My primary teacher is Paul Florkowski at Lancaster School of Tai Chi Chuan.
His main teachers being:
Glenn Upton a 3rd dan in Okinawan go-ju karate and tai chi master learning from renowned teachers Chu King-Hung, Nigel Sutton and Erle Montaigue.
Bill Rankin, elder and master of many martial arts both in the UK and in Asia and a 10th dan jujitsu master.
And
Don Clifford who studied with Rose Li in t’ai chi ch’uan, xing–yi and baghua in a closed private class for over 12 years.
Paul taught me a very traditional and highly disciplined tai chi to serve diligently and ask nothing of. It’s the most effective medicine but too bitter for most today.
Mark Peters also comes from a fighting background and for the last 20 years has focused on medicinal tai chi. Mark taught me how to take some essential ingredients from the discipline of authentic tai chi and create a sweet experience of functional movement therapy for rehab, repair and a daily emotional MOT.
Despite the martial pedigree and tremendous fighting capabilities in my lineage I’ve come through a 9 year martial arts training with more a spiritual understanding of a different essence and essential of martial arts. Although I admire the fighting skills in Paul’s and Marks’ lineages, my reward from training has been something different. To quote Rose Li:
‘As a result of my training I am better for me. To compare with someone else is irrelevant. I don’t live their lives, I live mine.’