Our Instructors & Staff Members

Our Instructors have spent many years devoted to training in the martial arts and have attained a certain level of expertise to qualify them as teachers and also mentors.

Through extensive testing, certification and tournament level competition, our staff has attained mastery in this martial art and now enjoy sharing their skill and passing it on to their students. Here are a few of YANG'S MARTIAL ARTS of AMESBURY's instructors and other staff members, starting with Scott Tarbell:

Scott Tarbell  (Owner / Chief Instructor)  INSTRUCTOR for Shaolin Kung Fu Yang Style Taijiquan Ving Tsun Kung Fu San Shou Sparring Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Scott Tarbell, a resident of Amesbury, came to the Worcester, Massachusetts area as a young boy from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Scott has studied a variety of martial arts throughout his life. He began his Karate training at the age of 8 with the Boy's club as well as boxing under the supervision of his father. Scott has studied Shaolin Longfist & White Crane Kung Fu, and Yang Style Taijiquan under Alex Kiesel,Chris Fazzio, and Paul Blake III at YMAA Andover. Scott also studies with Master Yang Jwing Ming, Nicholas C. Yang, and Jeff Pratt at the YMAA Headquarters in Boston. Scott has studied various topics while at YMAA such as Shaolin Kung Fu, Xing Yi, Praying Mantis, Qin Na, Tong Bei, Saber, Sword, Staff, Taiji Fighting Set and Applications, and various sets of Qigong. Scott takes various seminars with Master Yang throughout the year in order to improve his skills. Scott is currently involved in a Teacher training program at YMAA Boston in order to progress his studies and rank in Kung Fu, Taijiquan, and Qigong, as well as learn how to better teach the YMAA Shaolin Curriculum. Scott holds a 3rd degree black belt in San Chai Na Shaolin Kempo Karate under 10th Dan Grandmaster Carrozi, a 1st degree black belt in Modern Arnis and an advanced rank in Olympic Style Tae Kwan Do under 5th Dan Do Wun Kim the Ex-National Coach for the USA Olympic Tae Kwon Do Team. Scott has studied Pien San Wing Chun, Modern Arnis, Small Circle Jujitsu and Kyusho Jitsu extensively under 4th Dan Sifu Alex Lavaud. Scott switched over to the Leung Ting Wing Tsun Kung Fu system, after many years of prior training in classical Wing Chun. Scott was the first person ever to receive the rank and title of Primary Technician and Second Level Technicnian in Wing Tsun within the New England area. Scott has been training Submission Wrestling and Grappling since 1997. Scott joined Brazilian Top Team to study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Black Belt Daniel Gazoni. Scott was granted permission to teach No-Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2007 independently from his instructor Mr. Gazoni. As of 2010 the Amesbury school became affiliated with BTT which now teaches the Gi as well as no- gi. Scott continues his private and group training with Sensei Junior Ysalguez and Daniel Gazoni of Brazilian Top Team Boston. In total, Scott has over twenty years of training and has devoted the past ten years to teaching various martial arts. A graduate of Salem State College, Scott holds a B.S. in Psychology with a double minor in sociology and human biology, along with a Masters degree in Special Education. Scott and his wife Ayako are the proud parents of a girl Safiya Meekah and a boy Jonah Takuma, as well as their other "baby"- a Pug named Kujo and twin gray cats named Rosey and Charley. Scott spends his free time, studying Asian Language, Culture, and History, researching and training Mixed Martial Arts in Japan every summer, as well as researching Sport Psycholgy and Philosophy. Scott is also very dedicated to his daily training of Qigong and Zen meditation, as well as expanding his collection of oldies and classic rock albums. Scott is also a drummer in a Classic Rock band on the side. Scott is a Behavioral Specialist Special Education Teacher at Haverhill High School. Favorite Quote: "We all have inner demons to fight; we call these demons Fear, Hatred, and Anger. If defeated, then a life of single day is a triumph; if not, then a life of a hundred years is a tragedy."

Paul McTeague  (Shaolin Kung Fu Little Dragons Instructor) Paul McTeague has been involved in various martial arts over his 20 years of training such as... - 2nd Dan Black Belt in Kempo Karate - Kyushu Jitsu - Modern Arnis - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Wing Tsun Kung Fu - YMAA Kung Fu Paul is an excellent Instructor with a great personality whose love for the Martial Arts is evident in all aspects of his life.

Ian Dellea  (Shaolin Kung Fu Assistant Instructor) Ian Dellea has been involved in various martial arts since his early years. Ian's years of training include... - Black Belt in Kempo Karate - Kyushu Jitsu - Modern Arnis - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - YMAA Kung Fu Ian's dedication towards being an excellent Instructor and a great student can be seen immediately when one has the chance to work with this talented young man.

