“Share the ancient arts of health and wellbeing!”
18 Week Internal Kung Fu and Qigong Instructor Training in Pai, Mae Hong Son
Nam Yang Kung Fu Retreat, 116 M5, T. Mae Na Toeng, Pai, Mae Hong Son 58130, Thailand
Qi Gong, Meditation, and Kung Fu Training Thailand
Is it your purpose in life to share the ancient arts of health and well-being? Unlock your personal power and become a force for positive change. This four month course has been thoughtfully designed to give you time to immerse yourself completely in the ancient Chinese arts for health, wisdom, power, and enlightenment. Internationally recognized instructor's certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the course.
Meet the instructors
Master Iain
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Highlights
- Practice your teaching skills by teaching a live class
- Learn the full system of Shuang Yang Pei Ho Rou Rouan Chien
- Course on meditation, Chi projection, Tong Ling Chi Kung system
- Learn Sum Chien, the internal power training exercise of Shaolin Kung Fu
- Train with experienced professional teachers, including Master Iain Armstrong
- Breathtaking location in the forested mountains of North Western Thailand
- Daily breakfast and five evening meals per week
- 125 nights accommodation
90 days with instruction
Airport transfer available:
Chiang Mai International Airport (US$ 131 per person)
Chiang Mai International Airport (US$ 131 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
14:00
Check-out Time:
11:00
Facilities
- Gym
- Dining area
- Kitchen
- Restaurant
- Laundry
- Library
- Wireless internet
All of the rooms are designed with serious Kung Fu students in mind. Every room has an inspiring mountain view from the front door and a roofed front terrace to sit in the shade and get the benefit of the views and the fresh mountain air. They are within very easy walking distance of the training facilities and the restaurant.
There are two types of room, shared and private rooms. Shared rooms hold two people. They are spacious, have separate bathrooms and toilet or washrooms, and are equipped with fans. They are arranged in two buildings, each with six rooms. The front terrace is two meters deep and serves as a social area where students can relax and chat outside of training time.
The private rooms are designed for single occupancy. These rooms are finished to a high standard with tiled walls and thicker mattresses. Each "house" has two rooms which are completely separate. They are located slightly further away from the center of the retreat, which gives a quieter feel. Nam Yang also supplies communal tea and coffee making facilities and fridges.
Program
The Course includes and begins with our 29 Days 200-Hour Intensive Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong Teacher Training in Pai, Thailand. This highly concentrated 200-hour course is intended for those with a strong desire to teach, a thirst for the best instruction and it's the best possible start to the Apprentice Instructor Scheme. Those who take part should be capable of training 50 hours a week for four weeks.
The course includes:
- Shuang Yang Pei Ho Rou Rouan Chien (Frost Sun White Crane Soft and Gentle Art). The full system, including freehand and cane forms with detailed instruction, explanation, and feedback
- Sum Chien, the internal power training exercise of Shaolin Kung Fu
- Tong Ling Chi Kung system
- Bohdidarma’s Vein Tendon Chi Kung
- Pushing hands for training of touch sensitivity and mindfulness
- Meditation
- Chi projection or transmission
- Stretching and developing the fascia
- Teaching skills
- Leadership
- Personal power and influence
Book, video, and photographs are supplied as part of the course. This course is run by Nam Yang Puglistic Association, founded in Singapore in 1954 by Great Grand Master Ang Lian Huat and dedicated to passing on the real arts of old China. Nam Yang has now become an international community with branches in Thailand, UK, Russia, Italy, and Germany.
Train with experienced professional teachers, including Master Iain Armstrong in relaxed, constructive atmosphere. Leave your ego behind and become part of the community. This course is taught for Westerners. Nam Yang understands what you need. Complex concepts are explained in clear English by experienced teachers. There is no need for translators. Training will be held daily except on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which are rest or activity days.
Sample schedule
- 06:00 Morning training in Chi Kung, the Frost Sun White Crane internal art, the Sum Chien (three wars) internal strength routine, Kung Fu technique and combinations, old style Kung Fu exercises with a partner for stability, timing, distancing, coordination, and balance, how to disarm an attacker with a knife, stick, or bar, control and restraint techniques, joint manipulation, and pressure points. Break halfway through for Chinese tea for questions and answers and a talk on Chinese philosophy and wisdom
- 09:15 Breakfast
- 11:00 Midday training. Supervised practice time finishing with a meditation session, incorporates pushing hands and optional use of Nam Yang's Kung Fu gym followed by a lunch break
- 14.30 Teaching, communicating, and leading. Training on how to be a really good teacher (two to five days per week)
- 15:30 Physical session. Warm up, then work on stretching and strengthening the fascia
- 16:30 Technical session. Practice on the routines. Pushing hands. Martial applications. In-depth training on breathing, developing the internal organs, training the senses, taking control of your emotions, adopting the right mindset, developing speed, power and accuracy, and meditation techniques
- 18:00 Dinner then rest time
Instructors
Master Iain Armstrong
Master Iain is a Kung Fu philosopher and author with 36 years of living in Kung Fu. Trained personally by Grand Master Tan Soh Tin in Singapore, he’s a two-time world champion and veteran of real street battles. Famous for his high-quality Kung Fu teaching, his instructional films and magazine articles, and for his demonstrations of Iron Shirt Qigong, Master Iain is a mine of information but retains a very practical, down-to-earth, and realistic approach. Most people who meet him are struck by his air of calm, patience, and wisdom.
