Does anyone know where there are kick/boxing, kung- fu classes in sheffield. I used to do it when i was younger but quit as the instructor became obessed with wanting us to win trophies rather then for the actual self defence, relaxation and enjoyment side of it

any help would be appreciated and if poss before sunday :) thanks :D

What sort of self defence? Hallam Uni do aikido and tai-chi, I don't know wether these are open to the puplic or students only though.

I also found this kung-fu website too: http://prokungfu.com/classes.html

well just any self defence really, i just want to get fitter and be able to look after my self.

have you looked in th star newspaper they normally have addvertisements of self defence classes

Dear Foreverdelayed,
There is a good karate club at Norton up Derbyshire Lane, in the local church hall (Mountview Methodist Church Hall). just opposite the Post Office. It's not a "sport" karate it's what's known as "traditional", for self defence only.The techniques used wouldn't be allowed in competitions I'm told. At this club, apparently you learn the art of self defence in the traditional way, and get very fit in the proccess. Sounds like just what you want.

Originally posted by "crimbo"

Dear Foreverdelayed,
There is a good karate club at Norton up Derbyshire Lane, in the local church hall (Mountview Methodist Church Hall). just opposite the Post Office. It's not a "sport" karate it's what's known as "traditional", for self defence only.The techniques used wouldn't be allowed in competitions I'm told. At this club, apparently you learn the art of self defence in the traditional way, and get very fit in the proccess. Sounds like just what you want.

Yes this sounds like "Street Self Defense" and it comes highly rated. There is one of these classes at Fir Vale somewhere I am told. Trouble is typical Karate and most other Art forms don't generally teach you the Self Defense you need on the street when faced with an agressor. What they do teach you is how to follow rules and fight fair, which doesn't apply on the street.

Dear Lickszz
"Street Self Defence" a very good modern way of describing the style that is practiced at Norton, the proper name is Goju-Ryu one of the 3 original Okinawan styles of karate from which all other karate is derived.

Originally posted by "crimbo"

Dear Lickszz
"Street Self Defence" a very good modern way of describing the style that is practiced at Norton, the proper name is Goju-Ryu one of the 3 original Okinawan styles of karate from which all other karate is derived.

Yes, Okinawan is the home of Japense Karate which includes weapon use and applied defense skills. It amazes me that there are at least 400 disciplines claiming to be "Martial Arts" but some are more widely available and accpetable.

The Filipino Arnis, Kali, Escrima seem to have gained in popularity in the UK. These of course contain many concepts from Akido but include more contact.

A benificial point about Western Martial Arts is that they instil character and discipline in the student. They can be quite testing in character and ability. With this in mind they are worth pursuing for these moral codes alone. It may be in a Student advantage to achieve a wide grounding of several disciplines. With a useful knowledge of strikes, blocks, kicks, throws, grappling and groundwork the student would be far better equipped to defend themselves against a REAL agressor than the a devoted diciple of Kwang-Jengo.

You sound as though you have more than a passing interest in Martial Arts Lickszz

Originally posted by "crimbo"

You sound as though you have more than a passing interest in Martial Arts Lickszz

Lets just say it was a big part of my life at one time.

It wasn't you who showed David Carradine the art of Kung -Fu was it?
I loved it when you called him "Glasshopper" mind you I wasn't born then ,
I've seen some of the old "Kung-Fu"series.
Do you still train/teach packed it in altogether or don't want to talk about it . I seem to get the feeling you're a bit reticent.

Originally posted by "crimbo"

It wasn't you who showed David Carradine the art of Kung -Fu was it?
I loved it when you called him "Glasshopper" mind you I wasn't born then ,
I've seen some of the old "Kung-Fu"series.
Do you still train/teach packed it in altogether or don't want to talk about it . I seem to get the feeling you're a bit reticent.

