When do you train?
Tuesday class 6:30-8:30pm
Saturday class 9-11am, optional syllabus hour 11am-midday
All classes held at St Mary's Church Hall, High Street, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5AQ
How old do I need to be?
All our classes are combined adults' and kids' classes. Some children are ready for the richness of the style we practice by the time they are 7 or 8 years old, others may not be ready until they are a little older. Parents are welcome to train along with their children, but even if they don't wish to participate we do request that the parents stay in the room at all times.
Adults of all ages are welcome in our regular adult classes. There is no upper age limit.
Do I need to be fit before I can join?
No! It is fundamental to our teaching ethic that our classes are open to everyone, no matter their level of strength or fitness. Naturally, certain medical conditions may mean you cannot train either partially or fully: please discuss this with your instructor.
What if I have injuries and/or medical conditions?
Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns about practicing our martial art. Our instructors and students take health and safety considerations very seriously. You will be required to state any pre-existing conditions that may impact your ability to train, and instructors may wish to ask you further information before deciding if you can take part in a class or become a member. This is standard practice in all forms of physical training, whether in martial arts or even joining your local gym. We don’t believe that the requirements we make of your physical condition are any more restrictive than joining your local gym or fitness centre. This is for your safety as well as that of other students.
What should I wear for my free trial session?
Just turn up to any session dressed as you would for a gym session or for jogging. You may train in bare feet if you prefer, or wear thin-soled training shoes. You won't need to wear a uniform unless you decide to stay with us.
Do I need previous experience?
No previous experience of any martial art is required. Our classes are mixed grade, from beginner, across the full spectrum of belt colours, to black belt, so that those with more experience in the school can teach and assist those with less experience.
What do your classes consist of?
All classes will start with a warm-up to prepare the body and the mind for the rest of the session. The warm-up will consist of some combination of stretching, cardiovascular work and/or qigong breathing exercises. We then move on to practicing the fundamental movements of defence and counterattack, working on striking pads, refining the movements solo, and working with partners. These movements include punches, kicks, grasps, locks and takedowns. We then apply our movements in paired work combinations, always with a sensible and sympathetic partner to guide us. The paired work combinations provide the opportunity to test our ability to recall and apply our movements for self defence purposes. Classes will include the learning and practice of our classical Chinese forms, which are fundamental to the practice of our style, and are quite beautiful to practice and see. At higher levels these forms include qigong breathing forms and weapons forms. After a few months of training you'll have the opprtunity to practice sparring, which uses a limited set of rules and gives us an opportunity to practice our techniques freely with a partner in a controlled manner, and gives a fantastic cardiovascular workout too. Classes will end with a period of cooling down, stretching and/or meditation, to draw a line under the session, and prepare body and mind for a return to your regular life.
How long will I need to train to get fit?
The types of fitness used in Ba Feng Quan range from core strength and flexibility, through to stamina, aerobic fitness and quick-twitch reaction speed. Few people on starting Ba Feng Quan will possess all these attributes to the required level, and so there are quick gains to be made. Most students report feeling the benefits of training in the first few weeks and almost definitely feel better after a few months of training.
How long before I’ll be able to defend myself?
No martial art will make you invincible. While you will start to accumulate a useful catalogue of self-defence principles and techniques from your very first lesson, the real issue is how long it takes for these techniques to become instinctive. Only with hard work and constant practice will you succeed in this. The heightened instincts and self-confidence our students gain through Ba Feng Quan practice means they become more aware of potential aggressive situations and recognise the wisdom in avoiding such situations without feeling the need to prove themselves in any macho way.
What is the best martial art?
There can be no objective measure of what is meant by “best”: all styles, including our own, have their talented individuals and champion fighters at various times, but the success of an individual is not a measure of the success of the style. The best martial art for you is the one you enjoy practicing the most, with fellow students and instructors you can identify with and learn from, and which equips you with the skills and insights you most want to gain. While Ba Feng Quan appeals to a wide range of people, and we encourage you to try our classes, we cannot claim it will be the one that works best for you. If in doubt keep an open mind and try a few different styles. For this reason, we offer the first lesson to anyone who wishes to give us a try. So why not start by coming to one of our classes?
