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About Us
 The White Dragon Association,
including the Bai
Ying School,
teaches traditional Chinese martial arts in a traditional manner. There are
no belts, nor grades; the martial arts are not practised for sport, and
there is no sparring. The styles are taught precisely and thoroughly,
building up into comprehensive systems. By teaching this way the student
gains health in both mind and body, learning both physically and
spiritually. The association’s training philosophy is
captured here.
The White Dragon Association became
established in the south of England
in 1979 but its historical roots go back much further. The school teaches
traditional Chinese martial arts that have been handed down, teacher to
student, for hundreds of years, often within closed or family circles.
There is more on this in our Kung Fu
history and Tai Chi Chuan
history sections. The school was established by its chief instructor Tai
Bai Lung (John Dyke) who already had many years experience of martial arts.
Here he explains how he began his interests in martial arts:
 “I began training in martial arts at a very young age in
Karate, learning from Tetsy Suzuki in London
and Ray Richardson in Reading,
as well as from my uncle. However I began to find Karate unsatisfactory and
ill-suited to me. It was by good fortune that around this time (early
60’s) that I met Mr Chih, a Chinese Manchu who had come to live in
England following the end of the 2nd world war. Mr Chih was a
quiet, very reserved man, and it was not until a year later that I found
out that he even knew martial arts, let alone have him teach me. This only
came about because he needed someone to train with his son. This was the
beginning of a long association. Later I learnt that most of Mr.
Chih’s family had died in the war in which he had fought the Japanese
as a resistance fighter in Machuria. Both of his brothers died fighting.
When the war was over he moved to England.
“I learnt the Ga Mo Faat
Kung Fu system from Mr Chih, studying and training over 20 years. In the
early 1970s as I became interested in Tai Chi Chuan, he also taught me Yang style Tai Chi. I continued to learn
all that I could from him up to about 1991 shortly before he became very
ill and passed away.”
Mr Chih gave John his Chinese name, Tai Bai Lung, and
during the 1970’s, and into 1980’s, John became increasingly
involved with the Chinese community in the Basingstoke
and Hampshire area. As well as studying martial arts, John also learnt to
speak Chinese. Becoming immersed in this community gave him the opportunity
to train with many martial artists and exposed him to different traditional
styles of Kung Fu and, increasingly, Tai Chi Chuan.
 “I was fortunate to work with some exceptionally
talented martial artists over the 70’s and 80’s. I’m not
able to name them all as they’d prefer to remain anonymous and I wish
to respect that. They do not run schools or classes nor have an interest in
teaching. However I can mention some: Miss Mo Mai Ling, a very good martial
artist, practised Long Fist and Choy-li-fut systems of Kung Fu. I trained
with her from 1982 to 1986 when she returned to China following the death
of her father; Mr Tin Sin was a great friend of mine that practised Baak San Kuen and Wu Yang Tai Chi. I learnt
a great deal from him over the course of about 10 years; I also learnt much
from a friend of his, Lu Shao Pao, including several Chi Kung forms.”
“I learnt the Mantis
style of Kung Fu and the Chen Style of Tai Chi
from Mr Chen Huan, studying with him over about five to six years.
Unfortunately I lost contact with him when he returned to China. I learnt Sun style Tai Chi from Lee Hung over the course of about
five years whilst he was studying at Reading University.
Following the death of my main teacher I found Mr Wong Lu San to continue
my training with. I also studied Sun style Tai Chi with Wong Lu San as well
as the Wu Hao style of Tai Chi and further Wu Yang Tai Chi. I spent about
ten years with Wong Lu San before he moved back to Taiwan and then to
Australia.”
The White Dragon Association school quickly expanded
in the early 1980s setting up classes in Gloucester,
Stroud, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Andover,
Reading, and Newbury as well as its original
class in Basingstoke. In 1991 it opened
its first dedicated full-time centre in New Greenham
Park nr. Newbury
which unfortunately had to close in 2005 as the lease expired. WDA also
operated a second full-time centre in Gloucester
from 1998 to 2003. This centre had to be closed as the premises for this
centre became unsuitable.
Today the White Dragon association continues to run
classes in Newbury, Basingstoke, Reading, Cirencester,
Stroud, Cheltenham, Gloucester, and the Forest of Dean. For details see our contact page. The association is actively seeking new
accommodation and hope to open a new full-time centre in 2008.
“There are many good people that I’ve been
fortunate to train with and learn from over the many years, only some of
whom I’ve been able to mention here. I’d like to thank them all
for their help and their great patience in teaching me, especially in my
younger years when I was not the best of students; not always listening! I
would like express my thanks especially for Mr Chih for all of his efforts
and persuasiveness that enabled me to practise martial arts over many
years.”
Tai Bai Lung, 2007
Contact
the White Dragon or Bai
Ying Chinese
Martial Arts
Schools:
Telephone: (01452) 540 657
Email: whitedragon@whitedragon.co.uk
 Click Here for information on our Introduction Courses and class fees
"Because
they do not compete, the world cannot compete with them. Is not the ancient
saying true, "To yield is to preserve unity?" for true wholeness
comes from turning within." - Lao zu
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