To celebrate 20 years of Cambridge Kung Fu, we’re hosting a 24 hours of continuous training event this summer.

From 3pm on Saturday 13th June to 3pm on Sunday 14th June, we’ll be teaching Self Defence, Wing Chun, Escrima, Tai Chi, and a few other bits, back-to-back, non-stop at the Scout Hut.

We’ll be using the event to raise money for Jimmy’s, a Cambridge-based charity that provides housing and support to people experiencing rough sleeping.

We’re also really pleased to have some very special guest instructors joining us on the Sunday:

• 9am-10.30am: Tai Chi with master Ricky Crofts
• 11am–12.30pm: Wing Chun with Sifu Benno Wai
• 1pm–2.30pm: Escrima with Grandmaster Steve Tappin

These are brilliant opportunities to train with highly experienced instructors as part of our anniversary event, so please make a note of the times if you’d like to join those sessions.

Most sessions will be 60 minutes, except the guest instructor sessions on Sunday which will be 90 minutes, and the overnight sessions which will be 120 minutes long. One session will cost £10, 2+ sessions will cost £20, however as all money goes to Jimmy’s you are welcome to donate extra if you wish.

Children accompanied by an adult, as well as adults without kids, are invited to the first training session. After that, the rest of the event will be adults only.

Saturday 13th June

10am-1pm: Punting & Lunch

3pm: Kids & Adults Training (if you have a child you are invited to bring them along as your training partner for this session, otherwise you’ll be training with other adults)

4pm: Self Defence

5pm: Wing Chun

6pm: Padded Stick Games (there will also be an introduction to traditional Chinese Lion Dancing during this session)

7pm: Escrima (+ Lion Dancing)

8pm: Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong (there will also be a tabletop game running during this session)

9pm: A Taste of Shaolin Kung Fu (+ tabletop games)

10pm: Unarmed contact exercises from WC, EC, and TC  (+ tabletop games)

11pm: Quarterstaff Weapons Training

12am–6am: Col will be teaching and training a variety of things, based on who’s there at the time.

6am: Tai Chi Wake Up

7am: Wild Goose

8am: Yoga

9am-10.30am: Tai Chi with Master Ricky

10.30am-11am: Padwork

11am-12.30pm: Wing Chun with Sifu Benno

12.30pm: Padwork

1pm-2.30pm: Escrima with Grandmaster Steve

2.30pm-3pm: Cool down and finish

4pm: Dinner nearby

Please use this form to sign up so we can get an idea of numbers.

This year, for the first time ever, we are running a short course on Black Tiger Kung Fu, a rarely-taught part of the Integrated Kun Tao System founded by the late Grandmaster Brian Jones. 

 Black Tiger is an ancient and traditional form of Shaolin Kung Fu, developed in Shantung province in Northern China.  It was taught to us by Master Ricky Crofts and the late Grandmaster Brian Jones, who was himself taught by Tjoa Khek Kiong, the Master who first brought this previously secretive art to the attention of the English-speaking world.  Inspired by the movements of the tiger, the style emphasises agility and strong, powerful attacks – think Tigress in Kung Fu Panda! 

The course will run over five Saturday afternoons, during which we will learn the full Black Tiger solo form and work with partners to practice some of the classical and modern practical applications.  The course will be taught by Martyn Weeds who – as well as being a 2nd TG Escrima Concepts Instructor and the leader of our Monday night Junior Warriors Kids’ classes – is also an Instructor in the Integrated Kun Tao System.  

The course is open to all CKF Adult members, as well as non-members, and is suitable for all levels of physical fitness and experience.

Please use this form to sign up for the course.

When: Saturdays in June: 6th, 13th, 20th, Saturdays in July: 4th, 11th.
Time: 1.30-3pm
Venue: 28th Cambridge Scout Hut
Cost: £80

We’ve just added a new FuTube course for CKF members, designed to support something just as important as your technique: your body. Training well means training for the long term, and this new resource focuses on helping you move better, recover properly, and stay fit for class more consistently.

Created in partnership with the therapists at Injury Active, the course gives you practical, easy-to-follow video guidance to support mobility, stretching, and rehabilitation. Whether you’re managing niggles or simply looking after yourself better, this is here to support your journey.

As part of the partnership, CKF members also receive 10% off their first treatment with Injury Active, should you ever want more personalised, one-to-one support. You can find the FuTube course in the Bonus Course sections, or click here.

The things you know but might have forgotten…

First Aid

• Please keep us up to date with anything that might affect you/your child’s training and/or our ability to administer first aid (e.g. medical issues that we should be aware of and things like allergies to plasters). If your child brings medication to class (e.g. an inhaler or epi-pen) please make sure it is named (or in a named bag) and that it gets added to our medication box at every class. You can ask the Class Leader for further details or drop us an email if you are unsure.

General Hygiene

• Please ensure that your children have neat finger (and toe) nails and that they remove any watches or jewellery (e.g. earrings) before classes to avoid injuring others and themselves, or damaging equipment. We train in bare feet, however if your child prefers they can wear “grippy” socks. If your child has any type of foot infection (e.g. a verruca) please can you send them in class with “grippy” socks as opposed to bare feet.

Hills Road

• It is the Hill’s Road Sports and Tennis Centre policy that children under the age of 12 must not be left unattended at the Centre. Please make sure that you pick up and drop off your child at class if they are under this age. 
• Although we do our best to ensure that our classes aren’t ever cancelled at short notice, there may be extenuating circumstances where this could happen; ensuring you directly drop off your child ensures that they won’t be left unsupervised at the Centre if there is a last minute class cancellation. If you have any questions about this just get in touch.

