Instructor Ela Cyrnek

I had always wanted to learn martial arts, but growing up, I avoided PE and anything that would make me sweat. I preferred reading books, hiking in the mountains with friends, and practicing Iyengar yoga.

That all changed in 2012 when I discovered Tiger Crane at the Kung Fu club in Islington. After earning my degree in Modern and Classical Chinese at SOAS and starting my first full-time office job, I realised I needed to do something physical and challenging. Up until that point, life was a routine of commuting to and from work, staring at a computer screen from 9 to 5, and going out with friends – standard London life. Finding the right Kung Fu club took some research, but once I did, I decided to give it a try, despite doubts that I might be too old or unfit.

On the way to my first class, I started having second thoughts and almost turned around, but a voice in my head stopped me.

“If you don’t go now, you never will, and there will always be an excuse not to do something.” So I went in, loved the class, and have kept coming back ever since.

Kung Fu became a central part of my life. Hours spent training techniques, doing pad work, sparring with others, and practising Tai Qi taught me discipline, patience, and focus – skills that I apply to this day in everything I do.

In 2015, after life-saving surgery, those skills helped me throughout my recovery: focusing on my breath and visualizing Tai Qi forms helped me calm my mind in the ICU and gave me the strength and determination to heal and return to class.

Walking to that first class was the first step on a transformative and rewarding journey. As a Kung Fu instructor, I can now guide other people on theirs.