Your instructor

I have spent almost 40 years training in Chinese Martial arts dedicating countless hours to developing my skills and expanding my knowledge. At the age of 14 I was introduced to Grandmaster Han Jin Yuan who at that time was the British Wushu team coach.

Grandmaster Han (also known as Kim Sen Han) had been involved with teaching traditional Chinese Martial Arts since the 1970's and was a world renowned Grandmaster of Nan Shaolin Wuzuquan or Southern Shaolin Five Ancestors Fist / Boxing. Grandmaster Han was the 18th Disciple of Grandmaster Xu Jin Dong (Chee Kim Thong) and he had a very deep understanding of the traditional Chinese martial arts on which the relatively new sport (at that time) Wushu was founded. This gave Grandmaster Han the ability to coach not just the traditional arts but also competition Wushu to a very high level. At the age of 16 I won the British National Wushu Competition and as well as training with the British Team on a regular basis, became part of the National Team first competing in the 2nd World Wushu Championships in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 1993.

During my time with the British Wushu Team I won a Gold medal in the European Wushu Championships in Munich as part of a three person Duilian 對練 event, (Andy Bellamy, Raymond Park & myself) as well as an individual Bronze medal in the Spear event in the European Wushu Championships in Rome. Added to this I won three individual Gold Medals & one Silver Medal in the European Cup held in Turkey a few years later.

Whilst in Malaysia in 1993 I was privileged to stay at the Central Nan Shaolin Wuzuquan school whilst altitude training for the competition and was able to witness the abilities of Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong and some of the disciples and seniors first hand. Before retiring from competition Wushu after the 3rd World Wushu Championships in Baltimore USA, I had already begun to make the transition to only practicing the traditional art of Shaolin Wuzuquan in the same manner as some of the previous British Wushu Team members.

In 2001 as part of the British & Irish delegation I demonstrated at the Quanzhou Shaolin Temple and also began a 23 year project assisting Master Han to write the eleven volumes of the 'Fundamentals of Nan Shaolin Wuzuquan' books for senior instructors and instructors which has amassed over 3000 pages. During this period of time I was privileged to work closely with Master Han to record a lot of the forms, techniques and applications of this ancient art for future generations to come.  

In 2016 I was awarded a 7th Duan Instructor certificate in China, followed by an 8th Duan Instructor award in 2019. My heartfelt aim is to continue to teach and propagate this art so that many more people can benefit from the physical, mental and health properties this art encompasses and to preserve as much of the art as possible for future generations to come. I will endeavour to be deserving of the certificates I have been bestowed and bring this Martial art to a wider audience in the spirit of openness, friendship and teaching. 

Qualifications

  • 8th Duan Senior Instructor Nan Shaolin Wuzuquan
  • NVQ Level 2 in Chinese Martial Arts
  • Sports Level 3 (VTQ) First Aid Training – Expires 19th Dec 2026
  • Fully Insured (Public Liability & Professional Indemnity)
  • DBS Checked

Gallery

A small selection of images to support the information above.

Senior Instructor Andrew Hopkins