness and use hashtags #YHGInverness and #HSQInverness to show us your qigong practice.  

Our newsletter is still in its infancy! We could use your help getting the word out. If you know someone who would enjoy hearing from us, please forward them this email and share on your social media. 

Spring Festival/ Chinese New Year 2020

Lion dance parade at Belladrum

Another event that is fast approaching is the Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations. There are many practices on Chinese New Year that are surrounded by legends. According to one such legend, a monster called Nian (年) would come about every New Year’s Eve and terrorise everyone. People would hide away in their homes from the creature. The legend tells of one boy who was brave enough to fight off Nian using firecrackers. The next day, people celebrated their survival by setting off even more firecrackers. That practice has become, forevermore, a crucial part of the Spring Festival.

Nian

In modern times we use firecrackers to make a lot of noise for celebrating and to welcome in the new year. People stay up on Chinese New Year’s Eve and set off firecrackers at midnight. In the morning, firecrackers are used again to welcome the new year and good luck. The most amount of fireworks are set off at this time, more than any other time of the year, anywhere in the world. Due to safety reasons and concerns for air pollution, many Chinese cities have banned fireworks. Over 500 cities also have restrictions in place too. Beijing banned fireworks for 13 years. The ban was lifted in 2006 due to public pressure. If you’re in China during this time, you’ll probably be able to hear and see the explosions for at least 3 nights (and it can go on for weeks).

Defeating Nian with firecrackers

While we might not have firecrackers with us, we will certainly make a lot of noise at the Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations. Our lions and dragon will be performing demonstrations across the city. You can find out more information and keep up to date with times and locations on our Facebook event page below:

Inverness Chinese New Year Celebration 2020

Chinese New Year Gala Show Aberdeen

Chinese New Year Gala Show Inverurie

Our Lion & Dragon Dance Team will also be performing at gala shows in Aberdeen and Inverurie. The Yee’s North of Scotland Lion & Dragon Dance Team consists of three Yee’s Hung Ga schools that are spread across the North of Scotland. The chief instructors from all three schools are originally kung fu brothers from the same Yee’s school in Aberdeen. This means that we all have the same Sifu, Bruce Clark. We all share the common bond of Hung Ga kung fu and we have all pledged to spread our art, in all its various forms, as best that we can. Lion dance performances play an important roll in spreading our art. We are always looking for keen students who are interested in what we do. You can contact the other two branches below:

Yee’s Hung Ga Ellon Branch

Yee’s Hung Ga Peterhead

Classes

Merry Christmas and happy new year from YHGInverness

Although our current classes have ended, they will resume on the Monday the 6th of January 2020. We wish all our students and supporters a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. If you are considering starting Hung Ga once our classes resume, we recommend readying our page, ‘How Do I Join?’ If you think it all sound good on paper but need that extra push to get you off the settee, have a read of our article, ‘Motivation: Hints, Tips & Good Practice’ It’s a lot easier and a lot less painful to begin than you think. Just turn up and enjoy the experience. See you in the new decade….

‘Hung’ Sale

If you are on the hunt for something very last minute to give to your kung fu obsessed loved one, but ran out of ideas. We have got you covered. We can email these to you and you can print them out to give in person.

How about tickets to our Winter Qigong Routine Workshop in January. Reasonably priced at only £15‐10.

Winter Qigong Routine Workshop Tickets

Or how about some gift certificates. Gift certificates can be redeemed for Qigong & Hung Ga classes, private tuition, uniforms and clothing, weapons, sparring kit and medicines. Multiple certificates may be purchased and/or redeemed at once. And we have price options from £20‐200.

YHGInverness Gift Certificates

If you’ve dropped all the hints in the world and you STILL didn’t get want you wanted for Christmas, don’t worry. Our sale is still running in our store. You can buy what you really wanted in our online shop. Everything is on sale (excluding uniforms, tickets and gift certificates) so you can finally justify buying it for yourself!

See you in the next decade. Have a great holiday and stay safe!

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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.

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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.

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World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 25.4.15

The last Saturday in April every year plays host to World Tai Chi & Qigong Day. It is part of a global effort to promote the healing aspects of Tai Chi and Qigong within our society. For the second year running YHGInverness participated in this global celebration by hosting a free Qigong seminar/workshop. Sifu Hepple, Chief Instructor at YHGInverness, conducted the seminar on the Yi Jin Jing, (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) which is a Qigong set or ‘form’ thought to have been developed by the Indian Buddhist Monk Bodhidharma, the legendary monk who began the physical training of the monks at the Shaolin Temple and thus credited as the originator of Shaolin Kung Fu.