Location
The Nam Yang Mountain Kung Fu Retreat School is designed to be the ultimate martial arts training and meditation venue. It is set on 2.1 acres of land on the side of a mountain spur, bordering the jungle and maintaining awesome views across the Pai river valley to mountains rising steadily to the Himalayas.
In the early morning, when you begin training, the mountains are usually shrouded in mist which gradually clears as the sun rises. The school is built in the local Shan style architecture according to Chinese Feng Shui principles. Thailand is a great country. It is one of the most popular destinations for international travelers. Thailand is close enough to Singapore that their top masters can travel easily.
The North of Thailand has some of the very best chi in the world. It flows down from the Himalayas. This makes for a perfect place to practice chi kung and seriously boosts health and vitality. This was the primary reason for choosing the location of Nam Yang. The Pai valley is an area of incredible natural beauty. High in the mountains, it epitomizes the Kung Fu dream of training in pure, fresh air with awesome views, away from the distractions of modern life and the pollution of modern cities.
It is easy to grow and prepare healthy natural food in the farmland around Pai which allows you to eat the sort of diet supports on your training. Thailand is a fairly economical country in which to operate. It is not the cheapest in the world but is very cheap compared to western countries. The Pai district is popular with tourists because there are so many things to do. You will have two days off each week and have a fairly long break from training in the middle of the day.
A stay at the mountain retreat can be a holiday as well as a training experience. Nam Yang Mountain Retreat is located in the foothills of the mountains overlooking the Pai river valley in the northern part of Mae Hong Son, Thailand’s remote North Western province. Mae Hong Son translates as ‘the land of mist’. It is dominated by fairly high, forested mountains and is sparsely inhabited, mainly by Thailand’s famous hill tribes.
Pai is the main tourist center in Mae Hong Son province and ideally suited to receive and entertain foreigners. It has a population of about 3000 who, at peak times, are heavily outnumbered by tourists. Pai acts as a hub for activities and excursions, such as trekking, elephant riding, caving, ox cart riding, rafting, off road driving or motorcycling, waterfalls, temples, and hill tribes.
The favorite way to get around for most is to rent a small motorcycle for about 80 THB per day. It contains a multitude of bars and restaurants with very reasonable prices. There are many market stalls selling local food and goods, and shops selling any supplies you are really likely to need. As you would expect in Thailand, the town also boasts a number of beautiful Buddhist temples run by monks.
Nearby places
- Mae Hong Son - 30 minutes
- Pai to Nam Yang - 15 minutes
Food
For most of Nam Yang Kung Fu Retreat's guests, the food is one of the highlights of their stay. Quality food is essential for martial artists in hard training. Nam Yang has their own kitchen garden, herb garden, and fruit trees all of which are entirely organic. They are now partially self-sufficient for fruit and vegetables. What they don’t grow themselves, they choose carefully usually from the local farmers’ market or from people they know well.
The rice is bought from a rather remote hill tribe village in the mountains. By buying rice directly from cash poor ethnic minorities, Nam Yang support their families. Local style food is prepared with an emphasis on the use of beneficial herbs to increase its value. The diet is calculated to best support the Kung Fu training: Nam Yang understands that you are what you eat.
Food prepared on-site is as fresh, organic, and healthy as possible and is usually delicious local Thai or Shan style, or occasionally Chinese or southern Thai style.
Meals start with one or two types of fruit and usually some salad. They then typically serve two main dishes with rice. Most dishes are vegetarian, but they do serve meat. There will always be at least one vegan dish as part of each meal. They also try our best to cater for specialist diets.
Nam Yang supplies breakfast daily and evening meals on training days. Drinking water is supplied free with meals and is available from the kitchen free of charge at any time for resident students. They also serve special tea two to four times a day. Either high quality Chinese tea - something integrally connected with Kung Fu training - or herbal tea for health benefits.
The instructors eat in the dining area, together with the students, which is testimony to the quality of the food and helps provide a good ethos for the school. Meal times are therefore ideal for discussing Kung Fu and asking questions.
