About
Chris Butcher
- SifuHead instructor of the Bedford Amateur Martial Arts Academy.
- 3rd TengchiSenior black belt grade in Yuen Feng Shu, after more than 35 years’ training.
- 30+ yearsIn the fitness industry as a personal trainer, specialising in backs and posture.
Chris came to martial arts almost by accident. Working as a fitness instructor at a Bedford gym, he got talking to a new member who was training at a small Kung Fu club in the old village hall in Biddenham. Chris went along to watch, decided to join in instead, and one lesson was all it took.
His teacher, Len Chamberlain, had learned from Chee Soo, who brought these soft Chinese arts to Britain. Len’s strict teaching and generosity with his art shaped everything Chris teaches today. When Len’s health meant he could no longer run the club, he passed his handouts and equipment to Chris, who has carried the art on ever since.
Chris has kept true to the syllabus Len taught him, while continuing to learn from other instructors. The most important lesson Len gave him: keep practising, and always keep an open mind.
Timeline
- 1989
First lesson, Biddenham village hall, 9 April - 1996
Black belt (1st Tengchi) from Len Chamberlain, 26 May, after seven years’ training - 1997
Starts teaching his own class in Flitwick - 1998
Black belt (2nd Tengchi) - 1999
Classes at Dragons Health Club, Bedford - 2020
Honorary Red Sash (3rd Tengchi), 30 August, for taking students through the whole system from white to black belt - Today
3rd Tengchi, seven classes a week, and personal training at Fitness First
Qualifications & experience
- 3rd Tengchi, Yuen Feng Shu (combined soft Chinese martial arts)
- Corrective exercise trainer, back & posture specialist
- Muscle activation techniques
- 3D movement analysis (3D MAPS), trained by the Gray Institute
- Massage therapist
- Over 30 years in the fitness industry
The class has got very popular, from a few people to start with, to the busy class it is now.Chris in Bedford Today, 2023