The set was taught step by step until complete. Once the whole set had been learned, the key points of each exercise and how they work with the meridian channel system of the body was discussed. During Qigong exercises Qi, or internal energy, within the body is manipulated for specific health purposes. This can be achieved by moving your body in a certain way to stimulate specific organs of the body or using your mind’s eye, will or intention to lead Qi around your body or through certain meridians of the body. Using your mind and body together with coordinated breathing increases the function of many systems of the body. It also reduces stress and fatigue, calms the mind, improves circulation and many other documented health benefits. Qigong can be practiced by anyone and although it originated in China over 2000 years ago, it is still practiced today by people all over the world, from all walks of life.

The seminar ran over the scheduled time by quite a bit, so thank you to everyone who attended and managed to focus for the whole seminar. Also thank you to everyone who helped make this a successful event, including anyone who shared our Facebook posts and helped to spread the word. Hopefully YHGInverness will continue to make this a regular event every year and continue to preserve the art for future generations. Special thanks to the organisers of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day who help to promote this art worldwide. Without their efforts we would never have all come together at the same time for their common vision of health and healing on a global scale.

If you are interested in finding out more about Qigong or would like to attend one of our Qigong classes, please visit our Qigong page: https://www.yhginverness.com/qi-gong-classes/

 

Participants of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day (25.4.15)
Participants of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day (25.4.15)

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FREE Qigong Seminar/Workshop for World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

In honour of the World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy, Inverness will be hosting a FREE seminar on the Yi Jin Jing or Muscle-Tendon Strengthening Qigong. Beginning at 10am on Saturday the 25th of April.

The Yi Jing Jing is a qigong set, thought to have been developed by the Indian Buddhist Monk Bodhidharma, the legendary monk who began the physical training of the monks at the Shaolin Temple and thus credited as the originator of Shaolin Kung Fu.

The exercises in the Yi Jin Jing set feature soft even movements which will invigorate the limbs and organs of the body. Practice of the set will improve your flexibility and balance, muscle tone and strength. It is particularly beneficial to your breathing and has many documented health benefits.

The Yi Jin Jing set is easy to learn and suitable for beginners as well as people of all ages and skill levels. The set will be taught step by step by Sifu Simon Hepple, the chief instructor at Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy. Once the complete set has been learned, we will discuss the key points of each exercise and how they work with the meridian channel system of the body.

After the seminar, The Yi Jin Jing will be added to the comprehensive qigong curriculum at Yee’s Hung Ga, Inverness, so don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to learn this set absolutely FREE!

This seminar is open to all members of the public, you do not have to be a member of the school to join in. If you would like to attend, you only need to turn up on the day. The seminar begins at 10am so please arrive in good time for the beginning. Participation is mandatory so please do not turn up expecting to be able to sit and watch. If you would like to make your attendance known then here is a link to the Facebook Event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1593102387624817/

You should wear loose comfortable clothing and flat shoes or trainers. Bring a drink with you. If you wish to make notes, bring a notepad and pen with you too. There is no strict age limit to the event however please exercise common sense if you are thinking of bringing very young children. You can always contact Sifu Hepple beforehand, via the Contact Us page of this website, if you are at all in any doubt.

 

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Gradings & Seminar 22/02/2015

Congratulations to everyone who sat, and passed, their gradings last weekend (Sunday 22nd Feb 2015)

Branches from Aberdeen, Inverness, Ellon and Peterhead assembled to test the skills of some of the students. It’s always great to get together and see old friends and new faces from Yee’s Hung Ga, pass on knowledge and learn new skills. On this occasion Sifu Bruce Clark conducted a great seminar on elbow techniques and fighting applications after the gradings had finished. Here are a few photos from another great day of practice and training at our UK Headquarters in Aberdeen.

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Tests and seminars September 2014

There was a large turnout for the recent tests and seminars at our headquarters in Aberdeen. Sigung Pedro Cepero Yee and Sifu Bruce Clark oversaw the tests of a range of different levels from Yat Cup Junior to Jo Gow and Dan level. Sifu Simon Hepple completed his 4th Dan test too. Many students from the Inverness branch completed their tests too. Congratulations to everyone who passed. 🙂

The beginner seminar, conducted by Sigung Pedro Cepero Yee was on the internal power applications of fighting with the tiger, which was very interesting and informative. Lots more to practice and learn from.

Here are a few photos of the day.

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And our survey says….. Qigong!

A massive big thanks to everyone who completed our survey last month. People from all over the world were generous enough to give YHGInverness a couple of minutes of their time to help us out. We had people respond from a huge range of different sports and martial arts ranging from running and cycling to touch rugby and Jiu Jitsu.

