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Nasser Butt is a Senior Instructor and personal student of Erle Montaigue (Master Degree, China) and has been studying Chinese martial arts for more than 30 years.
He initially trained in Wing Chun for several years before moving onto what is now his main area of study, The Erle Montaigue System Of Fighting & Healing, comprising of Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Wudangquan and Qigong or, as he now prefers to call it - “Move To Survive”! Nasser started his study of the internal arts, particularly the 'Old' Yang Style of Taijiquan and Baguazhang, over 18 years ago.
"I was lucky to find a good instructor who introduced me to the neijia and the work of Erle Montaigue," he says, "I was totally mesmerized and hooked from day one. Up until then, like most people, I had considered Taijiquan as a health exercise for the elderly or for those who weren't interested in learning a 'real' martial art and not a brutal fighting system!”
In 1999, Nasser attended his first workshop, in Folkestone, to finally meet and train under Erle, himself, during the European leg of his tour. The pattern of attending these yearly workshops, while practicing under Erle's UK representatives, was to continue over the next few years until Erle finally left Australia and moved to Wales at the end of 2003.
From then onwards, Nasser studied regularly under the watchful gaze of Erle, himself, in his instructors classes, workshops and his home, continuing to improve his Taijiquan and Baguazhang, as well as improving his fighting skills and rising to the rank of a Senior Instructor and North England Representative for the WTBA. Erle regarded Nasser as one of his “most highly trained instructors in the UK” for his system of fighting and he regularly accompanied Erle on his overseas seminars both in Europe and the USA.
Nasser continued his training uninterrupted with Erle right up until Erle’s untimely death at the beginning of 2011. "Erle had been a father figure for almost a decade, constantly advising and encouraging all of us, who studied his system, whilst still allowing us the independence to 'work' things out for ourselves," he keenly adds, "but more than that he was a mate, readily available whenever needed."
He has been teaching Taijiquan as a fighting system, alongside his training partner and fellow Senior Instructor Elliot Morris, in and around Leicestershire, for over 16 years and is deeply passionate about people 'rediscovering' the real nature of this wonderful art.
In 2006, Erle had asked Nasser to begin teaching on a full-time basis. In 2010, after several years of hiring of halls, Nasser finally decided to set up a purpose built school dedicated to The Erle Montaigue System in his hometown, Leicester, with students attending regular classes and seminars from across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the USA.
Upon Erle’s death, Nasser helped Eli - Erle’s son - with the transition of taking over the helm of the WTBA as per Erle’s wishes, which he had publicly declared in his lifetime.
Nasser revived, edited and published Combat & Healing until May 2016, at which point he ‘retired’ the magazine - originally edited by Erle Montaigue, himself, before he handed it over to Nasser in 2009, after a period of almost 18 months of non-publication! He has received critical acclaim for some of his original articles written on the historical aspects of Yang Taijiquan.
In November 2016, Nasser launched and published Lift Hands Magazine - an inclusive new online martial arts magazine, not only for the internal martial artists and students of the Neijia, but also bringing together the best of the external and reality based fighting arts. The magazine, although only in its infancy, has already been voted Runner Up Magazine of the Year 2017, by the British Martial Arts Awards 2017!
Nasser continues to train and teach in Leicester with Elliot Morris, as well as other senior instructors of Erle, such as Peter Jones - a close personal friend and one of Erle’s oldest personal students and most highly respected instructors in the world.
In May 2016, Nasser resigned from the WTBA after almost two-decades to forge his own path and continue his own research into the internal arts, as taught by his mentor and friend - Erle Montaigue.
In April 2017, at the British Martial Arts Awards 2017, held at Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, Nasser was voted Runner Up Martial Arts Man of the Year 2017 by his peers in recognition of his ongoing contribution to and the promotion of authentic martial teachings, as well as his charitable work within the community.