I have to say I have never seen Kung-Fu the series and I don't know much about Carridine's style, was he any good? is it worth a view? I was a fan of Monkey Magic though! you remember that?

yes I did train and teach but your right packed it in for now, I am still interested though

Dear lickszz
My Grandad told me that the Kung-Fu series was an idea of Bruce Lee
and he(not my Grandad) was to play the main part, naturally, but there was so much undercover racialism in Hollywood that David Carradine got the part.
Was he any good? Short answer ,no!...I'm told.
Monkey Magic..hm..Monkey Magic, no sorry, I must have been far to young to stay up and watch that. Do you fancy starting training again, or have your (originally) steel spring muscles given up the fight against gravity?

Originally posted by "crimbo"

Dear lickszz
My Grandad told me that the Kung-Fu series was an idea of Bruce Lee
and he(not my Grandad) was to play the main part, naturally, but there was so much undercover racialism in Hollywood that David Carradine got the part.
Was he any good? Short answer ,no!...I'm told.
Monkey Magic..hm..Monkey Magic, no sorry, I must have been far to young to stay up and watch that. Do you fancy starting training again, or have your (originally) steel spring muscles given up the fight against gravity?

Well, My muscles are fine. I have not ruled out starting up again.....I'll just take it one day at a time for the time been.

hi im new,
im trying to find out places that teach self defense, particularly kung fu, ive heard theres a place near granville st? that apperently teaches wing chun kung fu. Im tryin to find it, so if any one hears anythin can you tell me please, cheers.
ash

That would be Castle College, apparently they do Jiu Jitsu/Judo lessons as one of their courses.

There's several other places that do lessons as well, including most of the major sports and leisure centres such as Ponds Forge and Hillsborough Leisure Centre and even Concord Sports Centre up Firth Park.

Your best bet is to pick up a copy of The Star newspaper, and in the "What's on" pages in the entertainment section, there's usually 3 or 4 places advertising Lau Gar Kung Fu lessons or Karate or something like that, usually listing phone numbers.

Hope I've been of help to you :)

there is lau gar kung fu on scotts road, sheffield, (number 22 bus route) taught by one of the guardians of kung fu a great teacher!

why don't you try Wing chun?? a fantastic chinese art, taught in two places one at ponds forge leisure centre (might want to skip that one as it has become a start our class and buy the tracksuit type jobby) but the best one is the sheffield kung fu centre on carlisle street taught by sifu richard, who is a great teacher and person.

there is also shaolin kung fu, across from the sheffield library, next to the crucible but i personally think you should try wing chun first.

Wing Chun Kung Fu is taught at the Chinese Community Centre on London Road (nos. 157-159) by Sifu William Lai. Sifu Lai was taught in Hong Kong under GrandMaster Chu Shong Tin. GrandMaster Chu is undeniably one of the most senior remaining students of Yip Man, and arguably THE most senior. Sifu Lai does not offer a 'quick fix' approach to Wing Chun training, however if you are patient and determined you will succeed in achieving an exceptionally high level of skill in Wing Chun. Classes are held on Mon, Wed & Fri @ 17:30 - 19:00. The current class is quite small and so everyone receives individual attention from Sifu Lai, who is an excellent teacher and brilliant person. You can e-mail Sifu Lai at

williamlaiwingchun@yahoo.co.uk

or visit his new website at

www.geocities.com/williamlaiwingchun/

I hope this useful to you and anyone else who is considering learning Wing Chun Kung Fu in Sheffield.

ANVIL would this Wing Chung Kung Fu be ok for me?
I am female with absolutly no experience of martial arts, in fact I'm not even very fit.

I am looking to get fit and learn a self defence techniwue that will be useful to me should anything untoward happen to me.

of course it would be more than suitable, wing chun was created by a female nun, so it makes more than total sense for females to take it up,

is sifu lai attached to master sam kwok?

I'd have been worried if it had been invented by a male nun :)

Wing Chun is very highly regarded as a very effective martial art. I'd be interested myself if I had time to fit in another one.

A good MA school should be able to train you irrespective of your sex, age or initial physical fitness. Everyone has to start somewhere. I'm very concious of being the beginner in our Ju-Jitsu classes but it's fine - nobody expects me to do anything I can't do.