60% of all people who responded had trained in their chosen pursuit for 10 years or over. Most, if not all, responders combined different types of training together such as swimming and yoga or stance work and body conditioning. Only one person recognised ‘breathing’ as a form of training though. I thought that this was quite remarkable. Surely greater breath control would result in a better performance? A marathon runner, who runs out of breath, is not an efficient runner. A fighter, who can’t control his breathing, is sure to lose the fight. This seems to be a fundamental of training which is so often overlooked.

How can you train your breathing? There are many different breathing techniques in qigong, most focus on long, deep, diaphragmatic breaths which draw oxygen and nutrients to the base of the lungs. This, in turn, results in a greater concentration of oxygen and nutrients within the blood and a greater efficiency of the organs overall. If the body is running more efficiently, then it shouldn’t need to work as hard to pump the nutrients it needs around the body to the muscles and organs.

There was quite a range of responses, when asked what you thought your biggest hurdle in training was. Some people said that their physical location was a problem. Others smoked or drank too much. Some people recognised that they over-thought things too much and were their own worst critic, some were not satisfied with the consistency of their teachers. Others had physical problems such as recurring injuries, Reynaud’s Syndrome and old(er) age. Almost everyone said that time was a factor in their training and that they would like to spend more time training and less doing paperwork or working.

Believe it or not, Qigong can help with most, if not all, of these problems. Physical location isn’t a problem because Qigong can be done almost anywhere, at any time. You can do it in a park, underneath a waterfall or on top of a mountain, as you might imagine, but you can also do it at your desk at work, while waiting for the kettle to boil or the microwave to ‘ping’. You can do it in the shower, on the train, whenever you’ve got a spare minute in fact.

Drink or smoke too much? Wish you could quit or cut down and spend more time training or just being that little bit healthier? Qigong does so much more than helping to recover from addiction with exercise and meditation. Research has shown that prolonged drug and alcohol use leaves a build up of toxins within the tissues of the body. Qigong helps release toxins that have built up over time, helping your body to heal itself faster. It gives your mind something to focus on when distracted by cravings and, through added treatment methods, individuals are given a better chance to focus on their recovery.

Over-thinking things is surprisingly common. Sometimes it is just difficult to switch off and unwind. It is a product of our society, everyone seems to be walking around stressed up to the eyeballs with work, family, commitments or money problems. It really doesn’t have to be like that though. By simply taking a few minutes each day (perhaps a few more for some people 😉 ) to consciously relax, focus your mind and switch off, you can save yourself from just about any disease that you can think of. Modern medical science relates stress to 70-90% of all illnesses that you would go to see your G.P. for. That is a HUGE amount. Stress is a killer, make no mistake. Stress can also lead to the release of harmful hormones, such as cortisol, that break down the body. Anxiety also interferes with the production of beneficial hormones, which are already in decline as people reach their mid-40s. Qigong and Tai chi counteracts this by calming the mind, slowing the release of stress-related hormones. Next time you find yourself over-thinking something, try a couple of Qigong exercises and see the difference it makes to yourself.

Qigong has been known to help recurring problems and training injuries too. The gentle, low impact movements of Qigong and Tai Chi help to strengthen joints and bones within the body, aiding recovery. The increased efficiency of the bodily organs helps to remove toxins and promotes new growth. The immune system is also given a boost which can heighten the effects even further.

Many people practice Qigong well into their old age. The exercises are easy to do, you can practice them at a rate that is comfortable for you and you don’t need a huge amount of time or space. You can even do them lying down or in a seated position. Getting older happens to everyone though, it’s a simple fact of life that nobody escapes. In a study sponsored by the NIA (National Institute on Ageing) Dr. Steven L. Wolf, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga., found that older people taking part in a 15-week Tai Chi program reduced their risk of falling by 47.5%. Qigong has also been known to slow the ageing process. Research at Baylor Medical School has found that some cells from the bodies of long-term Qigong practitioners live five times longer than the same cells from ordinary test subjects. Other research from The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension looked at several aspects of ageing. They determined that Qigong is an effective measure in preventing and treating geriatric diseases and delaying the ageing process.

Reynaud’s Syndrome is fairly common and affects about 5 million people in the UK. I actually suffer from Reynaud’s Syndrome myself and I have found a huge improvement since I first started practising Qigong. I find the Fu Jow (Tiger claw) Qigong, that i teach at YHGInverness, of particular benefit. Improved circulation is just one of the many benefits of Qigong.

