Train the internal arts with purpose

I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend Ollie Smith as a Bagua teacher in Bath, UK. Ollie possesses an extensive knowledge of Bagua, a Chinese martial art that focuses on circular movements, agility, and internal force cultivation. His deep understanding of the art form is evident in his ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and concise manner. It is very difficult to find a teacher who has learnt the art in a traditional manner from an authentic master in Taiwan over an extended period i.e., 8 years in Taiwan and practicing over 20 years overall. I am finding the classes rewarding, demanding and stimulating in equal measure. Ollie is a good teacher.

I've been training Gao Bagua with Ollie online for 5 months and I wanted to share my experience. Ollie is a fantastic teacher and an accomplished martial artist. The classes are engaging and stimulating, giving you heaps to work on in your own practice. The balance of detail and pacing given with the applications, body mechanics and principles works really well. And importantly, Ollie teaches as the person he naturally is, that kind of humbleness and authenticity is rare. His focus is purely on the training and how he can support his students to grow. After many years studying the internal martial arts with other teachers, I feel lucky to now be part of his school. I wish I lived closer to Bath and I wish he had been my first Bagua teacher. So a huge thank you to you Ollie for keeping it real. True gong fu.

Ollie is an excellent teacher. His long time experience has giving him a solid background in Nei Jia Quan. It's a real pleasure to learn Xing Yi Quan from him. I recommend him to both beginner and advanced students of those arts.

Ollie is a friendly, honest and knowledgeable teacher with a lifetime of experience in martial arts. His lessons have a calm and personal atmosphere, and he takes time to plan activities for learners that reflect their skill levels and needs. He has spent over ten years in Taiwan learning kung fu and is eager to pass on his knowledge and experience.

Ollie is a fantastic traditional Internal Kung Fu teacher who really knows his stuff and importantly is able to keep things real. No crouching tiger hidden dragon moves here.

I've been Ollie's student for over 5 years, both as part of a class and also one to one, and you'd struggle to find someone better equipped to teach bagua and xing yi. He is in regular contact with his teacher in Taiwan, and returns to his school to keep his knowledge consistent with Yizong lineage. These classes will suit an experienced practitioner looking to refine their skills, or someone new to kung fu who wants to learn an authentic internal art. I started studying the martial arts over 40 years ago, and my only regret is that I would have liked to have met Ollie earlier.

Great authentic internal martial arts. Highly recommend.