The
Nam Yang Shaolin Mountain Training Centre.
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Mission statement:
To provide an unrivalled quality
of training in the best possible environment to produce the best possible
martial artists.
To produce high quality martial
arts films: instructional and otherwise.
To train a new generation of instructors
good enough to represent Nam Yang and to carry on the Nam Yang family
name.
To provide a fully equipped base
to which all Nam Yang members can come to train.
Through all of the above, to raise the standard of our members' kung fu
to a level worthy of representing the old masters from whom our kung fu
family is descended.
Introduction:
The MTC is a full time residential
martial arts training centre in the mountains of North West Thailand.
This provides us with a base where we can further increase our excellence
in highly traditional Shaolin kung fu.
Benefits of the MTC
include:
Top quality teaching.
Our teaching team will be led
by:
Master Tan Soh Tin,
head of Nam Yang Pugilistic Association.
Click
Here for profile of Master Tan
Master Tan is one of the world's
leading authorities on old style Shaolin kung fu and one of the very few
old school Chinese kung fu masters to speak fluent English. He will be
making regular visits to the new Mountain Training Centre to oversee training
and provide advice and wisdom.
Iain Armstrong,
1 st disciple student of Master Tan, head of Nam Yang's UK branch and
two times world champion.
Click
Here for Profile of Iain Armstrong
Iain is famous for his high
quality kung fu teaching, his instructional films and magazine articles
and for the extremely successful competition and demonstration teams which
he coaches. He is a mine of information but retains a very practical,
down to earth approach: when you study kung fu with Iain, you will be
in no doubt that you are training a fighting art!
Click
here to view Iain in action on his internet TV channel: WOMA.TV.
Click
here to view Iain's instructional channel on youtube: learnshaolinkungfu.
Iain will be in overall charge
of the Mountain Training Centre and will deliver much of the advanced
teaching. He is expected to be present about 50% of the time.
Dougal Simmons, Senior
Student of Master Tan and instructor at Nam Yang Pugilistic Association,
Singapore, one of the few westerners to be accepted as a kung fu instructor
in a predominantly Chinese community such as that in Singapore. Dougal
has an excellent memory for routines and a wealth of experience from his
many years in Singapore.
Dougal makes periodic visits
to the MTC.
Members of the Teaching
Team,
Jay Turner
is presently teaching at the MTC. Jay has been training with Nam Yang
for over seven years and has lived in Thailand for the last 4 years.
Facilities and Environment.
The Mountain Training Camp is
set in two acres of land in the foothills of the mountains close to the
town of Pai in Thailand's very remote North West province Mae Hong Sorn
(the land of mist), close to the border with Burma. All buildings are
traditional Lanna / Shan style construction.
Follow The Progress
Of The Mountain Training Centre's Construction!
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here to see the latest photos.
Facilities.
Training areas:
• Main training ground,
octagonal, 18 metres across.
• Covered
training area, octagonal, 14 metres across, matted, tiered roof supported
by pillars, sides open to allow fresh air and natural light.
• Training
Park: traditional exercise equipment such as ‘the general's pole'
a thick bamboo pole set into the earth, striking dummies, vaulting
poles, etc.
Traditional Structures.
The whole site has been carefully
planned so as to gain the best feng shui for the greatest success. The
following features play key roles.
• Statue of Tat Moh
( Bodidharma ), the Shaolin founder and ultimate head of our family*.
• Altar
room. A small ‘temple' to house the altars to our kung fu deities:
Tat Moh and Gwan Gung (Gwan Ti ) and, of course, the Buddha.
• Traditional
roofed gateway*.
• Fish
pool. Large pool fed by 6 tier waterfall.
Accommodation.
• Student Accommodation.
This will consist of three ‘bungalows' each divided into six twin
rooms. Each has a 2 metre deep roofed terrace in front. Individual
rooms have en suite toilet and an additional en suite shower / wash
room.
• Kitchen.
For use by our resident cook for the preparation of breakfasts and
lunch.
• Shower
/ toilet block for non residents, campers etc.*
More
Photos
Communal areas.