Hi steelblade
Try the Goju-Ryu club on Derbyshire Lane the style specialises in close-in self defence, the techniques can be quite ..er ..useful to a lady. Many techniques deal with "how do I get out of that" situations like when being grabbed or pushed or how to defend/counter in a confined space. High kicks and the like are great I admire (and envy) those who can do them, however many situations don't lend themselves to that sort of technique or even a kick at all, what is sometimes needed is a technique which is short, sharp and to the point,as you might say. The style is one of the original karate styles from Okinawa its definitely not competition karate.
Have a look, the bus stops outside the door. The hall is opposite Derbyshire Lane Garage. Sessions are Tues 7.30-9.30, Sats 2-4p.m. If I can help please don't hesitate to let me know
crimbo

I would like to draw Tombodojoj and anyone interested in Wing Chun that Sifu Lai trained under Grand Master Chu Shong Tin whereas Samuel Kwok trained under Grand Master Ip Chun. Thery both were trained in Hong Kong under the two most senior masters living today. ANVIL had already stated some details about Sifu Lai so I do not repeat here.

Wing Chun is a good defence skill which demands practitioners a lot of patience, determination and perseverance. A practitioner wins in a fight with his/her skill not strength and strong body. Practitioners will improve his/her skill through continuing training and he/she will be able to defend for himself/herself when get old. On the contrary, a person trains with defence/martial arts that demand a lot of power, strength and strong body will not be able to defend and attacj when he/she get old. This is the difference.

There is a new book entitled "Simply Wing Chun Kung Fu" written by Shaun Rawcliffe is now available at www.crowood.com or amazon. Shaun is a student of Ip Chun.

I hope the above give readers some details about Wing Chun.

sleepingcat

Originally posted by sleepingcat
old. On the contrary, a person trains with defence/martial arts that demand a lot of power, strength and strong body will not be able to defend and attacj when he/she get old. This is the difference.
The Sensei was saying the very same thing about one of the advantages of Ju-Jitsu at my class today.

hi steelblade,
i would recommend a 6/12 week crash course one to one of womens self defence (There is a specially researched and designed womens self defence course that includes theory and practical - not taekwondo or karate under a different name - run by Mr. Frank's - details 0796 0990 771 clients include Sheffield High School for Girls) to to give you something to work on and then invest the time in learning a high skill-level martial art (I would highly recommend previously mentioned William Lai's Wing Chun classes at the Chinese centre) so that you have a lifelong skill advantage over most of the population into your retirement years. Yes devised by a woman - highly scientific in principals and based on redirecting the opponents incoming aggression and energy and replying with direct straight line counters - all though you dont have to wait for an incoming strike - as would be expected if you have to rely on brain power and developed skill rather than athleticism and brute strength. Dont go expecting to get fit, though it comes to a lesser degree as a by product of training, but do expect to learn a high level close quarter fighting system.
Class times peviosly mentioned but i believe classes have finished till the new year as Sifu William Lai has returned to Hong Kong for Christmas.
(I'm sure someone is bound to say it sooner or later but wing chun is the art Bruce Lee studied in Hong Kong before moving to America to make films - though the high kicking antics of the films are not part of the Wing Chun system - but it was the basis of his Jeet Kun Do - his real fighting method)
hope this helps
frankieboy

While Ju-Jitsu is an excellent martial art and is very well rounded, in my experience, it would undoubtedly be easier for an older/weaker person to apply Wing Chun skills than most Ju-Jitsu skills – in this respect, the two arts are barely comparable. Wing Chun is based on the principles of economy of motion and efficiency of energy and the focus is very much on relaxation of mind and body – this lack of emphasis on physical strength/fitness is what makes it ideal for those who are perhaps less capable in those areas. Speed is achieved by muscular relaxation as opposed to muscular power and strength is achieved via the correct limb positions. In terms of physical requirements, it is probably more comparable to something like Tai Chi than Ju-Jitsu and it is sometimes classified as a ‘soft style’. Despite this focus on relaxation however, Wing Chun has earned a solid reputation as a practical self-defence skill and is renowned for its hand speed and directness. As stated before, it was devised by a Buddhist Nun, so it’s intended particularly for those who are less strong, but it has been refined by men and is suitable for most adults, regardless of age, gender, size, strength or fitness.

