Hi,

I'm interested in joining a martial arts club in Sheffield. My main motivations for joining are to improve my fitness and to learn some self defence techniques. I've done some Kung Fu before and enjoyed this, in particular the kicking moves. I wasn't so good at the hand movements, but appreciate these are part of many martial arts and can be mastered with dedication and practice.

I'd very much like to join a club that has lots of other women members. I'm also looking for one that's easy to reach by public transport as I don't have a car, preferably in the Walkley, Hillsborough or City Centre areas. It would be more convenient fr me to attend weekday lessons, as I'm often on-call at weekends or away visiting friends.

My preferences are for Kung Fu or Kickboxing however I'd like more advice. I'm not wanting to invest much money initially, however if I find I enjoy it, I'd like to take gradings. Can anyone recommend a reputable club that meets my requirements?

Thanks,

Kat

www.prokungfu.com

they do midweek lessons around walkley :) kickboxing with adrian and kung fu with graham. good balance of male and female people attending for all reasons:)

give it a go

What about the sheffield university Taekwondo club, they have loads of people there and loads of girls. The main instructor is cool

http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/union/susoc/tc/

Or the Sheffield Uni jitsu club. Just over 1/3rd of members are female, including my SO.
Not quite the same as KF or TKD, but maybe you'd like to see an alternative.

It's at the Goodwin sports centre, near crookes/broomhill. The next Session is Sat at 10.00 for 2 hours.

Originally posted by tombodojoj
www.prokungfu.com

they do midweek lessons around walkley :) kickboxing with adrian and kung fu with graham. good balance of male and female people attending for all reasons:)

give it a go

I was going to recommend these as well. I go to the kickboxing that Adrian takes on Sundays at the 393 Club in Hillsborough across from Morrisons on Sundays and 30-40% of the people who go are female.

Gaz

I too can vouch for the 393 club, my best friend goes there and she loves it!!

I go to a personal trainer in Hillsborough called Paul Powers he teaches us Kick Boxing / Self Defence mostly bag work with a bit of sparring at the end. He's built an extension on the side of his house and made it into a gym with a boxing ring etc inside. Its a great atmosphere! Let me know if you would like his number.

i would have suggested something like ju-jutsu or even popping along to what we do but pinkpiglet says she was looking to improve fitness aswell as learn martial art techniques. i think its more cardio fitness she was after (which is why kick boxing is popular with women as you can learn a martial art and get/stay toned, lol)

daisy, you sound like someone i used to know, but i never see anymore, :( sorry if your not but you sound it, :)

gazb, where you at concord sports centre competition?

I would have suggested Muay Thai at the Wicker Camp - it has all the required ingredients apart from one - the proportion of women is woefully low, only one woman in the last class to about 20 blokes :confused:

Taibo at Ponds Forge is good for a cardio vascular workout with self-defence moves and plenty of side, back and front kicks & Jabs. Mons & Tues 7.30 - 8.30 & Wed 6.30 (approx 40 mins workout with 15 mins circuits - Mon, Floor exercises -legs/tums on Tuesdays and I never go on Weds so dunno what happens then!)

Plenty of girlies go plus some blokes

But Taibo is a gym-class, not a martial art....

Tombobojoj, how do you think you know me? = )

Originally posted by tombodojoj

gazb, where you at concord sports centre competition?

I was indeed, didn't fight though. Were you? I was with a couple of guys who had their "point based" fights at the end when most people had left!

Gaz

Originally posted by tombodojoj
i would have suggested something like ju-jutsu or even popping along to what we do but pinkpiglet says she was looking to improve fitness aswell as learn martial art techniques. i think its more cardio fitness she was after (which is why kick boxing is popular with women as you can learn a martial art and get/stay toned, lol)

daisy, you sound like someone i used to know, but i never see anymore, :( sorry if your not but you sound it, :)

gazb, where you at concord sports centre competition?

JJ provides a good CV workout as well.

Originally posted by Mike
But Taibo is a gym-class, not a martial art....

I was responding to an earlier posting: i think its more cardio fitness she was after (which is why kick boxing is popular with women as you can learn a martial art and get/stay toned, lol)

Of course I know the difference between a martial arts class and a cardio-fitness class combined with martial arts style moves

Thanks for all the replies... definitely appreciate it :)

I was mainly after learning a martial art as a form of self defence. I've also heard it's very good for core stability & taking your fitness to another level. I'm not necessarily just interested in a cardio workout, as there are classes at my gym I can take for that.

