Biography
Iraklis Stamatis was born in Athens on 12th of February, 1974.
He has been dealing with the martial arts since 1996. He owns the 3rd Degree since December 2007.
Since 2002 he is dealing professionally as an instructor of Kung Fu, having created his own school in Ano Patisia, called “Evolution Tiger School”.
In 2003 he graduated from the faculty of trainers of the Hellenic Wushu Kung-Fu Federation and he is a qualified Third Grade Category trainer recognized from the General Secretary of Sports, while he possesses a diploma of Semi Contact referee of the third grade category since 2005.
In 2004 he was selected at the national team of Semi Contact and he was rewarded from the Greek Fu Jow Pai Athletic Union, in 2006, for his European-level distinctions.
He has been the General Secretary of Hellenic Fu Jow Pai Athletic Union from 2006 until 2008 and until today he is a member of the Fighting Committee of the Athletic Union and the fighting sub-committee of the Hellenic Wushu Kung-Fu Federation.
On October 2003, he travelled to the USA as the representative of Greek Fu Jow Pai Athletic Union, aiming at the contact with Sifu Nelson Giboyeaux and contributing the best for the realization of a collaboration of the Union with his Sifu Nelson Giboyeaux.
On April 2004, he was rewarded for his efforts in the development of the Fu Jow Pai system, by Sifu Nelson Giboyeaux, who henceforth is the regional Director of the Fu Jow Pai Union in Europe. He visited the USA, again, on October 2007 on the occasion of the celebrations for the 50th Fu Jow Pai anniversary , which were realized in New York. There he had the chance to meet in person with the masters of the system, namely Sigung Wai Hong Ng, Sibok Tak Wah Eng and many others.
In the summer of 2009, due to a serious knee injury, he decided to retire from competitive action, so he also retired from the Semi Contact national team.
He began his training on October of 1996 at the association of N. Philadelphia with Nektarios Samiotis and continued practicing with Nikos Memmos (5th Degree). From October 2003, up until 2015, he has been a disciple of Sifu Nelson Giboyeaux. After Sifu Nelson Giboyeaux's decision to retire, he is a disciple of Sifu Tak Wah Eng. From 2002 until 2010 he had also been practicing in Wu Tai Chi with Dionysios Tsetselis, who is the person in charge for the system in Athens.
On March 2012 he received an honorary proposal by the Greek Federation of Wushu Kung Fu for the post of Chairman of the Technical Committee of Point Fighting (Semi Contact), which he accepted.
Since 1st of January 2012, he is, once again, elected as General Secretary of the Athletic Union of Fu Jow Pai. He is a member of the tripartite committee of the Fu Jow Pai Sports Sector, which was founded by 1/1/2013.
On January 2014, he received the rank of 4th degree as an honorary award, by the Hellenic Wushu Kung-Fu Federation, for his long contribution to the field of Wushu Kung-Fu.
On March 2014 he began attending the instructors seminar in Luohan Qi Gong, under the strict supervision and guidance of Sifu Gaspar Garcia, and after a year of intensive training he managed to complete the course, by succeeding on the examinations that qualified him as a certified Luohan Qi Gong instructor, on May 2015.
Heracles Stamating, carrying on the effort for seamless and sustained progress on the art of Fu Jow Pai Kung Fu, travelled and stayed for eight days at the city of New York, on April 14th 2015. Along with three other members of the Hellenic Fu Jow Pai Athletic Union's Sports Division, they performed training sessions under the supervision of Sifu Tak Wah Eng. After this trip, Sifu Tak Wah Eng has become the successor teacher of Heracles Stamatis, which makes a big success and a great honor, as well as a recognition of his consistent and seamless work for the past 11 years.
He also performed training sessions alongside Sifu Paul Koh, the senior student of Sifu Tak Wah Eng, exchanging valuable experiences and working for many hours on advanced forms of the system.
