Master Loukas Kastrounis

The founder of Reading Academy Wing Chun & Kali Eskrima school (since 1992) and the leading authority and founder of The European Wing Chun Association.

Master Loukas Kastrounis is a third-generation descendant of Ip Man through his teacher, Grandmaster Wong Shun Leung, and a second-generation Kali instructor through Master Dan Inosanto.  Master Loukas teaches martial artists, law enforcement officers, the military and special forces.  His work is featured in the British and international press and he is a Combat Magazine Hall of Fame Achiever.

The most notable achievements of Master Loukas Kastrounis:

• 1992 – Founded the Reading Academy in Berkshire 
• 2003 – Received The Kung Fu Hall of Fame Achievers Award
• 2008 – Founded The European Wing Chun Association with Franco Regalzi
• 2013 – Appeared in a BBC 2 TV documentary about his Wing Chun and training schools
• 2014 – Appeared in a documentary on KOSMOS TV (Greek national TV)
• 2023 – Published his long awaited martial arts book `Wing Chun in Depth: Skills for Combat, Strategies for Life` 
• 2024 – Appeared on BBC Radio Berkshire about his lifetime achievements and contributions to martial arts

Master Loukas was born in Athens, Greece in July 1957.

His father George was a well known Maestro violinist which is how Master Loukas found his love of music and went on to study the piano at National Conservatory of Athens.

Whilst continuing with his school education at a young age, he joined a local boxing club in Peristeri, Athens.

In 1982, Master Loukas moved to England and worked in the catering industry where he discovered and joined the legendary ‘Basement’ in London, where he was taught Wing Chun under Master Nino Bernado / Grandmaster Wong Sheung Leung and Kali Eskrima under Master Nino Bernando / Guru Dan Inosanto (the infamous ‘Basement’ closed in December 2000).

In the first two years of his training, Master Loukas trained solidly on a one-to-one basis with with Si-Fu Nino Bernardo and afterwards, continued his 1-2-1 and group tuition.

Since 1992, with the authorisation of his teacher, Master Loukas Kastrounis opened his first school, ‘The Garage’ and has been teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu and Kali Eskrima JKD martial arts and in 1997, became Master Nino Bernardo’s main UK representative until 2008.

In August 1995, Master Loukas renamed his school the ‘Reading Academy Wing Chun – Kali Eskrima/JKD’.  Since then, Reading Academy has become a world famous school in the UK and throughout the world.

Master Loukas strongly believes, as he has learned from his teacher Si-Fu Nino Bernardo, that in a fight it is not who hits first that wins, but who hits last – and if you hit first and the opponents does not hit back, you still hit last!  Wing Chun teaches you how not to lose, and Kali Eskrima familiarises you with the practical reactions to the threat posed by weapons.

As Loukas puts it, “Wing Chun is a complete system of self-defence, including boxing, trapping, kicking, grappling and throwing.  The only condition for attaining all this knowledge is time – first, complete the entire system in order to understand it and understand yourself.  First, use the strategies, concepts and principles that you have learned and then it will become your own way.” It is like handwriting.

Since Master Loukas Kastrounis opened Reading Academy, he has featured in a number of martial arts magasines and newspaper articles in the UK and across the world.  He has also been interviewed multiple times (twice by the BBC).  Listen on BBC Radio Berkshire and watch on BBC TV & KOSMOS TV.  In 2000, he was in the limelight when he choreographed fighting scenes for a theatre production at The Mill in Sonning, Berkshire.

In October 2003, Loukas Kastrounis was presented with the Hall of Fame Achievers Award by Combat Magazine, in recognition of his commitment and devotion to the development of martial arts in the United Kingdom and around the world.

In 2023, Master Loukas become an author, releasing his long awaited martial arts book, ‘Wing Chun in Depth: Skills for Combat, Strategies for Life’, published globally by YMAA.

Wing Chun In-Depth: Skills for Combat, Strategies for Life

Master Loukas Kastrounis trained the Greek Army

September, 2018

Photo in Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete with the Greek Army & The Greek National Guards.  Master Loukas had the great honour to train the Greek army, the Greek National Guards, and high ranking officers in Crete.  This focused on armed and unarmed strategy, close combat fighting techniques and concepts of the Wing Chun Kung Fu / Kali Eskrima / Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee method) systems.

Summary and Achievements of Master Loukas Kastrounis