Steelblade - Wing Chun is extremely suitable for a female, however it can take a while to become proficient, and so a short, specifically designed women’s practical self-defence class such as the one offered by Mr Frank’s may be a worthwhile option in the short-term, as well as learning Wing Chun. If you are interested in learning Wing Chun, e-mail Sifu Lai or come along to the Chinese Community Centre on London Road and have a look (classes resume Jan 9th 04).

Despite its benefits, Wing Chun may not be to everyone’s taste, so I’d advise researching the subject a little if anyone’s interested. There are plenty of books on the subject and there is an abundance of material available on the Internet for those who’d like to learn more. Alternatively, e-mail Sifu Lai for further details of his classes or simply come along and have a look.

That should just about cover it…

Thanks for all your help.

Do you know where those female classes are held?

My Dad is actually into martial arts and self defense and has been for the past 30 odd years, unfotunatly due to back problems has had to give it up.

He has told me that the best thing for me to do would be a class like the one offered by Mr Franks and that Ju Jitsu and the rest are not really that good for dealing with everyday occurances of violence as you would really have the time or perhaps space? to carry out the moves effectively.

My Dad did used to run a class that taught self defense to women. He used to teach them how to fight back with everyday objects that they would have in their handbags, purses etc...such as umbrellas, keys, perfumes etc..As I say he has had to stop these classes now and to be honest I would rather be taught by someone else, my Dad would just do my head in! :D

If all esle fails I just have to let my Dad teach me some tricks but after having him spending years practicing his moves on my, ie.twisting my arms and laughing about how he could hold me like that all day, I'm reluctant :D I must point out, I wasn't physically abused by him or anything like that!!:D

I'd have to disagree with the comment about Ju-Jitsu not being of any use because you wouldn't have enough time or space.

I think the problem with a complex art like JJ is that you'd have to be doing it for years before you posessed the skill to use it in a "real life" situation where you don't have any time to think - it's not the art that's the problem, but the proficiency of the artist.

I think ANVIL hit the nail on the head with his comment to you in his post above.

hi Steelblade,
Most of Mr Franks classes are courses or seminars at clients address/business, though they/he does do private one to one / pair lessons at either clients residence or at training hall near the old ice skating rink.
A quick call will get you all the up to date details: 0796 0990 771
(friendly people! - well worth a call)
Frankieboy

Steelblade

I think I know where your dad’s coming from – some martial arts have been criticised for their perceived lack of effectiveness in a ‘live’ situation, and martial arts training does not necessarily provide any guarantee of success (it would be an error, for instance, to disregard the skills of an experienced ‘street-fighter’), but what martial arts training does do is maximise your own personal potential and increase your chances. To the best of my knowledge, Wing Chun and Ju-Jitsu have not received any criticism as to their effectiveness in a ‘live’ situation. Wing Chun is specifically devised for close quarters combat and employs direct and exceptionally fast techniques (it is sometimes referred to as ‘Lightning Hands Kung Fu’), while Ju-Jitsu has a vast array of strikes, throws, locks and chokes which are applicable at various ranges, so both should be able to provide practical self-defence skills. I tend to agree with Mike, in that if particular skills don’t work, it can just as easily be the fault of the practitioner as the art itself. Alternatively, your opponent/attacker could simply be more skilled than you! (which is all the more reason to continue to develop your skills).

If after completing one of Mr. Frank’s courses, you find that you’d like to continue learning/developing skills, I’m sure he will offer you advice. Although most people probably begin martial arts with self-protection in mind, I personally have found that there is much more to offer. I have both the pleasure and the privilege of learning an effective martial art from Sifu William Lai, who is not only a superb martial artist, but also one of the nicest people you’re likely to meet, and a brilliant teacher. I train with a great group of people in a friendly, informal environment, and I am developing not only self-defence/martial art skills (which provides me with both confidence and a sense of achievement), but also my ability to relax and reduce stress. As you’ve probably noticed, I’m more than happy to espouse the virtues of Wing Chun and my particular class, and I’m sure others are the same with their chosen art. The point is that different arts and clubs offer different benefits, so it’s up to the individual to decide what’s effective, interesting, enjoyable and beneficial for them. Not every art will suit every person, no matter how effective it is purported to be, so if you’re not sure, have a look around so that you can make a more informed choice as to what will match your specific criteria. As I said before, I’m sure Mr. Frank’s will be only too happy to advise you as to what steps you could take after completing one of his courses, if that is what you’d like to do.

