A group of young students from the Shentie Martial Arts Academy
will be travelling to Portugal in October to represent England in the
FSKA World Championships.
The students – 18 in all – are drawn from local schools, including Thomas Knyvett College, The
Echelford, Bishop Wand, Chennestone, Kenyngton Manor and Sunbury Manor, Oak hill,
Town farm, Ashford Park.
Their ages range from 8 to 22 and consist of 8 girls and 10 boys.
Shentie is a branch of martial arts developed by the enigmatically named Master Lee, who created
a unique ‘free form’ style of personal defence in response to being bullied at school.
Shentie borrows from a number of disciplines including kung-fu, kickboxing, tae kwon do and
karate and it not only equips students with useful self defence skills but it teaches them respect
and discipline.
Master Lee, who is the chief instructor at the academy in Staines, is a well-known figure locally,
visiting schools to talk about bullying and supporting the police with projects aimed at bolstering
community spirit and safety.
The Shentie Academy is based in Staines and has branches in the Spelthorne and
Hounslow boroughs.
Amid the excitement of the forthcoming trip, there is now a challenge to raise funds, and it is not
guaranteed that all squad members will be able to attend the championships.
“We are a non-profit club, so unless we can raise
the money through activities or a sponsor comes
forward, the students – or the parents of the
students – are going to have to fund the trip
themselves,” said head coach Sensei Graham Mercer.
“We would be very happy to talk to any local
business about a sponsorship opportunity to help
get us to Portugal as a team in the best possible
shape to win.”
Sensei Mercer is expecting great things from his squad.
“We won five gold medals at the Dublin WMO
World Championships 2017 and are looking to do
even better in Portugal.”
The event takes place just outside Lisbon on October 25-28.
For more information on the event and opportunities
please contact Master Lee on 07525 745723 or visit our website.