Sifu Alex Istari

My training in Kung Fu now lies with gaining insights, developing higher levels of awareness for use in life and cultivating my mind. We all suffer from stress in one form or another but very few people channel it out of their system. Training has helped me achieve this. A further part of the SAS Martial Arts academy is the high level of social bond between its members. Events, socials and holidays keep the school close.

My introduction to the martial arts began at the age of 7, having studied judo at my local Dojo in Willesden Green. This lasted only a few months. I kept a distant interest in the martial arts up to the age of 13. I decided it was time to action the desire I had building within and joined my local Karate school but again lost interest. I searched for local schools and started Shotokan Karate at Willesden Sports Centre with a school friend who was to become my Kung Fu brother 7 years on. I joined many Karate schools through school to Univeristy where I started in 1993 – 5 in total. I reached brown belt at University and fought with the London Karate team and quickly discovered that for all my years of training I had exercised many external movements but not cultivated a martial artists’ mind.

After leaving school I went to University College London to study Engineering, and to leave having taken an MSc in Information. It was here that I was introduced to a wealth of martial arts, but only one school – Master Andrew Sofos – stood out for me.

I started Wing Chun Kung Fu in 1993 under Master Andrew Sofos and stopped training Karate after 6 months. The principals I was taught in Wing Chun were effective, direct and made good common sense. 16 years on and the same words ring in my ear when I teach. I took to Master Andrew’s teaching and school in Tottenham throughout University life as a second home and continue to teach, privileged, as a Sifu.

My training in Kung Fu now lies with gaining insights, developing higher levels of awareness for use in life and cultivating my mind. We all suffer from stress in one form or another but very few people channel it out of their system. Training has helped me achieve this. A further part of the SAS Martial Arts academy is the high level of social bond between its members. Events, socials and holidays keep the school close.

Having left university I joined EDS, a large IT services company, but quickly found my motivation to work there drawing to a close. I left and joined a Dutch investment bank where I work to this day within its e-Business division immersed with analysing and developing web-related technologies. I have a keen interest in sports and often find myself aspiring to be the next great tennis champion – don’t think I’ll give up my day job just yet. Today I conduct my own seminars and assist Master Andrew Sofos at all the major events of our academy.