About West Country Yan Shou Gong:
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"Hey you guys, my name is Harry and I'm teaching Yan Shou Gong here in the South West.
"I have trained under Master Yap Boh Heong, Sifu Lyndon Oudsten and Sifu Brandon Tong, as well as many other excellent instructors across many different workshops. "I'm based in the Chew Valley, near Bristol and Bath, and have arranged workshops both locally and abroad. I love travelling around this wonderful part of the United Kingdom and try to train in nature whenever I can. "I am currently a level one instructor with YSG International, and decided to start West Country Yan Shou Gong to spread this precious art to people in the South West and beyond." |
Hunting for treasure at Brean beach, 2025 |
Master Yap, Harry Bryan and Kieren Krygier, February 2024
"Back in February 2024 I was lucky enough to attend the Yan Shou Gong training camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I'm also a graduate of The Martial Camp, run by Kieran 'The Martial Man' himself, in December 2024. It was there that I studied the San Zhan form with Master Yap, and also got to train under Nima King, Mark Rasmus, Richard Huang and Howard Wang. It was a truly amazing experience and I'm very grateful to have had such a wonderful opportunity."
Yan Shou Gong training camp, Chiang Mai, Thailand, February 2024
"I've also been a student of Master Dennis Wang for some time now, who has taught me a great deal about how to develop sensitivity and apply Han Yang Ru Yi Gong techniques for healing. He made a special appearance at The Martial Camp in 2024, and I strongly recommend that anyone studying Yan Shou Gong should also train with Master Dennis if you ever have the chance. It will improve your Yan Shou Gong tenfold!"
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Above: Han Yang Ru Yi workshop in Launceston, Cornwall
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Early Days and External Arts:
"I first got into martial arts somewhere around 2001, I guess it was, when I studied Taekwon-Do with the TAGB under Russ Martin (now Revolution Taekwon-Do). I achieved a first dan black belt in that system before taking a break from martial arts for a while, as I began travelling a lot at that time (around 2010).
"For some years I moved away from martial arts, mainly focusing on music, weight training and other interests. I tried out Judo for a while, but didn't settle seriously into another club until I came across KFS a few years ago, an Eskrima group in Bristol (Filipino martial arts, sometimes known as Kali or Arnis).
"This is a style which mainly uses weapons (sticks or daggers) but also incorporates a full empty-handed system referred to as Panantukan and also groundwork similar to BJJ, which we call Dumog. I've been fortunate enough to have won first place at both regional and world competitions in stick fighting."
"I first got into martial arts somewhere around 2001, I guess it was, when I studied Taekwon-Do with the TAGB under Russ Martin (now Revolution Taekwon-Do). I achieved a first dan black belt in that system before taking a break from martial arts for a while, as I began travelling a lot at that time (around 2010).
"For some years I moved away from martial arts, mainly focusing on music, weight training and other interests. I tried out Judo for a while, but didn't settle seriously into another club until I came across KFS a few years ago, an Eskrima group in Bristol (Filipino martial arts, sometimes known as Kali or Arnis).
"This is a style which mainly uses weapons (sticks or daggers) but also incorporates a full empty-handed system referred to as Panantukan and also groundwork similar to BJJ, which we call Dumog. I've been fortunate enough to have won first place at both regional and world competitions in stick fighting."
Above: Harry with the American stick fighting team, 2024
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"I had wanted to study internal arts to compliment the external, hard style Filipino martial arts that I was training; I studied yoga, practiced various kinds of breathwork, qigong and even attended a workshop in Glastonbury with Master Mantak Chia, but in my case, my progress only really started when I met Master Yap and Master Dennis at a workshop in Northern Ireland when they happened to be traveling together."
Below is a clip from The Martial Camp, December 2024; Sifu Mark Rasmus is demonstrating with Sifu Lyndon
Workshop arranged by Harry (bottom right) in Zwaag, NL, with Sifu Lyndon (centre), 2024
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Hermetics:
"I've been practicing meditation since I was in my teens, and think I first picked up a copy of Initiation into Hermetics around 2006. "I enjoyed many of the exercises that Master Franz Bardon had to offer in the book, and have found more recently that the increased sensitivity I have developed since learning Yan Shou Gong and Han Yang Ru Yi Gong has given my studies in Hermetics a huge push forward. "Master Bardon did talk about physical training, about staying fit and healthy, and personally I've found that something like Yan Shou Gong pairs perfectly with the training regime given in Initiation into Hermetics. "Now, I haven't started levitating yet, but if I get it down I'll be sure to make a blog post about it." |
Franz Bardon a.k.a. Frabato the Magician |
Learning from Ortwin Pötter in Northern Ireland, October 2023
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Statement of Intent:
"My mission with West Country Yan Shou Gong is to continue to spread the knowledge that I've learned to other people, to continue working on my own health and longevity as I help others achieve their own health goals, and to continue to grow the beautiful community of dedicated Yan Shou Gongers we have here in the South West of England. "I give thanks to all the people that have helped me along the way, with special thanks of course to Master Yap and Master Dennis, Sifu Lyndon and Sifu Brandon. "And always remember, you guys... "Gongers never say die!" |
Our mascot, Foley, posing for a photo with her red ball |