Does anyone know of a self defence class for beginners? I just want to feel able to defend myself if need be.

I live in Richmond but have a car so can travel.

Thanks,
Kathryn

How much time and effort are you prepared to put in?

This isn't juat a throw away line BTW - any self defence will take an amount of time but some yield quicker results than others as a basic (and VERY sweeping) rule of thumb:

A self defence class will teach you good awareness skills but the physical side will quite possibly be next to useless.

A striking based martial art will yield the quickest results but is most effective if you are big and strong.

Grappling martial arts are more skills based BUT are still often dependant on strength and will take longer to learn than a striking one.

I've a feeling this has already been covered on a thread in here but can't remember offhand - I'll see if I can find it for you :)

Nope can't find it - maybe someone less senile than me will remember the thread I'm talking about :huh:

Hi try visiting this site www.prokungfu.com
I ve seen this site and think it could be of intrest to you .

Hi Kathryn,
You could try Mr. Franks/Sticks & Stones on 07960990771 - they do specially researched women's self defence courses (rather than a specific martial art), mainly to organisations and schools though I believe they also do one to one lessons.
Hope this helps

We are a Martial Arts organisation with classes throughout Sheffield. If you would like more information, mail us at:
shindokarate@aol.com

Does anyone know of a local teacher for Krav Maga?

It seems to be very well respected as a means of defending ones self, and I have to say that my attitude towards self-defence is that I want to learn how to put someone out of commission for long enough to run away.

Joe

http://www.krav-maga.org.uk/links.htm

You may find someone who covers sheffield on the site above.

Thanks!

I'm putting this second line in 'cos the software doesn't like a message that originally just said 'Thanks, Joe'.

Joe

I don't know if theres more than one KM teacher in Sheffield but I went along to have a look at the one I found in Sheffield about a year or so ago and have to say I was distinctly unimpressed :(

I ran across a quote by Bruce Lee yesterday which may interest people looking for a quick self defence style:

"Someone with only a year of training in boxing and wrestling could easily defeat a martial artist of twenty years experience."

Hi Joe
You could try http://www.krav-maga.com/uk/
if you scroll down there is a link to somoene in Sheffield. - If you do start with someone, will you let me know what it's like? I've been interested in Krav Maga for ages, but a little bit chicken of trying it!

wrestling and boxing are martial arts, just western ones. So that quote makes no sense.

They are yes but are frequently not considered as such - or are dismissed as sports by Traditional Eastern Martial Artists (TM!) Certainly in the 70s a martial art pretty much meant a traditional eastern art and its only relatively recently that boxing and wrestling have been rediscovered as martial arts rather than combat sports. What most people don't grasp (and I think what is being got at here) is that a sporting art will teach you feedback that you don't get from alot of traditional arts and thats where the advantage comes - hitting something is a world away from punching and kicking air and hitting something that hits back is a world away from hitting boards!

quite true. Doing something to a resisting opponent is very different to doing it to the air, and still pretty different to doing it to a compliant partner.

If I had the time i'd like to do some boxing training. Improve my footwork, reading of body languange, speed and power of punching, control of my balance, etc...

Steelblade,

For the past couple of months I have been looking into different martial arts because it's something that I've always had an idle interest in and recently I've been working on improving my health and MA seems like a good way to do it.

From what I've read, Wing Chun seems to be one of the better arts in terms of accessibility for people of all ages/genders and builds, due to the fact that its central principles are economy of motion and learning to overcome a stronger opponent.

I absolutely recommend reading Alan Gibson's book "Why Wing Chun Works" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840242140/qid=1088708459/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_9_3/026-3881571-4480463), it will leave you in no doubt about whether or not the system is for you. It lays out the scientific principles that Wing Chun is based on, and makes it clear how it can be applied in real world situations. Another good way to find out what it's about is to get hold of a copy of Master James Sinclair's video "Wing Chun - Pure and Simple" (http://www.ukwingchun.com/Pure_Simple.htm). A friend lent me his copy and the man is a brilliant teacher, he goes a long way to demonstrating the fundamental principles and basic techniques, aswell as real-world application.

