Okay, here we go…
I have trained at austin goh’s and also at different kamon branches. Austin goh is not yip man lineage, in fact it is lee shing lineage - roughly translated as being a bit more external (he’ll get you doing shaolin forearm conditioning exercises) and there are things like backfists and a few un wing chunny kicks (they are the technical terms, ahem). The point here is that it is a tough class, he’ll have you doing lots of press ups, sit ups, and, at the end of each class, heh, he does this thing where you have to do 10 SUPERSLOW pressups, everyone collapses, it’s funny, but if you’re in shape you should last. Important point - he’s have you SPARRING twice weekly (lessons are every weekday and you can goto “shaolin kickboxing” (read: sanshou) classes on saturdays, for an extra fee though). When i was there, it was £50 a month. With that, the lessons were usually 1hr long, EXCEPT when sparring, and then it was about 1hr 30mins. On weds, there was also tai chi classes so you can go for like up to 2-3 hours if you goto both the tai chi and then if the class after it is sparring.
It isn’t yip man lineage though, if that is important to you. However an important point - austin goh is… er… a bit of a character. His approach to teaching seems very unpersonal, he won’t ever learn your name, and he seems to leave as soon as the class is over. He’ll try and get you to buy his books n stuff (have you been to his shop? It’s expensive :eek: ), i dunno though. Half the time, I wasn’t sure if it was a cunning teaching method, or if he just didn’t give a sh*t. It’s at the urdang acadamy of dance (round the corner from pinapple studios where kamon hq is). They are both in covent garden.
Now, onto Kamon… i trained in the richmond (ooer) and heston clubs… i think i actually saw sifu chan once. These lessons won’t get you overly sweating (you hear that celestial?) and if my branch was anything to go by, they won’t teach you chi sau, or the dummy, or any sensitivity stuff, for ages. I mean ages. If you train actually at the one in covent garden, then you will infact get i think 1 lesson a week from sifu chan. He is supposed to be amazing - he’s the bjj champion of europe or something too. Anyway… there’s no sparring here… i spent like AGES with everyone in lesson at the beginning punching thin air… that’s okay i guess, for speed, but after a bit all it does is build up ur lats a bit so you can have ur hands out in front of you for ages - great for winning bets in the pub but…
Don’t get me wrong, i liked it there. My sihing (he was the instructor) was steve setters, he is no longer there, i don’t know why. No sparring bugged me out though. Now however, i know that hardly any wing chun schools spar. But these dudes didn’t have ANY people who chi sau in the class. They keep you on the first form for a stonking time too. My current school thought it amazing that i never chi sau’d, and now, i guess i have the foundations built ok, my chi sau is exploding into a big fat pile of goodness. i am in wales at the mo.
Anyway, onto simon lau. I sent off for a brochure… basically, i’ve heard good things about HIM, but i don’t give a sh*t if his place has air conditioning and a jacuzzi, i’m there to learn how to fight for gods sake. It’s in kensington, what do you expect? I was put off by the stupidly over the top brochure he sent me, and then by the price - HOW MUCH!!!
Finally Victor Kan. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him, but never trained with him.
You know what i’m going to say aren’t you - GO AND CHECK THEM OUT!
Where in london are you exactly? There are loads of schools - none of em were near me tho!
Thanks
Edd
All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.
