Instructor Details
As we proudly add more names to the list of amazing people below, we thought it worth mentioning that becoming a Tai Chi instructor is no easy task. Please beware of instructors claiming to teach Tai Chi who have learned it over a couple of weekends!
It normally takes 5 to 10 years of hard work and disciplined practice, usually attending classes several times a week, to achieve the Advanced Certificate in Tai Chi Chuan, which covers a full martial arts syllabus, and the Advanced Instructor's Certificate in Tai Chi Chuan, which is evidence of the ability to teach all aspects of the syllabus to others. Our Advaned Instructors listed below have all achieved these qualifications and have been accepted as grade A instructors by the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain as well as being accepted as registered instructors by the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts.
We also have a new qualification: The Basic Instructor's Certificate in Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation, for instructors who do not teach a full martial syllabus but are able to teach hand forms to a good standard. Yolande Sowerby has just become the first person to achieve this award.
We also have qualifications in Ba Gua Zhang. Mike Kerry is the first of our students to achieve the Instructor's Certificate in Ba Gua Zhang.
All of these awards are competence-based and are assessed through the compilation of a portfolio of evidence of skills and knowledge and include many hours of observed teaching practice.
Though not all of the instructors listed below are currently teaching classes of their own, they have all been through this process and are excellent Tai Chi practitioners and teachers.
Principal Instructors
Colin Hamilton
Principal Instructor
TCUGB Senior Grade and Honorary Vice President. BCCMA Registered.
Teaches full syllabus of Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Qualified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer.
BSc Hons Physiology, Post Grad Cert Ed.
Awesome trainer of champion fighters! (and also very modest)
g Hamilton
Principal Instructor
TCUGB Senior Grade and Honorary President. BCCMA Registered.
Teaches Full Syllabus of Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Also teaches a wide range of
customised courses. Lecturer in Health and Social Care, Philosophy and Meditation. TDLB qualified NVQ trainer, assessor and verifier. Qualified Psychotherapist and Lifecoach.
BSc Hons Biochemistry, Human Givens Diploma (Dist), Post Grad Cert Ed, Advanced Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Assessment. Member of the Institute for Learning and the European Therapy Studies Institute. Open University Credits in Physiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Genetics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Cosmology and Quantum Physics.
Steve Scholey
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Steve is a qualified instructor within our school. Though he is not currently teaching regular Tai Chi classes himself, he assists in teaching the Leeds Masterclass.
Steve is a professional business coach and his contact details are:
ActionCOACH Business Coach Winner: Best Clients Results 2006
"You can have everything you want in life providing you help enough other people get what they want" Zig Zigler
Richard Morley
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Teaches in Wakefield and surrounding area. "Tai Chi Expert" as seen on BBC!!!
Peter Hicks
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Tel: 0777 278 4875
Teaches in Leeds
Who is this young lady with the devastating uppercut? It's.....
Amanda Halliday
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA registered.
Teaches in Leeds

Mark Fahy
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA registered.
Teaches at the Village Hotel, Leeds and in Methley
Rebekah McGibbon (nee Penman)
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA registered.
Teaches in Leeds

Denis Penman
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA registered.

Ben Morris
TCUGB Grade A BCCMA registered
Barbara Doyle
TCUGB Grade A BCCMA Registered
Teaches in Leeds
Nikki Ingram
TCUGB Grade A BCCMA Registered
Teaches in Leeds
Dr Stephanie Dennison
TCUGB Grade A BCCMA Registered
Teaches in Leeds
Awaiting Photo
Mike Abosch
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Teaches in Leeds.
Christina Bunney
Teaches in Wakefield
Instructor of Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation only
Awaiting Photo
Yolande Sowerby
Teaches Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation in Leeds
Qualified Bagua Instructor
Mike Kerry
Mike is a long-established teacher of Aikido who holds regular Aikido classes. He is not currently teaching Bagua but has achieved our Instructors Certificate in Ba Gua Zhang.
Advanced Instructors not currently teaching
Dr Michael Stone
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
As well as teaching a full syllabus of Tai Chi Chuan, Michael is the Marketing Director for 4th Coming Events, a company which offers an extensive range of professional entertainment and corporate development packages suitable for all events, from the smallest party to the largest corporate event, with a team of highly experienced entertainers and coaches who can help increase awareness of your products and services, as well as providing innovative approaches to staff training and stress management.
Not currently teaching
David and Marie Ross
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Tel: 0113 2483361
Not currently teaching
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Elaine Dickinson
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Tel: 07737660525
Not currently teaching
Lynne Lewis
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Lynne is a qualified instructor but does not currently run any classes of her own. She is an Accountant and Office Manager and also assists her partner in running his business in landscape design and construction; their own Zen garden has been featured on TV - see web page
www.casaverde.co.uk
Tel: 0113 2680015
(John is the hairy one!)
John Anson
TCUGB Grade A. BCCMA Registered.
Awaiting Photo
Rosezillah Fox
TCUGB Grade A
Sadly, Rose passed away on Thursday 30th July 2009 at the age of 79 years. An astonishing lady and a great friend, she will be deeply missed by all of us at Yiheyuan.
As well as teaching dance and Tai Chi for many years, Rose taught us, by her own quiet example, how to live our lives with kindness and compassion, with courage and dignity. She taught us to honour ourselves and to honour others and now we honour her with our
tribute.
We invite all her friends to share their thoughts about Rose on this website. Please write a few lines and pass them to one of our instructors or email us
contactus@yiheyuan.co.uk

Left to right: Marie Ross, David Ross, Elaine Dickinson and Amanda Halliday
If you would like to study with us
please click here for a list of our current martial arts classes
or any forthcoming seminars