What uniform do you wear in your classes?
T shirt: Students who wish to continue training with us are asked to buy one of our uniform t shirts. These are available to order in class
Black trousers: We ask you to wear plain cotton black trousers with open, not elasticated, bottoms. These are widely available to purchase from Amazon and other sellers: search "Plain black martial arts trousers"
Footwear: Footwear is optional in our classes. If you elect to wear shoes please make them thin soled to enable dynamic movement in all directions. Shoes are available from Feiyue, Lonsdale, Blitz, Adidas, and many other brands. Once again Amazon and other sellers will be able to supply them
Do I need safety gear?
We highly recommend as a minimum a groin guard for male students and a chest guard for female students. Those who are required to spar will require additional protective equipment: full details are available in class.
Will I get hurt?
Safety comes first at all times, and all our instructors hold current first aid certifications. Whilst we cannot guarantee you will never pick up the odd bump or pulled muscle, we are no different from any other form of vigorous activity or sport in that regard. Please come along to watch or try a class, and you'll see how sensible we are.
How does your grading system work?
One of the major differences between Ba Feng Quan and the monastic style of practice followed by previous generations is the existence of a standardised syllabus and system of coloured belts. We hold general grading examinations every few months. However, entrance to the grading is not automatic; it is based on whether or not the student has reached the necessary standard to pass. Students are required to demonstrate the basic movements, postures, forms, and paired combination techniques of our style for each grading.
New students are white belts from the day they start training, and there are eight coloured belt grades passing though two levels of each: yellow, green, blue and brown belt. Consistent hard work, demonstration of an appropriate level-headedness and maturity, and fulfilling the minimum training time requirements may lead to students being put forward for their first degree black belt examination, and beyond.
How long will it take me to get a black belt?
It is possible to gain a black belt in as little as four years of extremely dedicated training, though we are against pursuing a black belt grade purely for its own sake. After training in Ba Feng Quan for a year or two, most students have the maturity to understand that holding a black belt is just the start of learning the art at a higher level. We have grading examinations to higher degrees of black belt (known as “dan” grades in the Japanese and Korean martial arts), and our black belt degrees correspond directly to these other martial arts in the level of rigour and understanding demanded of the black belt holder.
How regularly should I attend?
We ask that students try to attend a class at least once per week. This is not a strict requirement as every individual has different priorities. We feel that regular attendance not only helps maintain a suitable fitness level, but it also puts you in a position where you may be eligible to grade for a higher belt colour.
How much does it cost?
First class: Free
Monthly block fees (includes both our weekly classes):
Children and concessions: £20
Working adults: £35
All monthly block fees are payable by standing order.
Higher pay-as-you-go fees exist (£10 for working adults, £6 for children and concessions), but the standing order method is great value and intended to incentivise regular training. Pay-as-you-go payments are now contactless in class: cash is not accepted.
It is for you to find the cheapest and most convenient method of payment, whether block fee or pay-as-you-go. The block fee gives you the right to train in every regular class in a month. You must manage block fee payments yourself, and no refunds will be given for block fee payments where you chose not to avail yourself of the opportunity to train in a month.
Concessions include students in full-time education, OAPs, the unemployed, members of the emergency services, members of the armed forces, and front-line NHS medical staff.
Once you have tried a few classes we require you to purchase annual membership , which provides you with insurance via the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association and gives you the opportunity to participate in other events such as gradings and special training courses and seminars.
What does the name of your style mean?
Our style is called Ba Feng Quan (八風拳) which literally means "Eight Winds Fist", though would be better understood as "The School of Eight Winds". The name can be understood from a number of perspectives:
- it refers to the eight principal directions of the compass reflecting the dynamic nature of our movement
- it reflects the fact that teachings pass around different geographies and through different teachers as if blown around by the wind, but that the heart of the teachings remains invariant
- it references the "eight worldy winds" of Buddhist philosphy, which are the influences that one must learn to acknowledge but not yield to. These influences are one's hopes for pleasure, prosperity, praise and fame, and one's fears for pain, financial loss, criticism and bad reputation
