COMMON QUESTIONS
Do I need to get fit before I can start training?
Not at all. The exercises and drills are all designed so you can work at your own pace and start from the level you are at when you walk in the door. We'll work with you to advance from there.
This is the most common question we hear from people and the most common myth that prevents them from getting started. Don't let it stop you walking in the door and having a go!
Do I need any experience in martial arts?
No. The biggest thing you need is the initial boost of confidence and determination to walk through the door, and then just an openness to learn. If you've trained in other martial arts before, you'll find plenty to complement and expand on your existing knowledge and if you've never done anything like this before, you're in great company.
The best thing to do is come and have a go and see what you think.
What's a normal class like?
We run a respectful, but very informal class. Typically we 'bow in' together, begin with a quick warm-up to get the blood flowing and protect our joints and muscles before doing any intense exercises.
Following the warm up, our classes tend to be a mix of some solid cardio work, working on our various punching, kicking and striking techniques with the heavy pads. It's a great blow out at the end of a day, gets your cardio working, and helps fine-tune our striking toolkit.
We alternate a range of technical drills - usually either from the Wing Chun syllabus (fundamental techniques and principles, sticky hand drills, self-defence applications), or the Phillipino stick techniques (mastering the core striking angles, learning defences and disarming techniques).
After some technical training we then get our heart rates up again with some timed-endurance training to build fitness and stamina and then wrap up with street defence techniques or sparring.
We end each session with a quick reflection on highlights and most useful takeaways, before bowing out together.
We also train to music and have a shared playlist every student is invited to contribute to - and we have a wide variety of music tastes! But anything uplifting and energetic is welcome!
I want to learn self-defence but I feel anxious about coming along?
So do most people. Walking in the door that first time is the hardest part. Honestly, once you manage to do that, you find a bunch of friends waiting to be met, the training is challenging but it isn't scary at all, and you'll see progress in your strength, fitness and co-ordination in a matter of weeks...it's very fulfilling and confidence building.
Walking in the door the first time is the hard bit - over come that and you'll be soaring!
So what are you waiting for?
How many classes do I need to take before I can defend myself?
Although knowledge is always useful, the truth is you can't just do a self defence course and be able to protect yourself. If you ever do encounter a real-life situation, it's a shock and you're fight/flight reflexes take over.
It takes repetitive training to establish other responses that become ingrained enough that they take over in a high-pressure moment and you react positively and confidently without having to think about it.
If you have to think about what to do in a self-defence situation, it will be too slow.
We can help with that, but it takes regular training. You'll have some solid tools after a couple of months that will work for you, but retraining your mind's instincts takes a bit more time. Another reason to get started right away!
Do you hold gradings?
We plan to make gradings available in 2022 but they won't be compulsory. For the moment we're focusing on getting people comfortable with training together, mastering the fundamental techniques and having fun.
We will look to offer gradings in Wing Chun and our combined self-defence syllabus a little further down the track.
Our main emphasis is on gaining knowledge that works and you can use, not ranks or hierarchy.
How long will it take me to get a black belt?
My BJJ instructor once posted a story of a student who asked their instructor how long it takes the average person to gain a black belt. The instructor's answer: No average person ever gains a black belt!
Are your instructors qualified?
Our head instructor, Carl Billington, has black belts and advanced level ranks across several styles (Zen Do Kai/Zennin karate, ITF Tae Kwon Do, and Wing Chun kung fu). He's also still a student himself and is training in BJJ as a blue-belt student.
Carl has worked in the education sector and has years of experience as a coach, mentor and facilitator in his life outside martial arts. All of those skills and experience are brought into our approach as a self-defence school.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS - DROP US A LINE FROM THE CONTACTS PAGE!