I am a 6' 1", 16st man (don't laugh, 12 months ago I was nearly 20st!) and have allowed myself 6 months to train down even further to prepare myself to train at the Pond's Forge class. Given the nature of Wing Chun, you'd think I should be able to start right away, but a workmate of mine used to train there and apparently it's very hardcore fitness-wise, right from the start, so I thought I should train for it first.

However, if the Carlisle street place takes a less militaristic approach I might like to start soon... does anybody have a link or phone number for it?

Cheers,

Tim

If your after a quick to learn and effective self defence system I would SERIOUSLY consider looking kali/escrima. It has the advantage over most of the traditional eastern arts that it is still heavilly developed whereas many of the more traditional arts are fairly static. Also it will teach you alot of weapons techniques which are adaptable to every-day objects, environmental techniques (i.e. what to do in very confined situation etc.) and is based round a logical simple structure of strikes rather than techniques and counters. Other than that you can't really go too far wrong with boxing, wrestling, muay thai or shootfighting though those will be VERY intensive to learn!

Why dont you look at something like Aikido,ive trained in both striking and grappling arts and realised that not many people "go down" after the first punch and that by grappling you leave yourself open to futher attack on the ground and in a perfect position to take a kick to the head.Mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championships look good and are effective but are esentially a ring sport.Aikido and its Korean brother Hapkido can be used effectively by anyone of average strength.Take a look at some of the sites on the web to get an idea such as www.aikiweb.com

Ring sports make perfectly effective self defence techniques though - often much more effective than 'traditional martial arts' due to the feedback and realistic training you get while learning them. True few people will 'do down' with one strike which is why boxing and other 'ring sports' tend more towards combinations than the single strikes favoured by e.g. karate. Grappling is certainly not a first line of defence approach - though if the worst happens and you end up in a fight theres a good chance you will end up on the ground either through the fight or simply falling over - and thats where the grappling is required! Aikido is a fine martial art (or more likely Aiki-jutsu) if you have the 10 or so years available to learn it!

statistics from cctv indicate that something like 4 in 5 fights go to the ground at some point.

Quite a few martial arts rely on dislocating joints etc. These are virtually impossible to test on sparring partners and for this reason are impracticable for the street. The street is the wrong place to find out that a specific technique doesn't work.

The key to success on the street is simplicity. You don't fight for long enough on the street to warrrant long drawn out complicated attacks.

During the early part of a fight there will be opening strikes which usually means fists and feet flying, within 8-10 seconds there will usually a break or change to grappling. If your up against bully boy then they will most likely be thinking about a break for damage assessment. At this point you have a further option to run or carry on fighting.

The best way out of a fight is to run the other way! The point is that ending up on the ground is the last place you want to be, not only have you lost mobility and lessened your chance of escape plus you are more open to attack from your attackers mates!No martial art is ideal and a lot only teach you to deal with one opponent at a time not a number of them, some even advocate going to ground.Remember that if you are attacked you will liable for any injury to your assailant and the police take a dim view if your roundhouse broke his jaw and your left hook left him unconcious while you are scratch free! I must be mellowing in my old age but give me a nice elbow dislocation it looks better and makes a nice crack!

Originally posted by daveymonkey
Remember that if you are attacked you will liable for any injury to your assailant and the police take a dim view if your roundhouse broke his jaw and your left hook left him unconcious while you are scratch free! I must be mellowing in my old age but give me a nice elbow dislocation it looks better and makes a nice crack!

a) You are allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself and if someone takes a swing at you taking a punch back at them would be hard to argue is not reasonable force!

b) An elbow dislocation shows evidence of fairly advanced martial arts training where a punch is a fairly reflexive reaction - arguably this means you could avoid the attack without harming your assailant and would be looked on AT least as dimly if not more so than a punch!

Still looking for a number for the Carlisle Street Wing Chun club, anyone got one?