Pedro Martins
3rd Degree Black Belt

Dr Chris Kai-Hu Chang
Brown Belt
MA (Cantab), MBBS (London), MRCP (UK), DTM&H,
Medical Gold Medal Winner 2007
Wu Shu Kwan's Principal Medical Adviser

Chris won the Medical Gold Medal for 2007, decided by a special exam taken by the best of 1,300 final-year medical students in the whole of University of London Medical Colleges, including University College, Imperial College, King’s College, Queen Mary & Westfield College and St. George’s Teaching Hospital. Each medical school nominates one candidate for every 75 of its students, based on the results of their final examinations.

   Since its introduction in 1903, the annual Gold Medal examination has involved being interviewed by national experts on pathology, medicine, surgery, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. The criteria examined are knowledge, clinical context, therapeutic relevance and evidence-base, social and community context and relevance, recent advances, and judgement and reasoning.

   The winner of this prize for 1908, and one of the most famous in the world, was Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin in 1928.

   Chris was a gifted child, with an exceptionally high IQ of 173, and was awarded a scholarship to attend a renowned independent secondary school, winning prizes every year, without fail, for his academic achievements.

   For his GCSE he took 12 subjects with unbelievable results of 11 A* (star) and an A at AS (advanced) level, which he sat for one year earlier (in those days, the highest grade for AS subjects is A, not A* as for GCSE).

   With 4 A's at A level, he went on to attend Christ's College, University of Cambridge to study medicine and received an MA. Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, also came from this college. One of the quaint customs of Christ's College is that the science students are awarded BA and MA degrees, instead of the usual BSc and MSc.

   He was awarded the prestigious MRCP (UK) (Member of the Royal College of Physicians) in October 2011. Recently, he received his DTM&H (a diploma for infectious diseases) from Liverpool Medical School with distinction in three disciplines.

Dr Chris Kai-Hu Chang.

Photograph showing both sides of the prestigious medical gold medal won by Chris.

Family group picture taken after Chris received his MA from University of Cambridge. (From left) Grand Master Chang, Jenny, Chris & Trish.

   He is currently working in University College Hospital, Euston, London.

   His father, Grand Master C. K. Chang, always knew Chris would go far because he believes Chris takes after his good looks!

(Edited by Wu Shu Kwan Research Team)

Catherine How
International Senior Master Instructress
3rd Degree Black Belt
BEng (Hons), ACA

Da iawn Catherine! (For you non-Welsh Well done Catherine!)

   She has just successfully passed her final exam to become a chartered accountant – whilst working (holding a responsible and demanding job), and training in and teaching Wu Shu Kwan in London. Another Welsh Grand Slam!

   Catherine attained her Black Belt in 1996, aged 16½, whilst training in North Wales. Within 6 months, she was conducting Wu Shu Kwan classes at Arfon Leisure Centre there. She took over Jackie Fish’s class when Jackie returned to Scotland. Whilst teaching Wu Shu Kwan in Caernarfon, she got four subjects at A level in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Physical Education.

   Moving on and flying high with an honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Loughborough University based in central England, one of the top five UK universities for Aeronautics and Sports Science, before she travelled further south again.

   Since moving to London in 2001, she has worked for a firm of chartered accountants, and recently secured a new job as a financial accountant in the entertainment industry. Catherine successfully achieved her 2nd Degree Black Belt in 2004, and has helped Grand Master C. K. Chang to coach in the Caribbean in April 2005 during an official Wu Shu Kwan teaching and grading tour. She has been promoted to International Senior Master Instructress, the status of which is held only by a handful of distinguished high-ranking instructors.

   Catherine is currently teaching in a well-known fitness club in Russell Square, central London, whilst training towards her 3rd Degree Black Belt.

(Edited by Wu Shu Kwan Research Team)

Pedro Martins
2nd Degree Black Belt

Many congratulations to Pedro and his beautiful Australian bride Fiona Mansfield.

   They tied their wedding knot on Sunday, 3rd November 2013 at the exquisite Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park, Surrey.

   It was a crisp, sunny Sunday afternoon in the unforgettable dreamlike surroundings of Pembroke Lodge, that the members of Tadworth WSK eagerly awaited the marriage of Pedro and Fiona.

   Pedro scrubbed up very well indeed in his wedding suit, but Fiona naturally stole the show. Looking positively sublime, the beautiful bride captured every eye in the room as she glided down the aisle.

   After making their solemn vows in front of family and friends, the couple were pronounced husband and wife to rapturous applause and cheers of joy (and that was just from Pedro).
Following the customary photograph rounds, and with the help of a little tipple or two, the formality of the service gave way to a relaxed breakfast with champers and speeches flowing very nicely.

   The ties and waistcoats were really loosened off as the live band played for the bride and groom's first dance. Friends and family joined in earnest to dance the night away in celebration of the union of a fantastic couple. Three cheers for Pedro and Fiona Martins!

   So there we have it, another Tadworth WSK member who is happily married. We are after all quite partial to a good wedding – we even love to practise a bit of wicked dancing in the evening too! There have been three to date and we have attended each one as if we were all members of an extended WSK family.

   The question now is: who is next in line for the Tadworth "L" plate?

(Text and photos by Faye Brislen-Asher, 1st Degree Black Belt)

Selfie: the new couple with Trish & Grand Master.

Part of Pedro's Tadworth WSK members.

Pedro is what it says on the tin!

A loving picture of the new couple.

The four WSK musketeers occupying the "Majorca" table: (from left) Peter (L), Peter (G), Aldo & Will.

