Private  training with:

SIFU CHRIS CRUDELLI 

Availability is limited, but we consider grass roots work with individuals requiring 1-1 private tuition / mentor-ship & cross training with other clubs, associations and styles to be very important to our central mission.

There are two ways you can learn from Sifu Crudelli outside the normal group courses offered on this site.

The first is to book 1-1 private lessons and work at your own pace.

TAI CHI -ABC COMBAT SYSTEM-  KUNG FU

Cost £80 per hour 1-1

£40 per hour, min 2 max 4.

Email chris@crudelli.com  to request booking availability.

The second is to book a workshop or talk at your school or club.

Email chris@crudelli.com  to request booking availability.

BOOK CHRIS FOR A SEMINAR AT YOUR CLUB

If you are a club owner and want a cross training experience with Chris Crudelli for your students or teaching staff, get in touch below. Availability is  limited, but we consider inter club cooperation to be very important and this is reflected in our pricing.

WHAT IS MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY?

As a teacher I strive for more than mediocrity, more than the nuts-and-bolts transference of facts. A teacher must teach more than these things, he must also inspire & enthuse, but most importantly he must engender in his students self-belief and self reliance coupled with physical & mental fortitude. 

Of course I want my students to learn the fundamental
content of the courses I teach, but beyond that, it is important for students to foster the acquisition of life-long learning skills . The teacher must prepare students to function effectively in their given field by developing problem-solving strategies and self-reliance.

I have been involved in the practice and teaching of Asian
martial arts for almost 30 years. I have competed & taught and am published at the International level. I know in order to acquire skill and fluency it’s crucial to orientate oneself to discipline.

After teaching an ABC Combat Course to the UK Marine Corps and to members of the M.O.D. at Whitehall, I learned more than just discipline but rather ‘organization & order’ alongside discipline are keys to actual real life achievement.  It is the teacher’s responsibility to engender a love of these attributes to his students.

Through my experiences as a father I realize that if you
are clear and firm, yet fair and rewarding you can also engender in an individual a culture not just of organized and self disciplined thinking and behavior, but also the structured lifelong pursuit of achievement. It is both of these very different life experiences that have shaped my personal philosophy of teaching methodology.

There are many learning theories of cognitive and learning methodology and each has their own merit, however my personal teaching philosophy is primarily Humanist and focused on principles of human freedom, dignity and potential. Although they have their place, I do not agree with a Pavlov type approach to conditioning nor do I agree with the rote form of learning as neither cultivates the expression of creativity or dignity.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A HUMANISTIC APPROACH

I became interested in Humanism as a teaching approach in 2005 whilst working for BBC Television in Shanghai. At the time I was producing a documentary about extraordinary people and for a short section in the series I interviewed the well-known Chinese film actor Mr. Jet Lee.

At that time Mr. Lee was studying Tibetan Buddhism under the direct tutelage of the Dali Lama. Mr. Lee impressed on me during the course of the interview that defining one's central motivation is the key to all of his achievement.

Taking advice on the merits of a teaching philosophy from a film actor may not always be prudent.  But considering Mr. Lee was a poverty stricken child from a broken family who went on to become an unbeaten five times national Wu Shu Champion, China’s and one of the world's most financially successful actors, not to mention a personal protégée of the Dali Lama, is clearly a testament to his ability to achieve success in his chosen fields.

Whilst I do not agree with many of Mr. Lee’s other views on life, defining an individual's central motivation and goals are areas of particular interest to me as a teacher.  I have observed on many occasions students and individuals who are able to define their goals and motivation achieve success.  Another fundamental aspect of humanism is that learning is student-centered and personalised. A teacher within the parameters of the curriculum must be responsive to his environment so the educator’s role is that of a facilitator.

This is also in line with my personal learning experiences as a child apprenticing in martial arts. My Chinese instructor would oft tell me “when you are taught by a good teacher you won’t even know you have been taught”. In retrospect with 20:20 hindsight- cleaning the walls and oil soaked floors and cookers of his Chinese restaurant probably was not just for my ‘learning’ benefit, but there is indeed merit in his wise words. Ultimately, effective and cognitive needs are key to the Humanist approach, but simply put, in my view the ultimate goal of teaching is to develop self-actualized people in a cooperative and supportive environment.

In order to discover a learning theory’s efficacy it must be empirically measured. The measure of effectiveness for my approach is fourfold, most easily measurable is immediate examination results. Secondly it is student confidence and ability beyond examination success in the given subject. Thirdly it is overall satisfaction of the students' learning experience. Lastly and somewhat more difficult to immediately empirically measure, but non the less of huge importance, is the level of the students self-actualization.

As an individual you cannot live forever. But as a teacher your teachings can. They live in the people you are helping to shape and the people they go on to affect, shape and influence… ad infinitum.