Almost any style of food can be purchased in Pai, (Italian, western, middle eastern, Chinese, Indian, and more). The local diet is based mainly around rice, meat, freshwater fish, vegetables, fruit, and spices. However, seafood is relatively expensive in the mountains. Local fruit and vegetables are great, fresh, and very cheap.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Raw food
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Fruitarian
- Lactose Free
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
Pai is a hub for adventure tourism. Most of the students hire a moped so as to get around and appreciate what the area has to offer. Moped hire is very cheap. Safety first is reccommended when dealing with mopeds. There is a huge range of activities available locally, including:
- Chinese tea growing communities
- Elephant camps
- Exploring caves, with or without guides
- Nightlife in Pai town
- Off road motorcycling or driving
- Rafting, either a serene trip down the Pai river or more adventurous white water rafting
- Swimming in pools or river
- Tubing
- Visiting hill tribe villages
- Visiting temples
- Walking
- Waterfalls
- Zip lining
Spa treatments
There is a masseuse available on call who specializes in traditional Thai massage, herb massage, and oil massage. The cost of the massage is from 200 TBH per hour. Compared to prices in the West, this is ridiculously cheap!
What's included
- 125 nights accommodations
- All training including specialist teacher training and our 29 Days 200-Hour Intensive Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong Teacher Training in Pai, Thailand
- Course text book "Get your health back FAST with Chinese Chi Kung" by Master Iain Armstrong
- Daily breakfast
- Drinking water and teas made with beneficial herbs
- Evening meals five days a week
- Internationally recognized certificate on successful completion of course
- Use of all facilities, including gym and training areas when not being used for teaching
- Video footage of all of the routines taught as part of this course
What's not included
- Additional activities
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Goods purchases
- Insurance
- Kung Fu gradings
- Lunches
- Personal expenses
- Private tuition
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CNX
Chiang Mai International Airport
88 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 131 per person
Driving Directions from Pai to the Retreat
Head out of town towards the airport / Mae Hong Son.
On the far side of the airport turn right, parallel to the runway.
We are the first turn on the left, about 400m down the road, on a sharp right hand bend. We have a prominent sign. A little way before our sign is a flashing orange sign signalling sharp bend / left hand turn.
If Arriving to Thailand by Airplane
The best way to get to Nam Yang Kung Fu Retreat is to fly to Bangkok or to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is much nearer to the Kung Fu Retreat but Bangkok has more flights and is usually cheaper. There is an abundance of hotels, guest houses etc in Bangkok to suit all budgets, should you need to arrange an overnight stay.
If you are on a budget to get to Chiang Mai, we suggest flying to Bangkok and taking a train to Chiang Mai or a bus. Please be aware that trains in Thailand often run very late. The trains are very comfortable and afford great views of the Thai countryside. If you are on a very tight budget, you can go to Kao San Road in Bangkok and get an overnight coach for about 300 Baht or so. This is the least comfortable way to travel. We recommend the flight, especially if you have not spent much time in Thailand before.
Once you are in Chiang Mai, you will need to get to Pai.
You have a choice between taking a minibus, taxi or flight.
Minibus: The minibus trip from Chiang Mai is about 150 Baht and has awesome views. It takes about three and a half hours, most of which is spent on amazing winding roads through mountains the like of which you have probably never seen before. The views are breathtaking and the journey is an adventure in itself so we recommend that you travel during daylight. We suggest taking a minibus with the provider Prempracha Transport. To get there from the airport, simply take a taxi with a meter or a Tuk Tuk to Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station. It should take 15 – 30 minutes depending on traffic and cost very little.
You can book your seat in advanced online and pick up your bus ticket once you arrive to the Bus Station. Once you arrive, if you didn’t book your seat in advanced, you will need to book on to the next available minibus.
Minibuses run between about 6.30 am and 5.30pm. If you arrive in Chiang Mai later than about 3.30pm you are likely to need to either stay overnight in Chiang Mai or get a taxi to the Kung Fu Retreat. If staying overnight, which is the cheapest option, we recommend that you still go to the Prempracha office when you arrive and book on to a minibus for the next day. Then look for a guesthouse. You should be able to get a nice room near the centre of Chiang Mai with fan for 400 – 500 Baht. If in doubt try looking on tripadvisor.
Taxi: We can arrange for a taxi from Pai to come to the airport to meet you. Alternatively you could speak with drivers in the taxi rank outside the airport. Recently taxis have been charging about 4,200 Baht for the trip. This does vary and will likely be higher if late at night or in December / January. If we arrange a taxi for you we will need to pay in advance so please do not pay the driver otherwise he will think that he has just got the best tip of his life and likely take a week off! If you do want to give a tip, 100 – 250 Baht would be about right.
Flight: Wisdom Airlines has recently started providing flights from Chiang Mai to Pai for 1790 Baht per flight for 1 person. Currently, you can book tickets in person, online, through a booking agency or by phone. We suggest doing this in person or through a booking agency though as sometimes the website does not always work. Wisdom Airlines is the only carrier that flies from Chiang Mai to Pai.
Airport: Chiang Mai International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Chiang Mai International Airport (US$ 131 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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