Najib is a very promising martial art student. Wu Shu Kwan training has further improved his physical and mental ability, developing his speed, strength, agility and technique to a phenomenal level.

   He is a very calm, helpful, polite and humble young man, and currently studying at a university.

   In recognizing his limitless potential, Mr & Mrs Voraberger have kindly presented him a prize of £200 for furthering his Wu Shu Kwan training.

   Mr & Mrs Voraberger donated this money in memory of their son Nick, who was a promising young Wu Shu Kwan martial artist. Nick sadly passed away prematurely due to illness.

   Najib has been training regularly and is looking forward to sitting for his Wu Shu Kwan Black Belt shortly. All the instructors and members wish him the best of luck.

Latest Update

On Sunday, 29th May 2011, out of the 12 male candidates sitting for their Wu Shu Kwan Black Belt grading, 5 passed, and Najib was one of them.

   The whole grading, including the female candidates and those sitting for higher Degrees, started at eight-thirty in the morning and didn't finish until half-past midnight; it was a very long and tiring day for all the candidates and officials.

  Well done, Najib, for having succeeded at the Wu Shu Kwan Black Belt grading, which is a much sought-after achievement in the martial art world.

Click here to view the full results (with photographs) of this Black Belt Grading.

(Edited by Wu Shu Kwan Research Team)

Amit Roychoudhury
Senior Master
5th Degree Black Belt
MSci, FIA

Though his name is actually Amit, everybody knows him as Roy.

   Roy is an extremely intelligent young man with an enormous capacity for Wu Shu Kwan training and academic learning.

   After graduating from the famous Imperial College (part of University of London) with a Master of Science degree not too long ago, he has now qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA). His degree of Master of Science (MSci) comes with a prestigious “i” at the end because it is awarded by Imperial College.

   Actuaries are experts charged with the difficult task of making financial sense of the future, and these highly-qualified specialists are commonly found working in the pensions and insurance industries.

   Roy has spent 6 years (instead of the usual 7 by others) and passed 15 exams to become qualified as an actuary. His future is secured and will be free of exams. His only worry now is being overpaid by his employer – and perhaps he has to spend much more time to count his extra wealth and figure out real hard how to spend it!

   All these years, he has struck a nice and proper balance between arduous studies and hard Wu Shu Kwan training, both of which he achieved splendidly.

   He has been an official Wu Shu Kwan instructor at the University of Hertfordshire, and is now instructing in a well-known health club in Bloomsbury, London.

(Edited by Wu Shu Kwan Research Team)

Senior Master Amit Roychoudhury.

Receiving his certificate from
the president of the Institute of Actuaries
at Staple Inn, London.

Family group picture:
(From left) father, mother, Roy & brother Arup.

Dr Lily Wang Huan
Maroon Belt
PhD

Dr Lily Wang.

Taken in front of Queen Mary
& Westfield College, University of London
where the ceremony was held.

Lily & Yao Jie on their wedding day.

Baby A'isha.

Hailed from Tianjin, China, she attended Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London and successfully completed her PhD in Molecular Biology in Biological Sciences, studying human genetics.

   While studying at Queen Mary & Westfield College, she trained with Andy Hucklesby at that university’s Wu Shu Kwan club.

   She is very friendly and made a lot of friends during her time in London. Most of the Wu Shu Kwan members who know her remember her as a very intelligent, determined and hard-working girl.

   After a stint at University of Liverpool in the Physiological Laboratory, she returned to China and is now working as a research scientist in a pharmaceutical centre in Beijing. She is currently a section leader with more than 15 scientists and biologists under her, and according to the latest report she enjoys herself very much living and working in Beijing.

   On 24th July 2011, Grand Master C. K. Chang, Trish and Jenny attended Lily's wedding to Yao Jie. The marriage ceremony and reception were held at one of the grandest and most well-known restaurants in Beijing called Yi Jin Yuan Muslim Restaurant, with unforgettable sumptuous food and colourful ceremony.

   She was named UK Alumnus of the Year at the British Business Awards 2012 – a biennial celebration of the importance and impact of British business in China. The coveted award was presented to her in Beijing by Sebastian Wood, Her Majesty's Ambassador to China, and Patron of the British Business Awards 2012.

   Lily was one of five finalists competing for the Chinese UK Alumnus Award, sponsored by the British Council. This honour is awarded to a Chinese national who has studied in the UK and can best demonstrate the important and positive influence that British education and culture have had on their chosen occupation.

   Commenting on her outstanding achievement, Lily said, "I was so surprised to have won out of thousands of nominations for this competition. I am extremely proud to represent Queen Mary (College); it's an honour both for myself and for the College."

   Wu Shu Kwan is really proud of her tremendous achievement.

Additional News About Lily

   Wu Shu Kwan are happy to announce that Lily and her husband (Yao Jie) had a baby girl named A'isha on 1st July 2014. Her Chinese name is Han-Xi (Yao), which means the sun in the morning. The couple are very busy caring for their new baby with the help of Lily's mother.

   Wu Shu Kwan wish them all the happiness for the future.

In April 2010, Lily met Grand Master C. K. Chang, Trish and Jenny at the Beijing airport.
Later she treated them to a specialist Peking Duck banquet.

(From right) Lily, Jenny, Trish, two of the restaurant chefs and Grand Master.

Lily (left) holding the winner's trophy with Sebastian Wood (Her Majesty's Ambassador to China)
and her mother.

(Edited by Wu Shu Kwan Research Team)

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