Lee style: including Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Sword, Staff, Nunchaku, Knife Defence, Silk,
Yoga, Breath Art, Meditation
Perhaps the most influential Eastern martial art that
Neil has trained in is the Lee style. From his early teens, Neil attended the late
Grandmaster Chee Soo’s courses while training in classes taught by John Jordan and
then John Stone, within the International Wushu Association. In later years John
Stone moved to Australia for some time, where he successfully established some kung
fu schools before returning to live in England.
Neil said: " Experience has shown Sifu Stone has retained his martial arts
capacity, proving that what you put into it through years of hard work, ultimately
stays with you for life."
In his early twenties, Neil also chose to focus on Western and
Eastern meditation practices (which he continues), as well as medieval knight combat
reenactment and steel sword training. He also trained regularly in Feng Shou kung fu -
in his late twenties it was under the skilled tutelage of Sifu Ted Oxley and one of
Chee Soo’s personal students Sifu Howard Gibbon (East West Taoist Association). It was
during this period of training that Sifu Gibbon awarded Neil his 1st Tengchi (Black Belt equiv).
Neil then began running his own club and left the EWTA on good terms with Howard
and Ted, due to a deep need to further pursue his love of other aspects of kung fu,
such as stick work, sparring, and especially Jeet Kune Do principles -
Neil also corresponded with
former World Kung Fu Champion Sifu Darryl Cross (Fung Yang Sau Kung Fu Association) in Wales and
joined his association for two years, during which time he was awarded a Fung Yang Sau (including Shaolin Tan Tui) Black Sash, while continuing to run his own club in England.
Neil describes Darryl as “Probably one of the best examples of modern day kung fu
fighters in the world, who took his art into the arena in China and proved its effectiveness
beyond all doubt.” Sifu Cross provided Neil with deeper insight into his own kung fu,
demonstrated great generosity, and gave Neil some of the most important martial arts
advice of his life: “Be true to your kung fu!” before they parted ways.
After
years of blending the primary underlying principles and techniques of Feng Shou,
Jeet Kune Do, and Shaolin Tan Tui, through practice, application, exploration and reflection, Neil's kung
fu naturally resulted in a new viewpoint. The essence of this crystalised
in the form of Celestial Dragon Temple Boxing, which Neil established and continues
to develop. Celestial Dragon Temple Boxing kung fu was officially recognised in 2010 by the Amateur Martial Association - the largest multi style association of Martial Arts in the United Kingdom.
Over the years, In addition to Celestial Dragon Temple Boxing, Neil has also taught adults and junior students purely in Lee family style Feng Shou and related arts, including Tai Chi, and he remains in contact with his
friend and teacher 5th Tengchi Master Ted Oxley (Head of Chinese Arts Lee Style),
who awarded Neil his 2nd and 3rd Tengchi grades.
Neil describes Ted as being "Gifted
in all aspects of the Lee style taught by Chee Soo, a man of great integrity in his
practice, application and teaching of the arts, and is a person who has unceasingly
demonstrated true friendship."
CelestialDragonTemple.com is part of Neil's Association: Dragon Phoenix Taoist Arts https://dragonphoenixtaoistarts.co.uk/ (which is part of Chinese-Arts Lee Style). Practitioners of Celestial Dragon Temple Boxing, Feng Shou, and Tai Chi, promote meditation and martial arts for self defence, and do not support in any way the actions of individuals or groups of any kind inimical and dangerous to society and the welfare of mankind.