I'm also looking for something sociable where I can maybe make new friends.

I think I'll check out prokungfu, Sunday's not the most convenient time for me as I'm often away at weekends or on-call, however I may give it a go. May try the kung fu on Tuesday evening.

Daisy - Yes I'd be interested in your trainer's number. I'll pm you.

Thanks again

PP x

How about the uni capeoira club - the person who teaches there is a poster on this message board (but I can't remember the name - senility is cutting deep today!) its nearly all kicks, fun, fast moving and although I havent tried the uni one tends to be popular with females :)

Hi,
If you want to learn a Martial Art for self defence how about Wing Chun. There is a club at the Chinese Comunity Centre on London Road. The class times are Mon, Wed and Fri starting at 5.30p.m til 7.00p.m. The teachers website is www.geocities.com/williamlaiwingchun

If you are interested then go to this link: www.hchwingchun.com.au here you will find articles written by other teachers of this art. You will notice that is very suitable for women to learn as the art is based on skill not on brute strength.
Come down on any of those nights and see a demonstration.

Good luck.

You should consider Pilsung Taekwondo. There are clubs run 6 days a week in and around sheffield. All of the lessons are £3.50 for 1 & a half hours. There are many women that go to this club. For more info check out the club website (http://www.pilsung.freeserve.co.uk)

I was once in the same position as you pink piglet, wanted to do some form of martial arts as self defence. My uncle got me into thai boxing, the first class i walked into i wondered what hit me the trainings hard and sometimes pretty painful but the confidence and sense of self saisfaction you gain from it is unbelievable. Try wicker camp, you can take things at your own pace and won't be forced to do anything you can't handle as a beginner. I stuck at it for three years and am now four gradings away from instructor level.

Good luck!!!

If you dont find what you want then at least try wing chung at the chineses community centre, London road. Teacher is ace(very hong kong) but you will have to work your own fitness out, running whatever. However if you realy want to get fit and learn a most effective martial art then accept no substitute. Go to wicker camp and learn muay thai

I know the teacher there, I dont know what hes like as a teacher but hes a good bloke...and if the sport is anything to go by...its kept him looking very young!!!

If kickboxing is a preference, have you thought about Thai Boxing? Muay Thai at Wicker Camp has a very competant female instructor (Trix) - and macho bul**** is put down with style. Friendly place too.

0114 279 5470

try kickboxing at 393club with Adrian the class is on sunday 5-6 there is around 40-50% female or on wed at st gabriels ch on Dobbin hill the class is 80% female there, visit www.prokungfu.com for more info

The Sheffield Academy of Martial Arts (393 club on langsett rd) now run female only classes on a tuesday evening with a female instructor, and due to the popularity of the class they might be starting another female begginers class on a sunday evening. any one intrested just check them out at. www.prokungfu.com (http://www.prokungfu.com)

You can e mail them through the site.

Thanks - will they post when the new class starts ?

try wicker camp they are starting women only classes soon

http://www.wickercamp.co.uk/category/womens-courses/

try wicker camp they are starting women only classes soon

http://www.wickercamp.co.uk/category/womens-courses/

Do you know when they might start as i have a friend that might be intrested in thai boxing

Do you know when they might start as i have a friend that might be intrested in thai boxing

They will be starting sometime this month, if you give trix a call on the number in the link im sure she will give you all the details you need as im not 100% sure of the exact start date

The Sheffield Academy of Martial Arts (393 club on langsett rd) now run female only classes on a tuesday evening with a female instructor, and due to the popularity of the class they might be starting another female begginers class on a sunday evening. any one intrested just check them out at. www.prokungfu.com (http://www.prokungfu.com)

You can e mail them through the site.

thanks for the info -

Went to the session on tuesday and it was fantastic, i am still buzzing from it :D

The instructor did say there would be another class starting due to the popularity of what they do / teach, so cant wait for that to open.

any way for now i will have to make do with Tuesday.
For any girls out there venue is the 393 club on Langsett Rd Hillsborough time is 6:15 - 7:15. ;)

New Female only beginers class starting soon on Sundays at 393 club langsett rd

Watch this space

www.prokungfu.com

Is this a kung fu or kickboxing class?? Is there a lau gar kung fu class just for women?