Finally, he arranged meetings and training sessions at historical locations for the art of Fu Jow Pai, such as the Colombus Park and the Headquarters of Fu Jow Pai Federation, under the supervision of Fu Jow Pai's gatekeeper, Si Gung Wai Hong Ng. These sessions have been focused on an advanced form - trademark of the system, one to be teached solely to the disciples of Si Gung Wai Hong Ng. Another great distinction that also bears a great responsibility towards the system he is serving for many years.
The trips to New York, for training and expansion of knowledge and a deeper understanding of the system, continued for Sifu Heraklis Stamatis in the following years 2017, 2018, 2019. In 2017 there was yet another honor for him from the Si Gung system leader Wai Hong. During his stay in New York, Si Gung Wai Hong awarded him the diploma of the 5th Generation Continuators of the Fu Jow Pai Kung Fu system and the title of Sifu. A distinction that very few people in the world have at the moment.
On January 2017 he became a member of the Greek Wushu Kung Fu Federation's Technical Committee for the southern styles.
Since January 2018, he has left the Fu Jow Pai Kung Fu Association, following his own independent path, always respecting the principles, standards and values of the traditional system he represents in Greece.
Since 2018 he is the organizer of the Kung Fu Training Summer Camp and the Body and Mind Self Defense Seminars. Two highly successful events with many participants even from abroad. The first event is a week-long martial arts camp that hosts various styles and the second event is a two-day body and mind self-defense seminar.
Seminars given
2008 - 2015, Kwoon class at the Martial Arts Seminar, organized by the Hellenic Fu Jow Pai Union
March 2012, Fu Jow Pai seminar at Syros
April 2012, Point Fighting seminar at Thesalloniki
November 2013, Fu Jow Pai seminar at Syros
October 2014, Fu Jow Pai seminar at Syros
official Achievements
2011, 3rd Place, Southern Styles, Empty Hands, A' Category, 12th Hellenic Championship of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 9-10/4/2011
2011, 2nd Place, Short Weapons, A' Category, 12th Hellenic Championship of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 9-10/4/2011
2011, 3rd Place, Long Weapons, A' Category, 12th Hellenic Championship of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 9-10/4/2011
2009, 1st Place, Southern Fist (B), 10th Hellenic Taolu Championshp of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 4-5/4/2009
2009, 3rd Place, Short Weapons (B), 10thη Hellenic Taolu Championshp of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 4-5/4/2009 Ομοσπονδίας Wu Shu Kung Fu, Αθήνα 4-5/4/20092007, 1st Place, Short Weapons (B), 8th Hellenic Taolu Championshp of the Hellenic Wushu Kung Fu Federation, Athens 9-7/5/20072007, 1st Place -84 kg, Hellenic Championship of POK, Thessaloniki, 24-25/11/07
2007, 2nd Place -84 kg, Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens 3-4/02/2007
2007, 3rd Place Open Category Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens, 3-4/02/2007
2006, 3rd Place Teams Category Golden Belt III, Torino, 9-10 /12/2006
2006, 1st Place -84 kg, Hellenic Championship of POK, Thessaloniki, 25-26/11/2006
2006, 5th Place Open Category, 4th Italian Open International, Bergamo, 15-16/10/2006
2005, 3rd Place -80 kg, Hellenic Championship of POK, Athens, 18/12/2005
2005, 6th Place -79 kg, WAKO World Championship, Hungary, 28/11- 2/12/2005
2005, 2nd Place -80 kg, WORLD PROFI European Championship, Loutraki 11/2005
2005, 2nd Place, Team Category, Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens, 01/2005
2005, 2nd Place, Grand Champion, Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens, 01/2005
2004, 3rd Place -79 kg, Mediterranean WAKO Championship, Halkida, 19-20/06/2004
2004, 1st Place -85 κιλά, Hellenic Championship of POK, Athens, 18-19/12/2004
2004, 1st Place, Team Category, Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens, 03/2004
2004, 1st Place, Athens Challenge Tournament, Athens, 03/2004
2003, 3rd Place -79 kg, WORLD PROFI World Championship, Kos, 28/4-4/5/2003
