In 1973, at the age of twelve and inspired by episode 13 (“The Third Man”) of the American television series, “Kung Fu”, Simon Lailey’s life was changed forever as he was mind-blown by both the programme and the art.
Everything happens for a reason
With no kungfu being taught on the Isle of Wight at that time, Simon went in search of every book and every magazine he could find on Buddhism, Daoism, Oriental Philosophy and Oriental Spirituality all of which fell in-line with what he was “learning” via the television series.
Thus his understanding of the Oriental spiritual World blossomed. Everything happens for a reason.
First karate dojo
Then, in 1974, a karate “dojo” opened in Ryde so Simon immediately joined that school. “Okay”, he thought, “this is not kungfu. But it is the nearest discipline available.”
Years later he discovered that this art (traditional Okinawan Gojuryu Karate -Do) was actually based on kungfu.
Again, everything happens for a reason.
Trained to “Third-Level” Black Belt
Simon’s karate training continued for fourteen years during which time he earnt his “Third-Level” Black Belt. During this period Simon studied Theravada Buddhism under a monk from north-East Thailand, Filipino “Stick And Blade” fighting under one of Bruce Lee’s teachers (this art Simon now teaches), went to Tokyo for a month to train six hours a day under a leading karate master, and spent eight weeks in The Philippines where he studied under masters and grandmasters of the local fighting arts.
World travels
In 1988 Simon left the UK and spent ten years travelling the world. His first stop was Bangkok where he studied Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), then he took a ten-hour train ride north-east to a Forest monastery where he continued his training in Forest-Style Buddhism.
Having spent time in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, a spiritual island called Pulau Besar, and then travelling further southwards to Singapore, Simon was invited to south-east China (karate’s ancestral and spiritual home) where he attended a kungfu-karate research event.
This led to his spending three years there where he studied Lion-, Tiger-, Crane-, Dog- Chicken- and Shaolin-style kungfu. All of this was, of course, unplanned.
More travelling and studying
Moving southwards to Hong Kong, Simon spent three years there where he studied Dragon-Style kungfu. He also spent three years in America studying Gojuryu, one year in Australia studying Gojuryu, and half a year in Taiwan where he continued his studies of Crane-style kungfu.
In 1995 Simon spent time in the world’s oldest “Chinatown” – “Binondo” in Manila. There he began to study another style of kungfu (Fujian Five Ancestor Fist”) under one of the many local kungfu masters. Virtually every year Simon returns – for more training and more insight.
Meeting the greatest
During his ten years travelling the world Simon met with, trained under and interviewed many of the world’s senior-most sensei, sifu, masters and grandmasters including one Chinese kungfu grandmaster who the Chinese declared a “Living National Treasure” and another Chinese kungfu grandmaster who was ninety-eight years of age when he first taught Simon.
Six years later Simon was still learning full-contact kungfu from this man.
Teaching on the Island
In 1998 Simon returned to the Island where he immediately began teaching what he had learnt overseas. That was twenty-five years ago.
Since then he has studied Taijiquan (Tai Chi) which he also teaches, and in 2016, during another research mission to south-east China, he met with an abbot of a Buddhist Temple who is now teaching Simon “Chinese Zen”.
Indeed, of the abbot’s 30,000 disciples, Simon is the only non-Oriental and has been given full permission to teach his master’s teachings. Simon’s Buddhist name in “Jingshi” meaning “He who teaches the pure Way”.
Full-time teaching
In 2008 Simon retired from the PAYE system and began to teach his skills full-time.
Now he is a virtual recluse, rarely going out (if he does, it is back to The Orient), training every day in his back garden Chinese Temple and teaching just a few classes each week.
Second life begins at 60
In Japan they say that when one reaches the age of 60, one’s second life begins. Simon had planned to be in Japan for his sixtieth birthday (in 2020) and so for the beginning of his second life…but Covid 19 prevented that.
Although somewhat delayed, that pilgrimage will happen, and when it does it will be a far more ambitious venture that the one he originally had planned. Everything happens for a reason.
Annual trips to The Philippines
Hardly a year goes by when Simon is not in The Orient which, he knows, is his spiritual home.
Having married a Filipina whom he met whilst living in Hong Kong, she and Simon go to The Philippines almost annually where he meets with other kungfu masters and continues his training.
Protecting and preserving ancient and priceless Ways of Chinese martial arts
In a world where modernity, technology, gadgetry, distractions and a blind adherence to an accepted normality takes many individuals away from a meaningful and focussed path, Simon sees his role in society as one who protects and preserves the ancient and priceless Ways of the Chinese martial arts and related cultural disciplines.
Refusing to dilute, Westernise and cheapen his arts, Simon’s following is very small. But quality over quantity. Everything happens for a reason.
Simon’s journey continues, as it always will.
News shared by Simon, in his own words. Ed
