Your first class

Kung fu clubs differ more than clubs in most other martial arts, because each teaches its own style. Prices below are as each club published them in 2026, and they are examples, not averages. ^80,100,102

Before you go

• Ask which style, and which association. Then look the association up on its own website. Ask whether the club and instructor are members of the BCCMA, which has a public membership checker, or of another body that insures them. ⁸⁰
• Ask about checks. The BCCMA requires instructors who work with children to hold an enhanced DBS check and safeguarding training, and since 1 September 2026 some helpers may need one too. The NSPCC publishes five questions any parent can ask a sports club. ^80,130
• Can we start any time? Usually. The BKFA says most of its clubs take new students at any time of year, and Kamon says beginners can start any time. The UK Wing Chun Kung Fu Association enrols beginners on set dates and trains them as a group, closing the class to newcomers after three weeks. ^100,102,104
• Can we watch first? It depends. Kamon lets you watch a class first; Liverpool Hung Gar suggests trying a lesson rather than watching, though parents may watch children's classes from a mezzanine; the UK Wing Chun Kung Fu Association holds free open days instead. ^102,104,112
• Trials. Five Pattern Hung Kuen's first class is free; UK Shaolin charges £15 for a children's trial, taken off the fee if the child joins; Manchester Nam Pai Chuan lets new students train three times before buying insurance. ^111,120,121
• Medical forms. Kamon asks new students about medical conditions, and Liverpool asks parents to tell instructors about any. ^104,112

What to wear and bring

• No uniform at first, in most clubs. A loose T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms are recommended by the BKFA, Kamon, Nam Pai Chuan and Liverpool Hung Gar. Kamon asks students to buy a uniform within two months. ^{100,104,112,121}
• Footwear varies. The BKFA says each club has its own policy: trainers, martial arts shoes or bare feet. Kamon suggests flat soled trainers, and Shaolin Temple UK allows no shoes in its matted hall. ^100,104,119
• Jewellery off, nails short, kit clean, and bring water and a small towel. ^{84,100,104,121}

Etiquette

• The salute. Students greet a teacher, a partner or the judges with the palm and fist salute: the right fist pressed into the open left palm at chest height. ^41,43,84
• The teacher is usually called sifu. Fellow students may be older or younger brothers and sisters by when they joined: sihing, sije, sidai and simui. ^6,15
• Codes of conduct. Many schools have one. Ip Man's code for Wing Chun students, as displayed at the Ving Tsun Athletic Association, asks students to be disciplined and courteous, to avoid fights and to help the weak. WCKUK sends parents a code of conduct for students under 18. ^103,105

The shape of a typical class

Clubs describe much the same shape. ^{102,112,119,121}

1. Warm up: cardio, stretching, strength and balance. Liverpool Hung Gar allows 30 minutes of a two hour class.
2. Basics: stances, punches, kicks and footwork, often on pads.
3. Forms: a form, or part of one.
4. Partner work: drills, set sequences, sticky hands or push hands, and controlled sparring for those ready for it.
5. Qigong or a cool down: breathing and stretching.

Shaolin Temple UK starts every new student in a Preparation class built on stamina, flexibility and five basic stances, and Wing Chun beginners often start with the first form and the centre line punch. ^102,119 Classes usually run one to two hours. ^82,111,112

Sparring, contact and weapons

• Sparring is usually optional at first. The BKFA says it is optional in most of its clubs, though a basic level is needed for gradings, and that its sticking hands fighting is for brown and black sashes only. ¹⁰⁰
• Sanda and kickboxing are a separate, higher contact strand in some schools: Lau Gar kickboxing, Shaolin Temple UK's sanshou and UK Shaolin's junior sanda, for example. ^100,119,120
• Children's contact is limited. In BCCMA light sanda for 5 to 14 year olds there are no strikes to the head or face, full kit is compulsory, and strikes must use under 30% of full power. ⁸⁴
• Weapons come after the empty hand basics. The BKFA says unarmed work must be understood before weapons training can begin, and its weapons courses may have minimum ages. ^1,100

Children

One large Wing Chun association warns that "Wing Chun Kung Fu in the UK is an unregulated activity", and says it has no power over schools outside its own. ¹⁰² Asking whether a club belongs to a body that checks its instructors is worthwhile.

Costs, as published in 2026

Sources: ^{82,83,84,106,108,112,121}. Grading and uniform fees vary; ask the club.

Common questions

Is it like the films? Films are fiction. Real classes spend most of their time on basics, forms and drills. ^16,102

Do I need to be fit or flexible? The BKFA says no: fitness and flexibility come with practice. ¹⁰⁰

Am I too old? The UK Wing Chun Kung Fu Association says its students range from 6 to 70 and that older beginners improve well. ¹⁰²

Can disabled people train? The same association says it has taught blind students, students with cerebral palsy and wheelchair users, deciding case by case on safety. ¹⁰²

Which style should we choose? No source compares styles fairly; each describes itself. The story chapters show how the southern and northern styles differ. ¹