Time? Surely Qigong can’t help you change time?! No, of course not, that’s ridiculous. What Qigong can do is help you manage the time that you do have a little better. When you practice Qigong and your blood is oxygenated to a higher degree, the organs in your body perform better. This includes the brain. The brain is a highly sensitive organ and when it is functioning better it can perform some incredible tasks. This gives you the potential to improve your life unimaginably. You will easily be able to understand the work load that you have and factor in extra time for training without compromising either. It sounds simple but that’s because it is! Qigong is very simple. Some of the exercises are so easy that you would never guess the exceptional effects that they will have on you, your body and your life.

The last question of the survey was to gauge who, in your life, inspires you to achieve better results. 90% of everyone who replied said that it was someone that they knew personally and only 10% said someone famous who they were unlikely to meet. This shows how we can all affect one another on a much personal level than you probably realise. Just by being who you are and doing what you are doing, you will meet people and change the way that they might think and act. Can Qigong help with that?

Give it a go and YOU decide.

The last Saturday in April (26th April 2014) is World Tai Chi And Qigong Day. To celebrate this, YHGInverness will be hosting a FREE Qigong class in the morning. Anyone can attend and take part. For more details contact Sifu Hepple
or just come along on the day,

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Seminar August 17th

YHGInverness will be hosting a seminar on the 17th of August for all students. The seminar will cover body conditioning theory, drills and routines. We will also cover techniques and applications from the form Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kuen. The seminar will start at 11am and is open to all students for only £20.

There will also be an intermediate seminar, shortly after, which will cover more advanced training. This seminar is for senior students only.

All enquiries should be directed to Sifu Hepple at: enquiries@yhginverness.com

Please make sure that you also note the changes to times and classes in our class timetable.

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Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee Visits Aberdeen

Students of Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy in Inverness have been invited to attend a very special test and training day in Aberdeen on the 19th May 2013.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee will be visiting from America to oversee tests

Sifu Pedro Yee was the first non-Asian ever on the cover of New Martial Hero Magazine
Sifu Pedro Yee was the first non-Asian ever on the cover of New Martial Hero Magazine

and to pass his extensive knowledge and skills on to further generations with a series of seminars.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee is a 7th Dan Sifu. He has demonstrated all over the world and is a well published author on Hung Ga Kung Fu. He is also an accomplished therapist, experienced in Tuina-Chinese Bodywork Therapy and Swedish massage therapy as well as Traditional Dit Da (Traumatology Medicine). He is the eighth Senior Yup Sut (In the Room) Disciple of Master Frank Yee (Yee Chi 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.

The forthcoming tests and seminars will further enhance students skills and hopefully inspire them to continue to train hard in their chosen art. Keep an eye out for updates on their progress.

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Chinese New Year 2013, Year Of The Snake

Yee’s Hung Ga Inverness has been busy over the Chinese New Year Period. The festivities started off with a traditional Lion dance, right outside the front doors of Yee’s, on Inverness High Street.

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Sifu Hepple demonstrated the Chun Choy Dai Do (Spring Autumn, Great Knife), or Kwan Do, before a screening of a Jackie Chan film, as part of the Forres Chinese New Year celebrations.

There was also a seminar on the legendary Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. This seminar focused on Wong Fei  Hung and what made him famous. Snake techniques were used to demonstrate the martial skill which made him renowned throughout China and the rest of the World. Here are a few photos from the seminar:

New Year

 

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Chinese New Year Demonstration and Seminars

Yee’s Hung Ga Inverness students were invited to attend an insightful day of seminars and introductions to other martial arts, last weekend, by the Scottish Fighting Arts Society.

Birthday Seminar

The event was organised by Alan Mitchell from the Smithton Kempo School and seminars were hosted by instructors from Hapkido, Kempo, Ju-Jitsu and also from Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy.

The seminars were very insightful, giving students and instructors a glimpse into the world of other styles and systems which they may not have been introduced to before. There were many similarities between the various arts which demonstrates the common bond that we share. It was refreshing to see the differences in similar techniques and the thought processes behind them. “We all have similar goals but go about it in different ways.” Sifu Hepple, from Yee’s Hung Ga, stated during his seminar. “We are all part of the same family, yet have different paths.”

Here are a few photos from the day:

Sifu Hepple has also been invited to host a free seminar and kung fu demonstration in his home-town of Forres, for the coming Chinese New Year celebrations.

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Sifu Hepple will be performing the Chun Choy Dai Do (kwan do) on Friday the 15th of February, in the Forres Town Hall shortly before the martial arts film at 6.30pm.

Karate Kid low res

Sifu Hepple will also be hosting a free seminar on Saturday the 16th of February in Forres House at 2pm where you can find out about the legendary Chinese hero, Wong Fei Hung and try your hand at some Hung Ga Kung Fu fighting techniques.

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Master Yee Chi Wai To Visit Aberdeen

Master Yee Chi Wai
Master Yee Chi Wai

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.