​URBAN MARTIAL ARTS

Kwoklyn Wan grew up in Leicester in a family steeped in Martial Arts tradition. He was inspired by the films of Bruce Lee, like many youngsters from the 1970’s. Kwoklyn started his martial arts journey at the age of 4 in 1977 studying Shotokan Karate and then went on to study Wing Chun and Chinese Boxing with his Uncles in the early 80’s. During the late 80’s and early 90’s Kwoklyn tried many other martial arts and It wasn’t until he discovered Jeet Kune Do in 1998 he began to focus on becoming an Instructor in the martial arts.

 

This resulted in Wan becoming the European representative of the famous JKD Wednesday Night Group headed by Tim Tackett, which has the aim of preserving and promoting Bruce Lee’s original form of the Martial Arts.

 

Kwoklyn opened his own Martial Arts Academy ‘URBAN MARTIAL ARTS’ in 2004. Starting with just a handful of students Urban Martial Arts has grown, and now teaches Jeet Kune Do to students across the world. 

 

The Entrepreneur

In 2008 Kwoklyn had an idea to host a martial arts event and shortly after MAF-UK (Martial Arts Festival UK) was born. In April 2009 in the heart of the UK 10,000 people attended one of the largest martial art events ever to take place on british soil.

 

2010 saw the launch of The Martial Arts Show at the NEC in Birmingham which ran for 3 years, in 2013 Kwoklyn rebranded the event to The Martial Arts Expo which took place at the Ricoh Arena.

 

2014 Kwoklyn developed and launched Fun Tea, a Taiwanese Bubble Tea Shop in the heart of Leicester. In it’s first 6 months of trading Fun Tea won it’s first outstanding service award (The Peoples Choice Award)

 

2015 see’s the launch of the Urban Martial Arts Nationwide Franchise.

 

Kwoklyn Wan Martial Arts Bio

1977 – 1980 Shotokan Karate under Sensei Anthony Conroy

1980 – 1989 Wing Chun & Chinese Boxing Instructors Alan Lam, Gau Lau Chung & Peter Lee

1985 – 1990 Wing Chun under Sifu Derek Frearson (Lun Gai under Yip Man)

1990 – 1993 Muay Thai Boxing, Mantis with Dave Freeman, Jackie Wong

1993 – 1997 Kickboxing with Jag Johal, Dave Freeman

1999 – Ongoing Jun Fan Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima Instructors: Jason Davenport WJKDF and Pat O’Malley (Bob Breen under Daniel Inosanto)

1999 – 2002 WTF Taekwondo & Sung Ja Do under Ed Burbidge & Jason Davenport (Soke George I Petrotta 10 Dan) 

1999 – Ongoing Rapid Arnis under Tuhon Pat O’Malley, Magino Lucy O’Malley, Guro Nigel Brown & Guro Jon Broster

2001 – 2002 Brazilian Jujitsu with Jason Davenport (Royce Gracie)

2002 – 2003 Street Aware / Self Protection under John Skillen (Instructor with the British Combat Association)

2004 – 2006 Systema under Robert Poyton (Systema UK)

2005 – 2008 Jeet Kune Do became a member Instructor of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Association under Sifu Lamar Davis

2006 – (12 week) Intensive training course Tai Chi Broadsword under Robert Poyton

2006 – 2010 Boxing and MMA Training under Eddie Doucet

2006 – 2011 Serrada Eskrima under Guro Jon Broster (UK Representative Tuhon Mark Wiley)

2007 -  Silat Beruang under Jon Broster (UK Representative for Jak Othman)

2007 – Ongoing Jeet Kune Do became the European representative for Tim Tackett and his JKD Wednesday Night Group. Preserving Bruce Lee’s Old School Jeet Kune Do training methods

2009 – Jeet Kune Do was asked by Sifu Tim Tacket to become a WNG Board Director. The Board of Directors administers the group, sets the curriculum and certifies instructors.

2014 – Rapid Arnis Elite Instructors course Yr1 with Tuhon Pat O’Malley

2015 – Rapid Arnis Elite Instructors course Yr2 with Tuhon Pat O’Malley

2015 - Ongoing Fa-Jing Chuan Internal Chinese Boxing (Tai Chi) with Nasser Butt

2015 - Founded Urban Street Boxing alongside Tuhon Pat O'Malley

2016 - Rapid Arnis Elite Instructors course Yr3 with Tuhon Pat O'Malley

2017 - Rapid Arnis Elite Instructors course Yr4 with Tuhon Pat O'Malley

2018 - Rapid Arnis Elite Instructors course Yr5 with Tuhon Pat O'Malley

 

Workshops and Intensive training seminars:

2002 Shoot Fighting with Nathan Leverton

2003 Rapid Arnis Summer Camp with Tuhon Pat O’Malley, Tuhon Shiraz Hussain, Guro Peter Lewis

2004 Cream of the Crop (Multi-style Filipino martial arts) Tuhon Pat O’Malley, Magino Lucy O’Malley, Guro Jon Broster, Grand Master Danny Guba, Tuhon John Harvey & Tuhon Jude Tucker

2005 MMA with Karl Tanswell (SBG)

2005 CQC (Close Quarter Combative) with Lee Morrison (Urban Combatives) & John Deakon

2005 Rapid Arnis Workshop with Tuhon Pat O’Malley

2005 Systema Knife Defence with Robert Poyton

2006 Hardcore Jeet Kune Do with Sifu Lamar Davis

2006 Rapid Arnis Workshop with Tuhon Pat O’Malley

2006 1 FMA Festival TuhonPat & Lucy O’Malley (Rapid Arnis), Grand Master Danny Guba (Doce Pares), Punong Guro Peter Lewis (Bakbakan Kali), Guro Alan Jones (Balitawak Arnis), Guro Vincent Dornila (Lima Scientific Kali Arnis System)

