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Do I have to be fit to attend the self-defence classes?
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No. Whilst the classes do involve a certain amount of cardiovascular activity, you will progress at your own pace and level of fitness.
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Do I need to be able to kick high as I am not very flexible?
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Definitely not. All of our kicks are performed at waist level or below. Using high level kicks on the street is very risky and not practical in a
real defence situation.
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What style of martial arts have you practiced?
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My 20+ years of experience has come from a mixture of Judo, Choi Kwang Do, Wing Chun, Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and Bartitsu. The syllabus of
the self-defence class is a mixture of techniques and training methods taken from those styles that was found to have practical value on the street.
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Will I be expected to break boards?
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No. There is absolutely no practical use in breaking boards (apart from demonstration purposes). Whilst being able
to break wooden boards shows a certain amount of strength in your techniques, it is very different from hitting a moving person
made of hard bone and muscle.
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Is there a belt system?
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Yes. We have nine coloured belts going from white to brown followed by several black belt grades.
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How long will it take me to get to black belt?
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It varies from each individual and depends on the frequency of your training and how much effort you put in. If you progress at a fast rate, you can expect to achieve black belt after three years but the majority of students will probably require four.
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Is there a fast track system where I can progress quicker?
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If you sign up for private lessons and attend the classes, you will progress at a faster rate but it will still
take a minimum of three years to achieve black belt.
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What is the format of a typical class?
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We begin with a gentle warm-up and dynamic stretching. This is followed by instruction in various techniques and
progressively more complicated partner drills.
We also spend a great deal of time using a combination of hand-held focus mitts and strike shields. More advanced students will
be able to practice their skills using free-sparring.
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Will I learn to use any weapons?
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We practice the use of improvised weapons based on items that may be close at hand such as pens, mobile phones and umbrella's. We also
learn defence against knife and stick attacks (although the technique of running fast in the opposite direction should always be
attempted before taking on an armed attacker).
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What do I wear and do I need to bring anything along to the class ?
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There is no uniform as such although once you have joined you will be able to buy a club t-shirt. Most of our students wear
comfortable tracksuit trousers and t-shirt. You will also need to bring a bottle of water and large smile.
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