My name is Panagiotis Pierrakos. Martial arts practicing was something that attracted me from a young age but I took my first steps in Shaolin Kung Fu in 1991 with ShiFu Grigoris Grigoriou.
A year later, alongside my studies in America (De Kalb, Illinois), I started training with ShiFu Arthur Berry, a student of Chin HoYin, a self-exiled Shaolin monk. With ShiFu Berry I studied Northern Shaolin, Chin na and Green Dragon Tai Praying Mantis for the next 4.5 years under which I also got my black belt (I am a member of the American Kung-Fu Association since 1996).
During this time, I often visited Greece where I was introduced to modern Wu Shu (*Chinese Martial Arts) by G. Grigoriou, a German champion at the time and student of the Chinese Master Yuan Xi. Master Yuan Xi was a professor at Tianjin Sports University and in charge of the university's Wu Shu team. With these supplies I competed in open United States championships, earning over time not only trophies and honors, but also the position of the Referee in many of them.
Upon my return to Greece, I enriched my knowledge near G. Grigoriou, and participated in championships and demonstrations as a member of his demonstration team.
In 1998 – 2000, I started teaching Wu Shu at the Gym "Champion" (Center of Athens).
From 1999 to 2001 I assumed the presidency of the Athletic Sports Association "The Gladiator" striving for the best promotion of wu shu in our country.
In April 2002 I signed an agreement for the representation in Greece, Cyprus and Italy with of the largest Martial Arts schools in China, the "Shongjiang Wushu School" for the exchange of students and educational missions in China.
In December 2002, I presented to the Greek public, in Athens and Patras, a 20-member group of Chinese athletes from the province of Henan, the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu, who demonstrated their expertise in Shaolin Kung Fu and "hard" Qi Gong.
In June 2003, I followed as a Tour Leader and trained with the Shaolin Monks (invited as part of the Cultural Olympiad), and especially connected with Elder Monks Zheng Shuji (Shi Deshu) and Zhang Jisheng.
From the year 2004 I started teaching Yang Tai Ji Quan at the Sports club "O Kronos" in Kallithea. At the same time, from that moment on, I started private lessons to teachers of other martial art styles in order to let the general public know the beauty of Tai Chi.
In 2012, continuing my studies in Chinese martial arts in Greece, I received the Black Belt in Wu Shu Kung Fu.
In 2014 I was fortunate enough after many years of searching to begin the Chen style Tai Ji Quan apprenticeship under the guidance of Plutarchos Vlachopoulos, a student of Grand Master Liming Yue, from the genealogical line of GM Chen Zhenglei. GM Chen Zhenglei is one of the 4 elders of Chen style system continuer.
In 2016 I attended the first seminar with Master Chen Bing. His teaching was really as they say "I reached the source" ... after that there was no other way... I eagerly attended all his seminars in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and have been following his teaching style ever since.
Master Chen Bing is the official successor of the Chen Tai Ji Quan lineage, a descendant of Chen Wang Ting (creator of Tai Ji Quan), and the nephew of the world-renowned "living treasure" of the People's Republic of China, GM Chen Xiao Wang!
In 2019, the dream came true and I went for study in China with the aim of training hard and deepen my knowledge in Taiji. I stayed at Master Chen Bing's Academy for almost a month in ChenJiaGou Village, Henan Province where the art of Tai Ji Quan was born.
Assistant instructor of self-defense seminars for Bright Security Services employees.
Today I specialize in Chen Tai Ji Quan (pronounced Chen Tai Tzi Chuan), constantly increasing my knowledge because I believe that practicing Martial Arts is a never-ending learning process.
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