2007 2 FMA Festival Grand Master Danny Guba - Guba Doce Pares , Punong Guro Jun Pueblos - Lameco Eskrima , Punong Guro Peter Lewis - Bakbakan & Zu'bu Kali Ilustrisimo , Tuhon Pat O'Malley - Rapid Arnis & San Miguel Eskrima, Master Steve Tappin - Eskrima Concepts, Guro Alan Jones - Balintawak Arnis, Master Jay Dobrin - B.I.F.F, Master Shaun Porter - Lightning Scientific Arnis, Dayang Lucy O'Malley - Doce Pares Original Multi Style & Rapid Arnis

2007 Multi-style Wing Chun Day with Sifu Alan Gibson, Sifu Paul Smith, Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe & Sifu Alan Orr

2007 Wong Shun Lueng Wing Chun with Sifu Peter Davidson

2007 Doce Pares Eskrima with Grand Master Dionisio Canete, Grand Master Danny Guba, Tuhon Pat O’Malley

2007 Serrada Eskrima with Tuhon Mark Wiley

2007 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do with Sifu Tim Tackett

2008 Serrada Eskrima with Tuhon Mark Wiley

2008 Multi-style Wing Chun Day with Sifu Alan Gibson, Sifu Mark Hobbs, Sifu Paul Elston

2008 Cass Magda and Dave Carnell Seminar

2008 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Tim Tackett

2008 Taught alongside Sifu Tim Tackett, Yori Nakamura, & Richard Bustillo for the Bruce Lee Foundation

2008 WNG Summer Camp Independence Missouri USA with Tim Tackett, Richie Carrion, Pat Finley, Joe Singleton, Vince Raimondi, Hock Hocheim, Patrick Cunningham, Hans De Burchgraeve, Shawn King, Bryan Stevenson, Carl Lewis, Keith Miller

2008 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Lamar Davis

2009 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Tim Tackett

2009 WNG Summer Camp New Jersey USA with Tim Tackett, Vince Raimondi, Patrick Cunningham, Ritchie Carrion, Dennis Blue, Shawn King

2009 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do with Sifu Chris Kent

2010 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Chris Kent

2010 Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Tim Tackett

2010 WNG Summer Camp West Palm Beach Florida USA with Tim Tackett, Vince Raimondi, Patrick Cunningham, Ritchie Carrion, Dennis Blue, Brent Lance

2012 Steve Rowe seminar

2014 Muay Thai Seminar with Shaun Boland

2015 Multi-style Seminar at Way of the Spiritual Warrior

2015 Taught Jeet Kune Do Close Range Tactics Seminar with Dave Freeman

2015 Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do UK Tour with Sifu Tim Tackett

2015 Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do UK Seminar with Sifu Chris Kent

2016 Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do UK Seminar with Sifu Lamar Davis

2016 Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do UK Seminar with Sifu Chris Kent

 

Martial Art Media:

Heart FM - Olympics 2008 

Heart FM - Knife Crime and Culture 2008

Combat Magazine – Front Cover and Monthly Column 2009 – 2012

Martial Arts Illustrated – Front Cover and Monthly Column 2013 - 2018

 

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Kwoklyn is also a TV Chef and the Author of the Best Selling Chinese Takeaway Cookbook series

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For more information please head to www.kwoklynwan.com

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Martial Art Ventures

Urban Martial Arts '04 - Ongoing

MAF-UK '09 - Leicester UK

The Martial Arts Show '10 - NEC Birmingham

The Martial Arts Show Live '11 & '12 - NEC Birmingham

TMAS Live Tournament Series '10 & '11 - UK

The Martial Arts Expo '13 - Ricoh Arena Coventry

 

Awards:

1996 YMCA Diploma in Sport Science and Fitness

2011 Man of the Year – Combat Magazine

2011 Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts – Combat Magazine

2013 Innovations within the realms of Martial Arts – Martial Arts Illustrated

2014 The Outstanding Service Awards – Peoples Choice Award – Hammerson Group

 

Testimonials

‘I have known Kwoklyn Wan for many years, as both a member of the Wednesday Night Group, and as a friend. I cannot stress enough my whole hearted support and endorsement of both him and Urban Martial Arts.

To know where you are going you must first of all understand where you have been. by learning understanding the CORE provides a structure to allow an understanding of the roots of JKD through to its current format. This in itself preserves the ethos of the Wednesday Night Group to help JKD develop in the future.’

Tim Tackett - JKD Wednesday Night Group

 

"If you are sincerely interested in studying Jeet Kune Do and are looking for a great learning experience in a professional yet fun environment, Kwoklyn Wan's "Urban Martial Arts" in Leicester is the place for you. With over 38 years experience in martial arts, Kwoklyn brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his teaching as he shares the martial art founded by the legendary Bruce Lee."

Christopher Kent - CK JKD 

 

I have known Kwoklyn Wan for many years, first as a student and now as a close friend.  Not only is he trustworthy and honorable but he is one of the most talented martial arts instructors I have had the pleasure to meet.

I now not only teach Kwoklyn I also work along side him developing and improving new innovative methods of teaching the martial arts.

Kwoklyn to my mind is one of the best instructors you can find. If there were one instructor I would personally choose to train with as a student or as an instructor looking to enhance their skills and knowledge then it would be Kwoklyn Wan.

Tuhon Pat O’Malley – Founder of Rapid Arnis International 

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For more information about our head instructor please head on over to 

 www.kwoklynwan.com