Given that I'm at the university of Reading, and Wokingham is just a short trip down the rail line (about five or ten minutes), I'm going to begin training with Neville Wray (if I'm correct in assuming that's where he teaches). If anyone has trained, or does train with him, could you let me know of a few things: 1. How long are the classes (from when and until when)? And what days? 2. How much do they cost (per week/per month)? 3. What does the average session consist of (what can one typically expect to do during a training session)? 4. Where is the club located (an address, specifically, so I can google map it and work out travel times, etc)? And perhaps most importantly of all... 5. Given that I have over five years of previous experience in the Lau Gar syllabus (to the equivalent of brown, minus one or two techniques which we stopped practicing, such as wood/tile breaking) with someone who is not affiliated with the BKFA, what response can I expect? I.e. will I be forced to start from white sash, or will I be asked/able to demonstrate what I know and be given a grade accordingly (in other words, take a pseudo-grading)?
If he is anything like the rest of the BKFA clubs, I doubt he will make you start at white sash - it's never happened to me. In fact, every once in a blue moon a few of us go up to train with him (he used to teach our instructor, and Kevin Brewerton who started our club) so he's clearly quite friendly with Ex-BKFA people. I think the sessions are 90mins on a wednesday but other than that, no idea. call him!
I met him at a tournament in Sheffield a couple of months ago. Nice guy! Yeah,best off calling him,seems like they don't have a website as I did a search and one didn't come up.
How are people planning to call him if they don't have a website to get a number?? Unless he's in the phone book.... and you didn't rip the book in half like this
Fortunately I ran across this - http://www.laugar-kungfu.com/clubs.asp?Area=England His phone number is on that.
That .. is the most awesome site EVER!!! I'm going to go put a few of my classmates in a grape vyne tonight!
He is known for his competition fighting so make sure you ask him what he focuses more on in his lessons, whether its the more traditional side to kung fu or training to compete and then decide whether what he teaches is what you want from kung fu.
Another Reading bod here As far as I knew the classes are in Maidenhead, or so they say on the big posters in the gym I go to. Maidenhead is as far on the train as Wokingham. the gym location is about 10min walk from station: Magnet Leisure Centre, Holmanleaze, Maidenhead SL6 8AW There's a Lau Gar class in Tilehurst (may be easier for you to get to) also, but not BKFA. The teacher is a student of Clive Parkinson, and Clive comes down every so often. I'm suprised there isn't something in the Uni grounds for you?
axelb: I went to the Aikido classes for a term, but got sufficiently bored of it to leave. I've seen a few other classes advertised, but they're mostly things like Karate and Taekwon Do. There was also a Muay Thai class at Bulmershe (which wasn't that far from my house), but it was apparently a fairly spongy class where sparring was 'optional'. I've yet to find anything else that interests me. I want to start a university-based Chinese Kickboxing club based on the Lau Gar syllabus (I know pretty much up to black anyway), which focuses mainly on sparring and alive training rather than syllabus work. Not sure how to go about doing that yet though.
Do you have a black sash at all in anything? Don't you need that for insurance?You going to join an association? If not you really need to look into insurance!
Yes Su you would need insurance to run a class, the insurance covered when you join clubs will not cover you to run/supervise a class. I have insurance for both. The class content will change the type of insurance also. there is a tonne of MArtial arts classe around Reading, and as you've probably found 90% are not worth looking into. There are many clubs run by underqualified instruction. I used to go to Judo (at junior level) and Karate classes at Bulmershe when I lived in woodley, from what I remember there wasn't much there. I would check details on insurance for this, I'm sure there would be plenty of people at Reading Uni interested in this. The only other options I can think of which may be in your range are: Loddon Valley leisure center - Lower Earley - about 2 miles from bulmershe. My club trains there and if it was more sparring then I recommend you have a look on Fridays. The only other club worth looking at there is the Judo club (if they're still running). If you want to get some sparring in there are some Kickboxing clubs around - those I've found that are leg kick rules are Rivermead may be out of your way but that has a Kickboxing club (also in tilehurst). I think there is shooto classes in Reading, I will try find details. (3D?) Muay Thai class is also in Reading center - but from what I've heard it's a 'bash your shins with a stick' type class.
It does concern me a little if you don't have a black sash in anything.Tbh I would be very wary of going to a class that was run by someone who didn't have at least a black sash in whatever they were teaching.
yet there are many around the Reading area many self proclaimed masters. I know many people who have setup a class for sparring when at uni, just so they could practise with other MAists from the uni, as they don't want to have to start a whole different syllabus. - as long as you have insurance I don't see a problem for just sparring.
Thats not always the case, the colour of the belt just states that you can do the required syllabus, that doesnt mean to say the person is any good! I know many students (below black) that would rip chunks out of some people with black belts! Also one of our students teaches at brown sash and he is an excellent instructor! If you want to teach you just need your own indemnity and a location! hmmm, I might invent Mr. O's special Foo! Now where to get a syllabus from??? lol, joking!
Actually I wasn't planning on running as the sole sifu/sensei, but more of a co-ordinator. Since most of the class would be focused around bag work and sparring, syllabus would be fairly irrelevant anyway (if they wanted me to teach it to them, I'm quite capable, as I spent two years as an instructor after I received my brown - equivalent to purple in the Lau Gar syllabus). People from different styles would be able to go, and there wouldn't really be a formal grade structure; if people have something to teach, they can teach it, providing they know it well. Insurance would be done through the University (probably, I'd need to look into that), but I wouldn't need to hold any particular qualifications as I would only be organising the meetings. It's quite likely that the class would be split into various groups, with sparring taking place in a different area to ground fighting (if we have that), in a different area to bag work, in a different area to any syllabus work that may happen. As for needing a 'black' for insurance, I'm not sure if that is strictly the case since not all arts use black as their highest level (can't bring any to mind but I have seen them). The instructor grade is arbitrary, as most people agree that you start instructing when you reach first black, but normally only whilst under a more senior instructor; you may not be able to have your own class until 2nd or 3rd, sometimes even 4th black. I started teaching when I was a brown, primarily out of necessity (we only had one instructor and a class with a wide variety of grades), but it was, after that, deemed the sash that designated someone fit to be an instructor. Most insurance companies would probably want to be whipped round the face with a black belt as proof, mind you, but I could have applied for instructor insurance rather than student insurance.
I was kind of meaning that I imagine insurance companies would want to see it as "proof". I think I am just wary after seeing a guy who came to our club for a while left and set up his own "style" even though he had never got to black in Lau Gar.That folded after a while though I also agree that not all black belts are good instructors and that other grades can be good teachers, a couple of our purple sashes are very good at teaching but under our association wouldn't be able to set up their own class till black because of insurance etc. You sound like you have enough experience anyway Talyn, my previous comments were made without that info, and in no way were they intended to suggest you weren't able to teach etc. I suppose you just need to check with whoever you intend to get your insurance off that you would be covered
you can open up your own club and give yourself a black belt, a black belt is an achievement not a license to kill! My friend has done bits and bobs of all kinds, and has opened up his own class with his mate, they just do loads of pads and some self defence stuff! He's not selling himself as a traditional art (like some jokers do), but he still needed to get his insurance, I use perkins slade, they have quite a good premium!!
