Starting Kung Fu
Starting out
You do not need any experience to begin, and you do not need to get fit first. The training builds that. What it asks of you is that you turn up and that you are willing to work with other people, because most of what we do is done with a partner.
Finding your fit
Your first couple of weeks are for looking around. We run two kinds of class — one built on application and fitness, one on the internal side of the art — and beginners are welcome in both. Try them. Most people find one pulls at them more than the other, and that is a fine place to start. The art joins back up later.
How we bring you along
"Even the longest journey begins with one step"
We train challenge against comfort, and we are careful with the balance. Picture blowing up a balloon: a little stretch, then ease off, then a little more. Pushed too hard too soon and a beginner just pops, nothing is learned. So, contact and partner work come in at a pace you can actually take. Hard enough to mean something. Not so hard you cannot think.
Five minutes a day
Come to class about twice a week if you can. Then practice five minutes a day at home. Five minutes; not an hour. A small habit you keep is worth far more than a big one you abandon, and skill in this art is built by the quiet repetition more than by anything dramatic.
Where you will be in 6 months
Train steadily for six months and the change is real. You will be fitter. You will have a working sense of distance and timing, and the composure to deal with a sudden strike or two. And you will have begun to feel the principles underneath the art, rather than just hearing them described.