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Sifu Danny Stone - Instructor

As a child I was very unpopular with my peers at school. Wearing glasses and being the smallest in my year made me an easy target for bullying. When I went to college I was adamant that the bulling would stop but the bullying continued until the bully was expelled. From that moment onwards I decided I would begin to stand up for myself and not get pushed around so much anymore.

A few years later, I went with my friends to the cinema to watch a film called The Matrix, I'd never really been into Martial Arts or Kung Fu films, but the matrix was very different. The concept of being able to have a Martial Art downloaded into your brain was awesome. As I emerged from the cinema I decided that I was going to learn Kung Fu.

The very next day, I went to the post office on an errand for my mom. When I arrived I noticed a sign in the shop window with a picture of Grand Master Yau and the words "Learn Kung Fu". I got my mobile phone out and took a photo of the advert and returned home.

I kept looking at the photo daily, willing myself to ring the number. I so badly wanted to, but I thought that even if I did ring I'd probably never go through with it. I imagined everyone in the class would laugh at me for not being able to throw a punch or kick, as I had always run away from fights at school. I kept talking myself out of making the call, until one day I decided to bite the bullet. It was only a phone call after all.

I rang the telephone number on the bottom of the flyer and spoke to a very nice man called Alan. Alan soon explained that everyone started as a beginner and encouraged me to visit at one of my nearest clubs, Mondays at Cocksmoor Woods Leisure Centre, or Thursdays at Manningford Hall.

At the time I used to work on a Monday evening, so I decided that I would try a Thursday class, I knew where the hall was, so I just had to pluck up the courage to walk through the door.

Weeks went by and still I kept putting it off. Eventually, I pursuaded a friend to come with me, bribing him by offering to pay for us both!. I just needed someone to walk through the door with.

The very next Thursday, I picked my friend up from his house and we began to drive towards the hall. Upon arrival at the car park, I froze momentarily, wishing I'd allowed more time to prepare myself for the adventure that was about to begin. Little did I know how far down the rabbit hole I would go.

Jimmy was the instructor at Manningford and he was very easy to get along with. I worked with my friend on some of the basic kicks and hand blocks, making lots of mistakes. Jimmy was very patient with us, showing us the way and encouraging us not to worry about making mistakes. "We all make mistakes, it's only when you make a mistake that you can really truly learn," he would tell us - rightly so too!

A few weeks later and my friend decided he didn't want to continue, but I was determined this would be a catalyst to change my life for the better, so week by week I carried on going. I was growing as a person, learning, having lots of fun in the class and beginning to make some really good friends with other students who were also helping me to learn the different techniques.

That was nearly 13 years ago and I've not looked back since. I passed first degree black sash in October 2018.

I have grown so much in confidence since then. My body has changed, my ability to socialise has developed, my phobia of being beaten up has gone. I've made a lot of really good friends, all of whom help each other to become better Martial Artists, whether by working on technique, power, speed, suppleness, or what we call 'ging' which is the power we create by movement of the body, for example, when you twist at your waist to create a whip effect with your hand.

Since that time, I have attended many many courses and seminars in different areas of Kung Fu, arranged by our association, such as Qi Gong (which is about breath control and manipulation of Qi (Chi)), Tai Chi, Kickboxing, Chin Na, (which is about seizing and controlling of limbs through manipulation of the body and joints), locks arm bars and leg bars. I have completed a course in weapons, such as the broad sword, Kuan (staff), butterfly knives and double daggers.

I have fought in several tournaments wearing full contact protection. I have demonstrated my "Forms" at several competitions, I have started learning Mandarin, and have completed a course in first aid and anatomy. I also visited China for a three-week training course in 2017, visiting some wonderful sights within China and learning a great many things from genuine masters of various different styles of Kung Fu.

I now train regularly, often four times a week and teach Lau Gar Style Kung Fu on Tuesdays at 7-8pm and Thursdays at 6-7pm at Manningford Hall, Manningford Road, Kings Norton, B14 5RY.