Payam Ezad Panah, also known by his Shaolin name (Shi Yan Gui 释延归), is a 34th Generation Disciple of the Shaolin Temple in China. He serves as an executive member of the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts (BCCMA) and is one of the UK’s most prominent and dynamic Traditional Wushu Coaches. With a rich training history spanning over three decades, Payam has both studied under and taught alongside some of the world’s most esteemed masters in traditional Wushu.
Payam’s comprehensive experience as a competitor, coach, and judge is enriched by his deep passion for martial arts. He embodies the core principles of a true martial artist: fairness, equality, respect, leadership, and teamwork. His martial arts journey began at the tender age of three in Iran, training under various Wushu masters. By the age of six, he was competing at regional and national levels. At fifteen, he migrated to the United Kingdom, where he continued to deepen his expertise in Chinese martial arts.
Since 2004, Payam has made regular trips to the Shaolin Temple to train intensively under the guidance of world-renowned masters. In 2007, he founded the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts and Cultural Centre in the UK, where he has dedicated himself to coaching and mentoring the next generation of martial artists. Despite his coaching responsibilities, Payam remains committed to his personal growth and regularly travels to the Shaolin Temple in China to train.
In addition to his coaching credentials, Payam is a qualified European Judge, adhering to the standards set by the Wushu KungFu Federation of Europe (WKFE). His dedication to martial arts and his students continues to inspire and profoundly influence the UK’s martial arts community.