World Taji Boxing Association Instructors Of The Old Yang Style
Certificated by Erle Montaigue.
Nasser Butt is a Senior Instructor for the World Taiji Boxing Association and has been studying Chinese martial arts for almost 20 years.
He initially trained in Wing Chun for several years before moving onto what is now his main area of study - Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Qigong.
Nasser started his study of the internal arts, particularly the 'Old' Yang Style of Taijiquan and Baguazhang, well over a decade ago.
"I was lucky to find a good instructor who introduced me to the neijia and the work of Erle Montaigue", he says, "I was totally mesmerized and hooked from day one. Up until then, like most people, I had considered Taijiquan as a health exercise for the elderly or for those who weren't interested in learning a 'real' martial art and not a brutal fighting system!
How wrong was I to be - watching instructional videos of this 'crazy, wild haired' Australian Master, who was as brutally honest with his opinions on the fighting arts as his fists! Yet, as I was to discover later, also a gentle, kind spirited man, with a deep passion for these eclectic arts, which I, too, would grow to love!"
In 1999, Nasser attended his first workshop, in Folkestone, to finally meet and train under Erle, himself, during the European leg of his tour. The pattern of attending these yearly workshops, while practicing under Erle's UK representatives, was to continue over the next few years until Erle finally upped and left Australia for Wales at the end of 2003.
Since 2004 Nasser has been studying regularly under the watchful gaze of Erle on an almost monthly basis, continuing to improve his Taijiquan and Baguazhang, as well as improving his fighting skills and rising to the rank of a senior instructor. "Erle has almost been like a father figure these past few years, constantly advising and encouraging all of us, who study his system, whilst still allowing us the independence to 'work' things out for ourselves," he keenly adds, "but more then that he's been a mate, readily available whenever needed."
He has been teaching Taijiquan as a fighting system, alongside his training partner and fellow WTBA instructor Elliot Morris, in and around Leicestershire, for almost 10 years and is deeply passionate about people 'rediscovering' the real nature of this wonderful art.
In 2006, Nasser left his day job and began teaching on a full-time basis. He has taught people as young as 6 to 70 years old and has held several workshops for carers groups within the local community and for Leicestershire County and City councils on a regular basis. He has also taught in several local schools, introducing the concepts of Taijiquan and Baguazhang's training methods as an alternative way to exercise.
Nasser is currently teaching at several locations, including De Montfort University, Burleigh Sports College Loughborough, on their adult education program, The Peepul Centre, Leicester, as well as at Evington Village Hall, and Active Life, Oadby Beauchamp College, to mention a few. In the past, he has, also, taught at Leicester University's Green House for nealy 2 years before moving to one of his current venues - Greens Health & Fitness.
Elliot Morris/ Jerry Walker