MALAYSIANS ABROAD
Fact file
Name: Loke Meng Kwong
Age: 53
Hometown: Penang
Education: St Xavier's Institution, Penang
Occupation: Kungfu instructor
Current base: London
Years abroad: 32

Grandmaster Loke Meng Kwong guiding a young student during a practice session.

FROM karate instructor to kungfu grandmaster, Loke Meng Kwong has dedicated his whole life towards promoting Malaysia's very own martial arts in Britain.

A staunch supporter of Brand Malaysia, he drew inspiration from the country's rich cultural history and founded an academy to teach his unique style of martial arts.

Called the Tang Sou Dao (Way of the Tang Hand), the technique combines the sophistication of ancient Shaolin with modern teaching methods.

Said the 53-year-old Penangite: "My vision is to promote our own martial arts and bestow a legacy our children will be proud of. Whether it is Malay silat, Chinese wushu or Indian martial arts, it will be a truly Malaysian legacy."

Indeed, Loke runs the largest martial arts academy in Grays, Essex, east of London, where he has taught more than 15,000 students, promoted 700 to black belt and 12 to sifu (masters) status over the past three decades.

In Britain alone, he has about 40 centres around London, Devon, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and northern Ireland as well as clubs in Greece, New Zealand, Mexico and an affiliate in Malaysia.

On the average, about 2,000 students receive training at the centres annually, including 500 under Loke, with ages ranging from four to 67.

In fact, at least two dozen students have been with Loke between 15 and 30 years – they have even brought along their children and grandchildren for the sessions.

"It's like one big family. We've become close friends – no longer sifu and student," he said.

Suffice to say, Loke's martial arts school not only teaches self-defence, mental discipline and physical fitness, it also helps students improve their inner-self.

Loke took great pains to explain two essential virtues – Ren (Humility and Respect) and Yi (Loyalty and Responsibility) – which formed the basis of the academy's name.

Hence, Ren Yi Wu Kuan (Ren Yi Martial Arts Academy) Tang Sou Dao was founded in 1998 to take the unique art into the 21st century.

Loke pointed out that the academy's philosophy was reflected in the seven principles – loyalty, obedience, respect, self-control, humility, responsibility and knowledge.

"It is crucial for students to cultivate these virtues so that they can conduct themselves with honour and dignity," he said.

Reiterating that learning martial arts is for life and not just to get a black belt, he said in Hokkien: "Ai Choe Siu Hu Teo Bay Choe Lang Thow Seng (To be master, one must truly understand the meaning of life),"

For Loke, his determination to succeed in life can be traced back to his schooldays at St Xavier's Institution in Penang.

He recalled being taunted by schoolmates for walking with a limp – his left leg was shorter by seven cm after suffering from osteoporosis at the age of four.

Grandmaster Loke Meng Kwong (centre) together with his students at his academy in Grays, Essex, east of London.

"However, that only drove me to push myself harder," he said. He went on to excel in sports and bagged the school's under-15 badminton singles title and under-19 runner's up.

In 1966, Loke trained under grandmaster Lim Cheng Hock in Penang where he learnt karate, Thai boxing, Praying Mantis, White Crane and Shaolin 18 Hands Luohan.

"My grandmaster was very innovative, combining what works best for him and developing his own style," he said.

Three years later, Loke represented Malaysia at the Sixth Asian Karate Championship in Manila at the age of 17, where he clinched third place (lightweight division). Lim was the middle-weight champion.

Between 1970 and 1972, Loke set up the Lower Perak Karate Association in Teluk Intan where he taught about 500 students.

His turning point came in October 1973 when he left for Britain to take up the post of a male nurse in a hospital.

Loke admitted he bought a one-way ticket for RM750 and had only RM50 in his pocket for his "make or break" mission.

"I knew I was not cut out to be a nurse and only used it as a stepping stone to further my martial arts career in Britain," he said.

After six months as a nurse, Loke teamed up with a Korean martial arts expert to run the biggest Tang Soo Do club in the country. Despite the proliferation of martial arts centres then due to the Bruce Lee film mania, the club thrived initially, attracting over 400 students.

By the end of 1980, Loke realised he had to develop his own technique as "martial arts is a living concept which must evolve continuously."

"You cannot teach something which somebody passes down to you hook, line and sinker. This is because the meaning would have been probably lost. And you can't say you have to practice it just because it was done 200 years ago," he added.

In 1998, Loke's academy was eventually formed where he became the founder president and grandmaster of the British Tang Sou Dao Federation.

For Loke, martial arts is a passion, not just a livelihood, stressing that he would continue teaching "even when I'm 90 years old."

Loke's ultimate mission is to further develop his technique and set up more martial arts centres in Britain and in Malaysia.

"I have stayed in Britain for 32 years but my heart is still with Malaysia," he said.

Loke, who returns to Malaysia every year, said his 74-year-old mother who stays in Tanjung Tokong, Penang, is a feisty lady with a passion for cooking nyonya dishes. He has four siblings and is married to fellow Malaysian Lee Lie Ling. The couple have two daughters, Siew Ying, 25, a criminal barrister and fourth degree black belt holder and May Ying, 25, a medical graduate and third degree black belt holder.

Loke hopes more Malaysians will take up martial arts which teaches discipline and physical fitness as well as enhances self-confidence in their daily lives.

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