Attendance at class together with regular home practice will ensure success! Enjoy your training but don’t expect to remember all new material. With patient and consistent training - just developing a small piece at a time - your repertoire will quickly build up. 'Perseverance is better than natural talent' is a motto to apply at all times. Gradually as your training develops you will gain more confidence in your ability. With improvement in your fitness and self-defence skills you will become more attuned to your body and notice an improvement in your mental alertness, self-awareness and general feeling of well-being. This alone is a great reason for training. You may live your whole life and never once need to defend yourself but every day each one of us needs a calm mind and healthy body.

When you're doing martial arts remember you're also practicing an art form. This tradition is not only for fighting, but is about how you can rise above the fight, to develop your own mind, body and spirit.

This is called 'tian ren he yi'. 'Heaven and person come together as one'. This is actually the martial arts purpose: to cultivate the jing (essence), chi (energy) and (shen) spirit for a better, happier and more peaceful way of life.

Ten Points for Practicing Kung Fu

When you practice your head, body, legs, arms, hands and waist must work cooperatively.

1. Handwork: The fists should be like shooting stars, with power concentrated at the point of contact. Punching, grabbing, and throwing should be fast and smooth, giving the opponent no chance to block or fight back.
2. Senses: The eyes should shine like electricity and, together with the ears, should sense your total surroundings. Watching your opponent's body movements should tell you what he is going to do before he does it.
3. Waist: The waist should be like a running snake - strong and fluid, furnishing your techniques with power.
4. Footwork: Steps should be powerful, yet smooth and light, like a bird. When standing, the body should be rooted, as sturdy as a mountain. When in motion, it should be light and flowing, like running water or moving clouds. Jumps should be airy, high and long; landings weightless, smooth and silent. Running steps should be quick and light-footed.
5. Spirit: The spirit should be full. Every move should be done equally with the mind, with the heart, and with the body.
6. Energy: Sink the Chi to Dan Tien, the energy centre below the navel. Do not allow your internal energy to rise out of control. You must always stay calm and relaxed to keep the mind clear and body grounded. This is the highest Kung Fu.
7. Power: Every move should have natural power, soft and hard. The power should come from the whole body and never be wasted.
8. Control: Know and use the exact space, time and energy required for each action. Regulate the power and make all movements clear.
9. Breathing: All breathing should be natural and quiet, both inhaling and exhaling through the nose only. The inhalation should reach the Dan Tien.
10. Concentration: The focus should be complete - intent and uninterrupted, totally without tension.