Martial arts such as Karate, Kung Fu, Kick Boxing etc. have spread rapidly all over the world in the past fifteen years and they are continuing to spread. As with all professions you have good schools, bad schools and even worse in our case, the renegade schools (these schools are where the style taught is a mixture of various styles where the instructor is a master of none). Having been involved in martial arts for twenty two years and an instructor for fifteen, it is my opinion that the approach taken is very important when teaching the art of fighting.

The supreme fighting system must encourage practitioners to develop the following qualities, fitness, mental focus, self-control, aggression, speed, timing and technique. In order for the practitioner to become a good fighter these qualities must be installed in them and the techniques must become second nature. East Anglia Wing Chun Athletic prides itself on passing all of these qualities to its members. Training in Kung Fu is a very long process and some people learn faster than others do. However, the most important principles learnt during your time as a student is the development of your reflexes and training yourself mentally. To behave in a martial manner, e.g. self disciplined, self control and mentally focused. To succeed in this is a great achievement.

In martial arts there are always those styles which are more popular than others are. This is not because they are more effective when used it is often merely a case of them being more widely known due to the competitions in which they are involved. These styles include Karate, Judo, Thai Boxing, Tai Kwon Do and Jujitsu.

Kung Fu is a broad term for the martial arts that have emerged from China. There are many forms of Kung Fu, some very popular and some very secretive, only being practised behind closed doors. The most popular of these Chinese arts is Tai Chi, which appeals to many practitioners as it aids health and tranquillity of mind and body.

Wing Chun is a very young martial art in relation to the others with it being only 250 years old. Wing Chun was developed by taking the most effective parts from many other traditional styles of Kung Fu. Today Wing Chun is amongst many other martial arts reaching towards the future. More and more we see Wing Chun schools entering competitions and achieving some good results.

The Wing Chun training method Chi Sau (sticking hands) is slowly becoming a sport of its own with Sifu Brian Desir playing a major role in its development. It gives practitioners motivation and helps generate interest in the style. Competition is good in all forms of physical activity as it gives the practitioner something to train for. It also provides an excellent opportunity to gain some experience and achieve a sense of self-achievement. Sifu Brian Desir is also teacher to National, European and world championship medallists.