Kung Fu Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, classes are designed with beginners in mind. We have a very open and friendly club and beginners are always very welcome.
Never, the great thing about Kung Fu is that you can start at any age. Kung Fu is a journey which is all about your growth and goals as a human being. We have people of all ages. No matter what age you are Martial Art Training in any of our venues (Ranelagh or Portobello) will improve your mental and physical state.
No. That’s something beyond your control now. You can start now and still develop to be really good. It all depend on how much you want it. Most people start as adults.
No, Kung Fu is what will get you fit so don’t put off starting. Pick a day and just do it.
The club pricing is designed to allow you to train as much as possible. You’ll need to be training twice per week to make progress.
Not at all. If you feel it’s too much that’s fine. We don’t force anyone to fight. That said, sparring is something that will really help develop your kung fu. Once training for a while, some people have developed enough self-confidence through training to have a go, and in our experience these students often have tremendous things to say about the experience.
Like everything, Kung Fu has risks. However, compared to other sports Kung Fu is very low risk. The main activity that can potentially cause injury is sparring but even this can be very safe with the proper supervision and precautions.
As part of your Kung Fu training, you like anyone else that does a physical activity can pick up an injury here and there. We are of the opinion that generally speaking you can actually help the rehabilitation of your injuries, through some form of training. We would say that it’s a pity to let your body and fitness deteriorate just because, you’ve injured your hand, say.

Our style was created by a woman, Fan Chi Niang so is ideally suited to woman. All our classes have women participants and nowadays, there are a high level of women that practice martial arts.

There is no need to book a group class. Simply come on down for whichever class time suits you (see Kung Fu Classes). There is a membership form to fill out and there is no joining or application fee.

Kung fu is the fast moving martial art that we see in the movies. Tai Chi is the slow moving martial art that is seen in lots of documentaries about China. Many of our students do both and I would recommend doing both as they are so complementary.

Yes, we operate a grading system which goes in the following order: 3 Foundation Gradings and then 16 pattern gradings. Grading are designed to make you continually progress. We find that it dramatically helps people to have something to strive for in order to achieve.
Kung fu translated literally means “hard work over a long period” and in China it relates to anything in your life that takes time to become really good at your chosen life goals e.g. piano or dancing. Kung fu is designed for you to do for the rest of your life.
Typically, you will need track suit bottoms and a T-shirt, preferably black. Please bring a towel and your own water to start.
Yes, everyone in the club will need to purchase a uniform. Typically, this is purchased before your first grading.
We recommend pump-style shoes which are the flat sole shoes. You can usually buy these very easily but the main thing to remember is that the shoes should have a flexible sole so that you can flex your feet.
There are usually new people starting at all of our classes.
No, you can start at your own pace. You are not expected to keep up with more senior students. Many of our seniors now started very slowly.

There is a warm up at the start of class, some strength and conditioning work, kung fu techniques (kicking, punching, blocking etc.) and stretching.

To start twice a week is good and 3 times per week is great.
Kung Fu uses your own bodyweight when training so therefore you only get as big as your frame allows. No one muscle group is worked to excess because Kung Fu is a total body workout. If certain muscles did ever become too develop, a simple training change would help to balance out the body again.
Different people take varying times to become proficient at Kung Fu. Kung Fu is easy to learn but hard to perfect. You will notice results fairly quickly but you should never get bored.