Your first Wing Tsun class
Here is a quick summary of what to expect in your first class. When you come arrive please ask for Michael and he will get you signed in. The first class is free and all you need is a t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and a pair of trainers. However we would request that you wear clean clothing, have clean, trimmed nails and wear deodorant if necessary.
The class will spend the first 10 minutes doing the Siu-Nim-Tau form together. An instructor will demonstrate the form slowly and will talk through the movements while the class follows along. As a beginner you might find the movements a little awkward however this is the same for all students and you will be surprised at how quickly you will become familiar with the form. After finishing the Siu-Nim-Tau, you and other beginners will spend another 10 minutes practising basic footwork with an instructor while the more advanced students perform the Chum-Kiu form with another instructor. Following the forms the class will split up and you will be taught some basic Wing Tsun self-defence techniques. You will work on this with other beginners and will be looked after by an instructor. Meanwhile the more advanced students will practise the chi-sau (sticky hand) exercise with another instructor. After 30 minutes the class will join together and practise more techniques for a further 20 minutes. Following this the whole class will work on the Lat-Sau drill for 30 minutes. This is a coordination drill where the hands and feet are constantly moving in unison and where Wing Tsun techniques can be performed in a relaxed and fluid manner. As a beginner you will be introduced to the basic movements of the Lat-Sau drill. The final 20 minutes will be spent on either padwork or basic pressure testing. With padwork students can practise their basic punching and kicking without having to hold back as they do when practising self-defence techniques with a partner. As a beginner you don't have to have perfect punches. We get you started hitting pads and over time will correct you to make your striking more powerful. Alternatively you may start pressure testing some basic techniques. You would pair off with a partner and one of you will play the part of the 'bad guy' attacking with random attacks with the 'good guy' defending using Wing Tsun techniques. As only one person is the 'Wing Tsun guy' it stops students feeling they are in competition with each other and keeps the exercise controlled. As it is your first night both the attacks and counterattacks are delivered slowly and softly with an emphasis on safety. Following the padwork or sparring the class finishes and students are encouraged to ask any questions they may have. Classes are reasonably small with at least one instructor for every ten students. Safety is paramount and the emphasis when training is to become more skillful at Wing Tsun rather than trying to act tough. One of our core values is that each student is treated with respect and the instructors are there to help people. As a result you will find that the class is a friendly one so we hope to see you at training soon.