• Meeting area. An open
area with prime view over the Pai river valley featuring seating where
members can gather.*
• Restaurant.
*
Administrative Buildings.
• Main Office. One half
will be available for use by members and will feature computer terminals
which can be used to access the internet, use skype and other communication
tools, produce documents, watch and edit film etc, the other half
will be used by our staff to run the centre.
• Store
Rooms. We have a wide variety of equipment on site for use in training,
including very large numbers of weapons, lions and dragons etc. We
also have a variety of martial arts equipment for sale.
* Structures marked with an
asterisk are not yet ready – should be completed in 2009.
Internet Access.
We have high speed internet access
available in all student rooms via wireless network. Hence if you bring
a lap top it will give access to e-mail, telephone, news, banking, shopping,
TV, films, music and most other needs. With the internet it really is
now possible to live in remote mountains and still be in touch with modern
life.
Filming Opportunities.
(To be introduced 2009-10)
Facilities:
cameras, editing facilities and experienced film makers will be available
with a view to producing martial arts films: features, factual and instructional.
Intention: we
will begin producing martial arts films as soon as the centre is open.
In the near future, we are hoping to run courses on the making of martial
arts films.
Opportunities: students
present at the centre will be invited to perform in the films we produce
and, if they wish, to learn how to edit film, produce DVDs and upload
film to the internet.
Location and surroundings.
The Mountain Training Centre:
Is located in the foothills
of the mountains overlooking the Pai river valley in the northern part
of Mae Hong Sorn, Thailand's remote North Western province. Mae Hong Sorn
translates as ‘the land of mist'. It is dominated by fairly high, forested
mountains and is sparsely inhabited, mainly by Thailand's famous hill
tribes.
Is about 15 minutes walk from
the outskirts of the town of Pai and about 30 minutes walk from the town
centre. Motorcycle taxis can be used to travel to and from town and cost
very little. Hence living in the centre gives a feeling of being isolated
in a very rural, mountain community but it is easily possible to head
into town if the isolation all gets a bit too much!
Surroundings / Environment:
To the West forested mountains
rise steadily. To the East, the Mountain Training Centre overlooks the
wide Pai river valley which houses much lush farmland and, of course,
the town of Pai as well as many small farming villages. Past the valley,
the mountains rise again. North and South more foothills rise from the
river valley towards the mountains.
In practical terms, this means
getting up in the morning to practise your chi kung facing East over the
valley, which is often shrouded in mist, towards the rising sun and breathing
in cool, fresh mountain air; continuing until the sun gets too hot; resting
during the hottest part of the day then watching the sun set over the
Western mountains as you begin your evening training session. For most
of us, this is pretty much the kung fu ideal.
'Photos
Mountain Training Centre: Land and Views'.
Pai Town.
Pai is the main tourist centre
in Mae Hong Sorn province and ideally suited to receive and entertain
foreigners. It has a population of about 3000 who, at peak times, are
heavily outnumbered by tourists, mainly backpackers (for whom Pai is almost
a compulsory stop) and the more adventurous Thai and foreign tourists
who have braved the minibus ride through the mountains. It contains a
multitude of bars and restaurants, all very reasonably priced (modest
meal for two less than 100 Bhat), many market stalls selling local food
and goods, and shops selling any supplies you are really likely to need
– even a few small super markets. Of particular note are stalls run by
local hill tribe people selling clothing, handicrafts, fruit etc.
As would be expected in Thailand,
the town boasts a number of beautiful Buddhist temples, complete with
monks.
Photos
of 'Pai Town'
Around Pai.
Pai acts as a hub for activities
and excursions, for example trekking (usually with overnight stay at hill
tribe village), elephant riding, caving, ox cart riding, rafting, off
road driving / motorcycling and visiting waterfalls, temples, hill tribes
etc.
The favourite way to get around
is to hire a small motorcycle: about 100 Bhat / day.
In practical terms, this means
that a stay at the mountain training centre can be combined with a truly
unique holiday / cultural experience.
Photos
environment, excursions around Pai.
Climate.
