Tag: Updates

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News & Updates 20 Oct 24

It has been a while since we last checked in and wrote an update on our school in Inverness. Here’s what’s been happening lately. The Coronavirus Pandemic has taken it’s grip of the world and we’ve all had to learn to adapt ourselves to the new norm. Hopefully we can all return to the way that things once were, at some point down the line. For now, we must do the best that we can under these difficult circumstances.

Scotland went into lockdown earlier in the year, from the end of March to August. During lockdown our school was forced to close its doors for the first time. We ran a program of classes online to keep our students practicing and moving forward. When restrictions were lifted in August, we were able to return to our school, with a limited timetable, whilst simultaneously maintaining our programme of online classes. We have been unable to accept new students, due to class size and distance restrictions. We ask that all new students wishing to join us to please be patient. We currently have a waiting list. If you wish to join our waiting list please email for more information: enquiries@yhginverness.com

Online class schedule

New students can join in with our online program, however. This consists of four pre-recorded classes a week. Links are sent to your email address and students can practice and learn at their own pace. Online students will also be invited to join in ‘live’ at our school twice a week, via Zoom, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There’s even an option to have a 1-2-1 session with Sifu Hepple, live via Zoom. These can all be purchased using the following links:

Despite all the restrictions we’ve encountered this year, we’ve managed to adapt and continue training, learning and progressing our martial art. Grandmaster Frank Yee has developed a range of fascinating and insightful seminars, broadcast to all our schools and students around the world. We’ve all managed to keep in touch with each other and developed new solutions to our ever changing world. Last weekend (17th October 2020) students from branches across Scotland, Sweden, USA, Brazil and Peru, managed to sit gruelling online grading tests. This is a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication from our students and thanks to the ingenuity and leadership of our teachers. Together we can continue to push forward with our growth and knowledge, overcoming the obstacles placed in our paths.

Class Procedures

The following procedures and precautions are still in place for everyone’s safety at our school:

Before You Train

It is crucial that you remain at home if you:

• Have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• Have been overseas or exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• Have COVID-19 symptoms (self-isolate for 7 days) or are feeling unwell.
• Have been told to self-isolate as part of the contact tracing measures in place.

Physical Distancing & Hygiene

• Refrain from handshakes and high fives. The traditional sun and moon bow should suffice.
• Keep 2 metres away from other people at all times.
• Do not share food, towels, and drinks.
• Clean your hands weapons and equipment frequently.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes and dispose of any used tissue in your own bag and take it home with you. Wash your hands for 20 seconds or sanitise afterwards.
• Bring a bottle of sanitiser for your own personal use.
• Avoid touching your face.

Booking Process

• For private 1-1 tuition, please use our booking system on the Classes page or contact Sifu Hepple
• New students and students returning after a hiatus must now join our waiting list by contacting Sifu Hepple. We will be in touch in due course when there is an opportunity for you to attend classes safely.
• Current students should inform Sifu Hepple of their intention to attend each class.

Procedures At The School

• Arrive in good time.
• Please sanitise your hands upon entry and wait in the changing area for the class to begin.
• Sifu Hepple will direct you to your training station for the duration of the class.
• Stations should be sanitised by students before and after each class. Any weapons or equipment must be sanitised in the same way.

After Class Advice

• Once training has finished leave promptly and maintain physical distancing.
• Hands should be washed and/or sanitised as soon as possible.
• Ensure personal kit and equipment is cleaned thoroughly after use.
• If you become unwell after training, you should first contact your GP/NHS 24 and then inform Sifu Hepple.

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COVID-19 Update ☆Project ‘Yard Shark’☆

Last night the government announced its latest list of countermeasures to curb the threat of the current COVID-19 outbreak. As well as social distancing and self isolating, the new measures include the immediate closure of all bars, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, gyms and cafes. In our continued efforts to reduce and minimize the risks of COVID-19, we have no other option but to close the doors of our Highland branch of Yee’s Hung Ga.

Project: Yard Shark

The closure of our school doors has triggered our pre-planned special operations directive called ‘Project: Yard Shark.’ Project Yard Shark is a plan which has existed since the conception of YHGInverness. The idea behind Yard Shark was to transform a disused piece of wasteland, at the rear of our school, as an outdoor training space. It is named after a toy shark found amongst the weeds of the area and yes, we just made that name up!

Work on the area started before the internal work of the school began in 2011. This was whilst we were waiting for planning permission to be approved. The work needed to transform the area was far greater than we first anticipated. We managed to make a start, clearing the area of weeds, overgrown roots, rubble and rubbish. This included over 20 bin bags of empty cans and broken bottles. Amongst the weeds and rubbish we also found the treasured toy shark. Once planning permission was approved it was ‘all systems go!’ to get the internal work of the school complete. This was in order to commence classes as soon as possible. Project Yard Shark was put on the backburner until more time was available to carry out the work necessary to transform the area.

Partially finished stone paving

Over the years various attempts to re-energize Project Yard Shark were attempted. The lack of available free time and man-power necessary to continue the project fell woefully short on every occasion. Project Yard Shark was due to be reestablished later this year, at the end of spring.

More work started

COVID-19 has now emerged as a dangerous threat to our community and potentially our lives. Inevitable restrictions necessary to attempt to control the spread of the virus have meant that closure of our school has granted us 3 things we have been lacking in previous attempts to complete Project Yard Shark:

  • The first is manpower. Since we are unable to train in the school, we now have fit and able bodies to tackle the work. We could, of course, continue our classes in a public park, like many of our branches in warmer climates do regularly. This seems a little counterintuitive as we already have our own outdoor space to train in.
  • The second is time. If we aren’t training, then we should use our downtime constructively and positively. This will give us the perfect opportunity to use our energy in such a manner.
  • The third is necessary for any large undertaking and that is willpower. We are no longer able to train indoors, however current government guidelines state that we can, and should, exercise outdoors in small groups. Adhering to the social distancing guidelines, of course.

