Instructors
Michael Acton - Head instructor / Director
Shifu Michael Acton began his study of Taiji quan (Yang Style) in 1976 in London. Shortly afterwards he became a student of Seow Poon- Shing a Wu Style practitioner from Malaysia whose teachers carried the banner of Chen Wing Kwong, a highly regarded taiji boxer and student of Wu Jian Quan, founder of the Wu School of Taijiquan.
For several years Michael studied form, pushing hands (Tui Shou) and basic gong fu attack and defence as well as martial Qi Gong before his teacher returned to Malaysia. Later Michael explored other styles and visited and worked with several London based teachers of Taijiquan . Michael met Fu Hua of Shanghai (Student of the renowned boxer Zhu Gui Ting) with whom he studied Hsing Yi, Ba Gua and the traditional Yang form of Yang Cheng Fu of the Yang family system.
In 1992, convinced that there was a significant missing ingredient from all the western teachers he had met, Michael went to China to explore Tai Ji Quan within a Chinese context. In Guangzhou he was able to study Qi Gong and practice free style boxing with Chen and Shaolin stylists.
In Shanghai Michael met with Master Li liqun, a 4th generation master of Tai Ji Quan and a master of traditional Qi Gong healing. Master Li was able to show Michael the missing ingredient in his Tai Ji Quan and forced him to re evaluate all the taiji he had learned to date. Michael has said it was like starting all over again, but worth every minute.
Master Li is a close indoor student of Master Ma Yueh Liang who was Master Wu Jian Quan senior disciple and inheritor of the Wu Jian Quan Taiji boxing system. Master Ma was one of the great Wu Shu 'Treasures" of China and a priceless source of traditional knowledge and renowned for his exceptional Taiji boxing skills.
Michael stayed in China for three years studying traditional Wu style long slow form, double edge sword, broadsword, spear and pole along with advanced attack and defence hand manipulations and stepping strategies. He also studied the Dao Yin qi gong methods of Master Li and was given permission to teach the Wu Zhang Dao Bu Fan Hui Qi Gong of Master Li (One of only 21 therapeutic Qi Gong systems officially recognised by the Chinese medical qi gong governing body). Michael became Master Li's representative in the UK and on Master Li's request began teaching the traditional Wu system of Tai Ji Quan, Michael returns frequently to China to further his studies and in 2006 hosted a visit by Master Li in London.
Michael has also studied meditation in India.
In addition he is the author of a recently published book on the methods and strategies of Qi Gong and Tai Ji Quan called "Eternal Spring- Qi Gong, Taijiquan and the Cultivation of Health, Happiness and Longevity" (Jessica Kingsley Publishers. London and USA)