The Mountain Training Centre
has been carefully located to benefit from fresh, cool mountain air. At
an altitude of approximately 1650 feet (500m) and located in the very
North West of Thailand, it benefits by having a much cooler, less humid
climate than most of South East Asia. Although the sun is often hot in
the middle of the day, mornings and evenings are cool: absolutely ideal
for training kung fu.
The seasons are quite distinct
and vary as follows:
November – January.
Winter season. Dry. Warm in middle of day and afternoon. Night
time cold enough to require hat and scarf.
February – April .
Hot season. Dry. Daytime becoming progressively hotter, peaking in mid
April (Songkran, Thai new year). Air still fairly dry, cool at night and
before about 10.00am. Land tends to look a bit dusty and at its least
green.
May – June. Early
rainy season. Occasional rain. Air more humid. Daytime can be cooler if
cloud cover, night time warmer because of higher humidity. Land looks
beautifully green. Clouds often sit on the mountains creating awesome
views.
July – August. Peak
rainy season. Rivers and streams at their highest, waterfalls most impressive.
Temperatures moderated by cloud cover and humidity. Training will often
have to take place under cover.
September – October
. Late rainy season. Similar to May – June but temperatures gradually
falling, mainly at night.
Photos
seasons in Pai'
Food.
One of the great advantages
of living in remote mountains is that most local food is fresh from the
farm – the only sensible choice for those who want to train seriously.
We supply breakfast daily and
evening meals on training days.
Food prepared on site is as
fresh, organic and healthy as possible and is usually delicious local
Thai style, or sometimes Chinese or southern Thai style. Vegetarian options
are available and no meals contain beef.
All the staff, including the
most senior instructors, eat the same as the students, which is perhaps
the best testimony to the quality of the food.
Although almost any style of
food can be purchased in town, the local diet is based mainly around rice,
meat, fresh water fish, vegetables, fruit and spices. Seafood is relatively
expensive in the mountains and not particularly fresh. Local fruit and
vegetables are great, fresh and very cheap!
Photos:
food / food markets.
Domestic Arrangements:
Accommodation:
Our student bungalows consist
of six twin rooms. Rooms are of a very high standard for Thailand. Each
has separate toilet and shower / wash room en suite and is equipped with
an electric fan, water heater, shelf unit, coffee table and two chairs.
: 
Trainee instructors will be
housed two to a room. Men and women will not be made to share but may
request to do so if they wish. It will be possible to keep the same room
for the duration of the instructor course. Outside of term time, it will
be necessary to vacate rooms but we will provide secure storage. It will
be possible to reserve a private room, in which case a surcharge will
be incurred – please enquire.
Ethos.
The Mountain Training Camp is
intended to enable people from all backgrounds to train seriously in the
pursuit of genuine martial arts excellence. To this end, all members are
expected to train diligently and enter the true spirit of Shaolin Kung
Fu whilst staying at the centre. Nam Yang members should live like this
anyway! For those visiting the centre for a short stay, this is an important
part of the experience.
This means adhering to the Nam
Yang code of conduct and etiquette see below. It means living as part
of the Nam Yang family, treating all of your colleagues as you would family
and making all newcomers welcome. It means not letting your ego get in
the way of training constructively. It means respecting the local culture
and not acting or dressing in a way likely to cause offence when out in
public. It definitely does not mean that you can't have fun – our members
are usually extremely good at this. Pai town provides a great deal of
potential for having fun.
Why Train Right Out
In The Mountains? A Note On Isolation.
We are mostly fascinated by
the stories of the kung fu masters of old but disappointed by our inability
to emulate them. In the modern world there are just too many distractions
for us to be able to concentrate properly on training kung fu. The reason
for locating our training centre in remote mountains is that we can train
all day without distraction and hence apply ourselves fully to our art.
A course of training gives the opportunity to relax mentally as well as
physically, re charge with the aid of high quality food, air and chi kung
training and adopt a really positive approach to life in general and kung
fu in particular.
Booking
Form and Information
For more details email: mountaintrainingcentre@namyang.co.uk
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