Project Yard Shark – we just like the sound of it – is due to be reestablished instead of regular timetabled classes until the outdoor area is in a suitable and safe state to be used for outdoor classes. The work begins….

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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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27th Oct News & Updates

This week we are excited to publish a brand new article which has been specially designed for you at this time of year. Our Free Autumn Qigong Routine has been tailored to give your immune system a boost during the colder months. A forthcoming series of seminar/workshops is currently in development for qigong and kung fu practitioners too. We also have updates on our private tuition and public classes. There’s news on new uniforms for kids. It’s also your last opportunity to benefit from our £5 off ‘Hung’ hoodies and beanies. Our students are also in the final preparation stages of their forthcoming gradings next week in Peterhead.

Free Autumn Qigong Routine

Autumn Qigong Routine

It’s almost the end of October. The clocks go back. The darker nights and the colder temperatures are creeping in. Are you prepared?Don’t worry, Yee’s Hung Ga in Inverness has got you covered…

Our latest article is a Free Qigong routine that we have specifically designed for this time of year. We’ve created a video for you to follow along to as well as a detailed description of the exercises, their benefits, the theory involved and what you can expect. Just follow the link below to go to the article and see how our Autumn Qigong Routine can help protect your body against all sorts of illnesses and diseases which are associated with this time of year.

https://www.yhginverness.com/2019/10/25/autumn-qigong-routine-to-boost-immunity/

If you enjoy this Qigong routine and would like to learn more, please let us know in the comments section below or send us an email. We would be delighted to create future posts similar to this. Make sure you also sign up to our email alerts below too. We have an exciting seminar/workshop, on the five elements, in the pipeline. If you like our Autumn Qigong Routine, and wish to develop your knowledge further, this will be a fantastic opportunity.

Classes

We also have private tuition classes available for qigong and 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 28th and Tuesday 29th of October, 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.

Current timetable for public classes

Our evening classes run throughout the week so if you are looking for something to keep you occupied on the darker nights, lose weight for Christmas or just try something new, kung fu is an excellent choice. Not only will it keep you fit and healthy but you will also meet some great people, learn something interesting that could potentially save your life, or that of your loved ones. We also have kids classes on Mondays for ages 5-8 and on Thursdays ages 8-13.

Lion dance

Lion Dance

We even have a lion dance class on Tuesdays which is suitable for all ages. Our collective Northern schools (Inverness, Ellon & Peterhead) often collaborate together to perform all over Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands. We have performed at weddings, festivals such as Belladrum, shop openings, galas, Highland games and Chinese new year celebrations. You can find out more about our collaborative events, or book us for your own event, on this seperate Facebook page: Yee’s North of Scotland Lion & Dragon Dance Team.

Uniforms

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

Red Shirt
Red Student Uniform Shirt.

We have new kids uniforms that have also been ordered. These should hopefully arrive this week. Please contact Sifu Hepple with your sizes. These will replace the black t-shirts for kids that are currently available on the website shop.

Hung £5 Off Promotion

This is the last week to take advantage of our £5 off promotion in our online shop. Keep warm during the colder months ahead with £5 off any hoody and beanie together. Simply follow the link below then head to the Fu-Kit section of our website.

https://mailchi.mp/1389a6a4be6f/yeesautumnpromo

£5 Off Promotion

Forthcoming Seminar Workshops

Ensure that you sign up for our email alerts below to find out how our students get on at their gradings. They are training hard during this final week before their gradings on November the 5th. Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee is travelling to Scotland to conduct gradings and seminars for Yee’s students. This is a fantastic opportunity for all students to accelerate their learning to a whole new level. All students are encouraged to attend the seminars that are available, regardless as to whether they are being graded or not. It is an opportunity not to be missed.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee

We will also 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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Yee’s Hung Ga Inverness Updates

HISA Student Freshers Fayre 2019

Did you catch us at this years HISA freshers fayre? We had a huge response from our competition to win t-shirts and a whole month worth of training. Winners will be announced shortly. There’s still time to enter to win this great prize. All you have to do is send us your name and email address. You can also sign up for emails on the website. Winners will be announced next Monday (23rd Sept. 2019)

L-R: student Ally Poko with Sifu Hepple

If you can’t wait to see if you are a winner and just want to get stuck into some authentic kung fu training, then don’t forget that our Tuesday evening class at 7pm is the best to start off with. Your first class is free and our student rate is only £4 per class after that, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot.

Our new ‘kung fu’ sign

Finding the school is easy. We are on the High Street (the pedestrianised street between Marks & Spencer’s and McDonalds) between The Tourist Information Office and The Phone Clinic. We have a big orange doorway and a new flashing ‘Kung Fu’ sign.

Kids Classes and Display Team

Our mixed ages display team at Belladrum 2018

We will also be starting kids classes on Monday 23rd of September. Ages 5-8 every Monday at 6.15-7pm and Thursdays at the same time for 8-13 year olds. We will also be running a mixed age lion dance and display team class on Tuesday evenings from 6.15-7pm. If you have children, or know someone who does, and would like to build their confidence and learn self defense skills, as well as many other benefits, send us an email to register interest.

Future Seminars & Workshops

We will also be running some workshops and seminars in the near future, so stay tuned for updates on those. In the meantime you can keep up to date with all the goings on at YHGInverness by following us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Don’t forget to like and share. You can also sign up to our email list for updates, exclusive offers, discounts and events.