The
Nam Yang Shaolin Mountain Training Centre.
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:
Nam Yang is presently developing
a full time residential martial arts training centre in the mountains
of North West Thailand. This will provide us with a base where we can
further increase our excellence in highly traditional Shaolin kung fu.
Benefits of the new
training centre will 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.
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.
Members of the Teaching
Team.
A number our best instructors
have been short listed for these posts, which are obviously some of the
most desirable ever! More information available when agreements finalised.
Facilities and Environment.
The Mountain Training Centre
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
will be traditional style wooden construction.
Follow The Progress
Of The Mountain Training Centre's Construction!
Click
here to see the latest photos.
Facilities.
On opening, ( Approx May 2008
):
Training areas:
•
Main training ground, octagonal, 18 metres across.
•
Covered training area, octagonal, 12 metres across, matted, tiered roof
supported by pillars, sides open to allow fresh air and natural light.
•
Running track, assault course, training dummies etc. A large open area
featuring hanging bags and various training equipment for daily workouts.
Traditional Structures.
The whole site has been carefully
planned so as to gain the best feng shui for the greatest success. The
following features will 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 Buddah.
•
Traditional roofed gateway.
•
Fish pool. Large octagonal pool fed by 6 tier waterfall and containing
coy carp, for luck.
Accommodation.
• Student
Accomodation. This will consist of three ‘houses' each divided into
six twin rooms. Each will have a 2 metre deep roofed terrace in front.
Individual rooms will have en suite toilet / shower and a small private
balcony at the rear.
• Kitchen.
Divided into two halves: one for communal use, the other for use by
our resident cook for the preparation of breakfasts and lunch
• Shower
/ toilet block for non residents, campers etc.
Communal areas.
• Meditation Glade.
Seating around a central pool surrounded by a fairly dense glade of
fruit trees, for quiet meditation.
• Meeting
area. An open area with prime view over the Pai river valley featuring
seating where members can gather
Administrative Buildings.
• Main
Office. One half will be available for use by members and will feature
computer terminalswhich can be used free 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 will have a wide variety of equipment on site for use in training,
including very large numbers of weapons, lions and dragons etc. We will
also have a variety of martial arts equipment for sale.
Internet Access.
As soon as possible after opening,
we hope to 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.
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 6000 feet (2000m) 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 intend initially to supply
breakfast and lunch and to allow our members to purchase their evening
meal locally or cook for them selves.
Food prepared on site will be
as fresh, organic and healthy as possible and will mostly be delicious
local Thai style, but sometimes Chinese style.
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.
Ethos.
The Mountain Training Centre
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 (link) . 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.
For more details email: mountaintrainingcentre@namyang.co.uk
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