1. I have never done any martial arts before, is this a problem?
Not at all. Everybody starts somewhere. We train people of all levels and backgrounds. The classes are split into beginners, intermediate and seniors according to grade and ability.
2. Whats the diference between Chinese Kickboxing and normal kickboxing?
Chinese kickboxing is an amalgamation between western kickboxing with its powerful kicks and strikes and the eastern art of Kung fu. We learn Lau Gar style kung fu which is a southern chinese style. See the "background of the club" section
3. Do I have to fight?
Definitely not. Beginners are not permitted to fight until they have achieved their white sash (3 months approximately) and are deemed competant by the instructors. All students wishing to fight must also posess a licence to sparr through the organisation. At this point, sparring is optional (yet encouraged) and conducted at specialist sparring classes at the main club in Chorlton (see "where and when do we train?" section).
4. I'm not really healthy, will I cope with the lessons?
Physical fitness levels vary from person to person. We train to improve our fitness and as such your levels are personal to you. The instructors help you to improve at a pace that suits you. All we ask for is effort.. nobody expects you to be a marathon runner on your first day.
5. Is the instructor going to yell at me or hit me if I do anything wrong?
Definitely not. The instructors are responsible for teaching you a martial art in a correct and safe way. You will be taught and advised such that you improve. Everybody makes mistakes when learning. Martial arts take years to achieve a decent standard. It is a common misconception that instructors teach through intimidation, this behavior is not tollerated at our club which students learn from the onset.
What isn't tollerated is carelessness towards other students safety brought about for example bynot listening to instructions which could result in injury. If you are not inclined to listen or take what you are doing seriously.. resulting in accidental injury to others, then martial arts are probably not for you.
6. How much is the subscription?
There is no subscription at our club. We believe in a policy of pay as you train. There are no annual subscriptions or membership fees.
7. I've done Muay Thai for 2 years, can I join in with the seniors from the start?
Whilst having a background in other martial arts is extremely benificial to your training, all martial are taught differently and will have different standards between organistaions. For this reason, it is not permitted to join in with the seniors unless the chief instructor decides you are competent in kickboxing and believes you are of the right standard. This is not only neccessary for the safety of our students but also for yourself.
8.Whats better, Kickboxing, Thai boxing, Karate, jiu jitsu, taekwondo, wing chun, or judo?
This is a purely subjective question. All martial arts are different. The japanese martial arts such as jiu jitsu and judo place emphasis on throws, locks and holds, taekwondo places more emphasis on kicking, thai boxers use their knees and elbows more. Wing chun is a style of kung fu utilises close distance trapping. The question is what style you are interested in; all martial arts have their strengths and weaknesses. We use a combination of strikes and kicks (kickboxing) with intermediate range open handed strikes and blocking as well as sweeping.. something Lau Gar is renound for (kung fu).
9. How often do you do gradings?
The time between gradings increases the longer you train. At the university, gradings are in December, Easter and in summer for the first 2 years, then December and summer in the third year.
10. Do the men partner with the women?
Yes, if you so choose; however, within reason. This is not a sex issue but more size/ weight. It is irresponsible for a tall man weighing 14 stones to partner with someone half their height weighing only 8 stones. We insist that you partner with someone of an equal size to you as beginners. The further into your training you progress, the more you are left to decide who you feel comfortable partnering with.
11. Can i Sparr?
Beginners are not permitted to fight until they have achieved their white sash (3 months approximately) and are deemed competant by the instructors. All students wishing to fight must also posess a licence to sparr through the organisation. When students have received their license, they can then attend sparring classes at chorlton (held every three weeks).
12.What's the licence for?
The licence is firstly for insurance purposes. This covers both yourself and the person you are sparring with. Kickboxing is a dangerous sport and done irresponsibly can cause serious injury. The second reason for the licence is to demonstrate that students have reached a certain standard and understand the risks involved and that they can show control with the techniques they have learned.
13 a. Do people often get injured?
Injury is extremely rare. Most common injuries result through improper care with stretching before lessons, leading to muscle soreness for the next couple of days after training.
13 b.
Is there a medic in the class if anyone does get hurt?
In the unlikely event that someone for example missed a pad and accidently hit their partner, all instructors carry medical kits and have medical training. All instructors also carry mobile phones and have transport to take students to medical facilities.
N.B there have been no injuries at the university clubs to this extent as long as I have trained there.
If you have any questions not answered above, feel free to email us via the contact us link
