Kung fu nun from Buddhist order visits school to speak to pupils

A Kung fu nun who is part of the only female order in the world to learn the martial art visited a  school to teach girls about sisterhood and female empowerment.

Buddhist nun Ting lives in the Himalayas in Nepal where she learned the art made famous by Bruce Lee.

She visited Roedean School in Brighton to talk to pupils about female empowerment and also about green living, having advocated for environmental awareness and encouraged people to use bicycles instead of cars.

She met girls from the school’s Year 12 to talk about her training.

Roedean teacher Suzanne Sturgeon said: “It was an incredible privilege to hear from Ting about her life and the amazing work she does as a kung fu nun.

“Her words of wisdom were very empowering for Year 12 to hear and she reminded us of the importance of the actions we take and the positive impact these can have on those around us.

“She ended with a beautifully peaceful guided meditation leaving us with a calm determination to be our best selves.”

Buddhist nun Ting is part of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa order based in Nepal who learn martial arts as part of their day-to-day life.

Buddhist nun Ting (Image: Roedean School)

The women were first taught the martial art after the order’s founder sought to empower women and promote gender equality after seeing nuns in Vietnam receiving combat training.

The training includes work with weapons and other techniques such as brick breaking.

Nuns in the order also learn English as well as plumbing and electrical fitting.

The monastic order was crucial in helping remote Nepalese villages recover after the devastating earthquake which hit the country in 2015.

The nuns walked from village to village to help move debris as well as feeding victims and helping them find shelter.

Drukpa nuns are also known for their environmentalism with some in the order having cycled over 2,000km from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, to Delhi in India.