Head Instructor Dave Courtney Jones
Teaching traditional Chinese martial arts in Islington and the City of London for over 27 years.
In October 2024, I was awarded the title of Yongchun White Crane Kung Fu Inheritor by the Yongchun Kung Fu Association (Yongchun, China). I share this honour with my students, whose commitment and perseverance in learning authentic White Crane Kung Fu make this recognition possible.
Dave began his martial arts training as a small child, like many others, when his parents sent him to Judo class. He began his White Crane Kung Fu training as a teenager in the late 1980’s after also training Freestyle Karate for a period.
After gaining his degree from Imperial College, London, Dave qualified as a Chartered Engineer, working in the Railway Industry. At the age of 29 he decided to pursue his passion, changing career to become a full-time Kung Fu Instructor.
Dave trains every day, as he has done for decades. In the City & Islington Club he has taught thousands of students over the years, many of whom have gone on to become Kung Fu champions and/or instructors themselves.
Styles
My Kung Fu journey
After doing a little judo as a small child, I was drawn back into martial arts after getting beaten up at school. Held from behind while someone punched me in the face – that moment, painful as it was, led me to begin my martial arts journey. As you can imagine, I really wanted to learn how to defend myself. I didn’t expect it to change my life.
Back then, with bullying at school and a difficult home life, Kung Fu gave me something solid to hold onto: a place to focus my energy, release anger, and start to believe in myself. It just felt right. Somehow, as the movements that I repeated over and over again started to change me in ways that I didn’t understand, I knew I’d found something really important.
I started with Freestyle Karate under Mr. Don Came, who expertly lit and grew that initial spark. That led me to 30 years of training in Fujian White Crane (Tiger Crane) and Shuang Yang Kung Fu with Mr. Dennis Ngo, who in the year 2000 introduced me to my teacher in China, Mr. Su Ying Han, who now teaches me the art of Yongchun White Crane. I also train with Mr. Nigel Gilham in aspects of Five Ancestor Fist Kung Fu.
Over the years I’ve trained hard, competed at national and international level, and won a few medals along the way, including British Heavyweight titles and golds in China. But honestly, that was never the goal. What matters most to me is the changes that Kung Fu training, over the years, has made to every aspect of my being.
I’ve been teaching the City & Islington club for more than 27 years now. I love working with new students, especially those who bring respect, patience, and a willingness to keep showing up even when it’s tough. Kung Fu isn’t meant to come easily. That’s what makes it worthwhile.
These days, I’m still learning. Still uncovering the gaps in my knowledge that I didn’t know were there. And that’s what I try to pass on: a living, breathing art that helps people not just fight better, but live better, become someone better.
Everyone starts somewhere. That first step might feel small, but it could change everything. It did for me.
Get in touch
Got any questions? Send Dave a message using the form below – or contact him directly via WhatsApp.