Junior Ysalguez  (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Head Instructor) Junior Ysalguez is the Chief Instructor of Amesbury Brazilian Top Team for our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program. Junior has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for close to ten years now under such teachers as Daniel Gazoni, Carlos Neto, and Joao Amaral of Brazilian Top Team Boston. Junior also spends his time training with various wrestling teams such as Boston University. A big fan of the "sport" as he calls it, Junior is always looking to improve himself and his students to reach that next level of Grappling skill.

Christian Alpuche  (Shaolin Kung Fu Asst. Instructor) Christian is a 1st stripe student of YMAA Boston who has extensive Kung Fu experience in Shaolin Kung Fu under Master Yang Jwing-Ming. Christian will be attending college in the fall to pursue a degree in Psychology with the intention of moving towards a law degree in the future. Christian continues to train at YMAA Boston and Amesbury to keep up his skills and refine his teaching methods as well. Christian is an excellent young instructor who always adds alot of charisma and energy to his classes!

Angel Alpuche  (Shaolin Kung Fu Asst. Instructor) Angel is a 2nd stripe student of YMAA Boston who has extensive Kung Fu and Taijiquan experience under Master Yang Jwing-Ming. Angel has lived at the exclusive YMAA Retreat Training Center in California, where he trained 8-10 hours per day under Master Yang Jwing-Ming. Angel continues to train at YMAA Boston and Amesbury to keep up his skills and refine his teaching methods as well. Angel is an excellent instructor who always adds alot of technicality and detail to his classes!

Nicholas Yang  (YMAA Technical Director) Nicholas C. Yang is a Guest Instructor at YMAA Amesbury, he frequents our school many times during the year to teach and check the quality of all YMAA material. Nicholas C. Yang was born on October 1st, 1981 and began training Wushu, or Kungfu/Gongfu, at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his father, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, at Yang's Martial Arts Association (YMAA) in Boston, Massachusetts. After years of practice, Nicholas began competing in several international and national tournaments, held by the U.S. Wushu Kungfu Federation, the U.S. Kuoshu Federation, and the U.S. Wushu Union, from 1994 to 2002, performing Shaolin Long Fist and White Crane. He was awarded 8 gold medals, 7 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals in events for barehand, sword, saber, staff, and two short rods [competition awards]. Throughout his teenage years, Nicholas helped teach adult Shaolin classes at YMAA in Boston. He has also traveled with his father to many countries around the world, including Poland, Portugal, France, South Africa, Qatar, and Chile, oftentimes assisting Dr. Yang in seminars. Outside of YMAA, Nicholas is an avid aficionado of computers. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science in 2003 and 2004 from Brown University. After working as a software engineer, Nicholas decided to return to college in Emeryville, California to pursue an education in Computer Animation at Ex'pression College for Digital Arts. Graduating as Salutatorian, he earned his B.A.S. degree in Computer Animation and Visual Effects, with a focus on 3D Technical Modeling, in January 2008. After having spent two years at Ex'pression College, Nicholas returned to Boston to become President of YMAA International. His father is now Supervisor of YMAA International and Director of the YMAA California Retreat Center. In February 2008, Nicholas earned the qualification of YMAA Shaolin Instructor. Today, Nicholas continues to teach Shaolin classes and to practice Taijiquan regularly at YMAA in Boston. "Throughout all of my life, YMAA has been my international family, a closely-knit network with an energy and will that continues to live on. It has become one of the great pillars of support in my life, a beacon of good people and spirit. I've seen several YMAA generations come and go, and I've watched YMAA evolve over the years, both as a school and an international organization. From a modest old building in Boston to a multinational network, YMAA has grown into a pioneering world symbol of tradition, quality, and friendship. It is one of the greatest honors of my life to help carry this legacy forward. I am always amazed at the amount of respect, good karma, and positive energy that my father brings to his many seminars and travels. He is, without a doubt, a hard act to follow. But I will nevertheless strive to maintain and improve the standards and quality that YMAA has come to stand for. I am forever proud to be a part of this organization, knowing its history and legacy, its mission and culture. I will be looking to all of YMAA International and the worldwide martial arts community to grow strong together, to continue to propagate martial morality and discipline, to persevere and push for Gongfu to become as alive and creative as the art once was hundreds of years ago." - Nicholas C. Yang

Daniel Gazoni  (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Technical Director) Daniel Gazoni has numerous credentials and accomplishments. We will be updating this section shortly to detail them.

For more information about the YANG'S MARTIAL ARTS of AMESBURY staff or training programs, please contact us at 978-388-2332 or by clicking here.