We will teach anybody who is sincere in learning the art of Hung Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu.

We are committed to providing a welcoming, friendly, safe, and respectful training environment for all participants.  You are welcome to come watch as many classes as you wish, or to start training with everyone else right away.

Teaching Style

Regardless of ability or experience, we will teach anybody who is sincere in learning the art of Hung Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu. 

Learning Hung Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu is a personal journey.  Some students seek out instruction in five animals boxing and traditional Shaolin forms, others look for self-defense, and others still are looking to improve their fitness or learn combat techniques.

All of these goals are addressed by and extensively covered in our training.  Classes are designed to provide you with a very complete workout for both body and mind, and to develop physical strength as well as fighting skills.

Karl Pettersen is a third degree black belt and the Head Black Belt Instructor for the club.  Karl studied Hung Kuen under the auspices of Hung Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu UK through Master Ang and his team of instructors, and over time became a qualified instructor.

Karl is a fully-qualified instructor and benefits from the full support of Master Ang and the other existing Hung Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu clubs.

"Hard Work"!

There is no perfect translation for "Kung Fu", but the closest is probably "hard work".  Progress and skill development come from effort and consistent training; Hung Kuen training can be challenging both physically and mentally, but always in a highly positive, constructive, and stimulating way!

Breakdown of a Typical Class 

Classes are two hours long, and are designed to provide a comprehensive approach to all aspects of Hung Kuen.  Below is an example of a standard class structure:

1. Warm up.  Cardiovascular routines, body conditioning, and thorough stretching.
2. Traditional stances and hand/leg techniques.  Traditional forms are designed to strengthen certain areas of the body, illustrate specific combat techniques (e.g. combinations of kicks/punches), and teach the body to evolve naturally in the Hung Kuen style.
3. Shaolin forms.  Learn the famous forms which constitute the foundation of Hung Kuen, as well as other advanced Shaolin forms (Tiger-Crane, Hard Gold, etc.) 
4. Partnered applications of hand/leg techniques.  With a partner, learn defense and counter-attack movements to the solo techniques or Shaolin forms, and learn the link between strong execution and combat effectiveness.
5. Padwork.  Develop strength, stamina and speed in your techniques, and learn to commit to the motion every time a technique is executed.
6. Sparring.  Combat application remains an essential part of Hung Kuen.  Students start with "feather-touch" sparring to teach them how to evolve in a "live" situation, with protective gear.  As students achieve more senior grades, increasing emphasis is placed on more full-contact sparring over time.  All sparring is highly supervised to ensure complete safety.
7. Self-defense.  Practical defense techniques against specific types of attacks, with emphasis on applying Hung Kuen in efficient and effective parries.  Defense against small weapons (knives, etc.) is also covered over time.

For senior students, instruction in traditional Shaolin weapons (monkey staff, broadsword, halberd, spear, knives, etc.) becomes a key portion of the curriculum as well.