I split my time between training and teaching kung fu, doing research, writing, and running a couple of successful companies. Not to mention my most important job of being a husband and a father. So to say I was busy would be putting it mildly!

Without kung fu, and the energy, discipline and focus it provides, I do not think I could do it all. Simple as that.

Kung fu, as an art form, has this unique property that when practised correctly it can help invigorate every other part of your life. That is why in ancient China, kung fu was counted as one of the Five Arts that every member of the nobility was expected to learn at a young age and then perfect throughout their life. This is a theme I explore in my first book, “The History and Philosophy of Kung Fu: An Introduction,” and something I teach to my students in every class.

My book and other writing on kung fu are a culmination of over 30 years both of practice and of research, including frequent trips to China. In 2014 I had the honour of being made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in recognition of this work. Among other honours, I was awarded 5th Duan by China’s Wushu Committee, won 7 gold medals at wushu and kung fu competitions in China and have been recognised as an official inheritor of Yongchun White Crane kung fu by the Yongchun County of China (the area where our style originated).

Among other achievements, I hold a PhD and three other degrees and am an internationally recognised expert in data and technology, often invited by universities, companies and governments to teach or advise on the subject of responsible use of technologies like AI.