(Photo: Bruce Lee and Grandmaster Ip Man practicing Wing Tsun sticky hands)
Essex has many great kung-fu clubs these days, here’s a few that’s we’ve found, some of which we’ve tried and tested ourselves, and found to be among the best kung-fu clubs in the area. If you want to learn a traditional Chinese martial art in Essex, then you are very lucky indeed!
Southern Mantis in Basildon
If you want to learn a traditional, hard hitting, close contact style of fighting, then head to 5 Elements Martial Arts in Basildon, where you will find Chow Gar Southern Mantis taught several times a week. A small friendly class held in a full time martial arts gym. One bonus of this club is if you want a really good warm up, you can do a kickboxing class beforehand. Tony Willis learned Southern Mantis from Paul Whitrod, and now one of Tony’s top mantis students teaches the at Basildon.
Wing Chun in Chelmsford, Harlow and Colchester
Wing Chun is the most famous of martial arts, being the style Bruce Lee learned, although much of what Bruce Lee did not screen was not Wing Chun.
Wing Chun is another traditional kung-fu style that focuses on close-in fighting. The kung-fu lessons concentrate on training the body to respond to attacks through repetition of techniques. Wing Chun is all about body alignment and structure to give you strength to defend and attack.
Lessons are held on Monday (Colchester Wing Chun), Tuesday (Chelmsford Wing Chun) and Wednesday (Harlow Wing Chun), and taught by Mark Solomons from Wing Chun Essex, who is a member of UK Wing Chun Kung Fu Assoc was formed by Master James Sinclair in 1985. Master James Sinclair teaches from Rayleigh.
There are many other kung-fu clubs around Essex, including many that provide self-defence and fitness classes for kids.