Youth Escrima Concepts

• When bringing training weapons to class (e.g. in Youth Escrima), it’s advisable to have them covered and in a bag. We suggest a basic tennis racket bag, as this also has room for a water bottle and other small items.
• Remember to label your weapons clearly so they don’t get mixed up with anyone else’s.
• Regularly check your weapons for damage (splinters, cracks) and repair / replace them when needed to keep training safe for everyone. Chat to us in class if you’re unsure about this.

Feedback

• We are always interested in getting your feedback, finding out what you think about our classes and if there’s anything we can do to make them better. As well as emailing us anytime, you can also use this form to give us feedback anonymously if you prefer.

We continue classes through the May half-term holiday, however please note we do not run classes on Bank Holidays and so there won’t be any classes on the following dates (you are welcome to have catch-up classes to make up for any missed sessions):

Monday 4th May
Monday 25th May

During half-term we will be offering unlimited classes, so your child can attend as many classes as they wish during that time for their age group without needing to book-in (and at no extra cost).

This terms Grading dates for Little Dragons and Junior Warriors:

Monday 15th June – Saturday 27th June inclusive

Please note the Tiny Tigers do not grade.

Your child should attend as normal during the Grading Week as grading takes place within their regular class. Grading is always optional, for example if your child hasn’t been attending class regularly please ensure they feel under no pressure to grade. However, if they are keen to grade then FuTube will have all the resources they need in order to do some extra practise and preparation outside of class. 

If this is your child’s first Grading their instructor will talk them through what will happen during the classes leading up to grading. Please bear in mind that if your child is a Dragon or Warrior and decides not to Grade they will get a certificate but they will not get a badge. If you will be away for your grading classes then please get in touch about organising an alternative class to grade in if they wish to grade.

The week commencing Monday 29th June will be Ceremony Week. Ceremony Week is a “watching week” where you are invited to come into your child’s regular class to watch them perform their Form, receive their certificate and play some Kung Fu games. We look forward to seeing you there and you are very welcome to bring family or friends who may like to watch. 

We will then have two Games Weeks, where we concentrate even more on teaching & integrating the CKF FUNdamental Skills, of Awareness, Focus & Resilience purely through play, before our Summer Holiday Programme begins.

We continue our classes through the Summer Holidays with our fun packed Summer Holiday programme of classes. During this time we run a reduced timetable, however your children are welcome to attend unlimited classes on any of the days that are running (for their age group), at no extra cost and without having to book in a “catch-up”. 

We will have classes running on a Tuesday (4pm Tigers and 5pm Warriors), on a Thursday (4pm Dragons and 5pm Warriors) and we will have Tigers, Dragons and Warriors classes running on a Saturday (10am Junior Warriors, 11am Little Dragons, 12:30pm Tiny Tigers, 1:30pm Little Dragons and 2:30pm Junior Warriors). You are welcome to attend any, and as many, classes as you would like to for your age group. We will send a reminder email nearer the time as well.

At the start of the Summer Holidays (from Monday 20th July) children, who are old enough, will progress up to the next class. 

From Monday 20th July;

Tiny Tigers who are currently in School Year 1 will move up to Little Dragons

Little Dragons who are currently in School Year 3 will move up to Junior Warriors

Junior Warriors who are currently in School Year 6 will move up to our Youth Kung Fu Programme

Over the Summer Holidays (from Monday 20th July onwards) we will be running our Summer Holiday reduced timetable. During this time you can attend unlimited classes for your moving-up age group (see section above for the Summer Holiday Timetable). However we will need to take your preferences for your regular moving-up class for September onwards. In the first week of June we will be emailing everyone who is due to move up to the next programme to ask for your September class preference. If you would like to look at our timetable for September beforehand to think through which classes you might be interested in please visit our timetable page here.

Unfortunately, we can’t take preferences until that email has been sent to make it fair on everyone, although if you have any questions about the process, or the options available to your child, then please don’t hesitate to contact us via <link-“mailto:email@cambridgekungfu.com”>email</link> beforehand. If you have any questions about moving up, please let me know.

On Monday 13th April we kick off the new term. 

Once students reach age 13 they are invited to try out the Youth Escrima Concepts class for the opportunity to start learning our weapons programme as well. If your child is now 13 and interested in trying out the class please let us know. It takes place on Monday nights, 7pm-7.50pm, at Hills Road.

This term Grade 1 and 2 students will be working on Unarmed Defences against Stick attacks. Grade 5 students will be working on Controls and Takedowns, and all other grades focussing on their specific syllabus which you can see here. You can access online content which helps support your child’s progress in these programmes via FuTube. Just get in touch if you need any help navigating the site.

We continue classes through the May half-term holiday, however please note we do not run classes on Bank Holidays and so there won’t be any classes on the following dates:

Monday 4th May
Monday 25th May

During half-term we will be offering unlimited classes, so your child can attend as many classes as they wish during that time for their age group without needing to book-in (and at no extra cost). Youth Escrima students are welcome to attend Youth Kung Fu classes to catch-up on any missed classes and can also attend unlimited Youth Kung Fu classes during the half-term at no extra cost.

For those who haven’t met him, Sifu Benno is a Master of Wing Chun, and the teacher of both Sifu Ross & Sifu Col. He has been training a variety of martial arts his whole life, and now specialises in the Practical Wing Chun of Sifu Wan Kam Leung as well as Escrima Concepts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you want to experience a higher level of understanding and ability of Wing Chun, Sifu Benno is the person to come and train with!

This seminar is open to all Youth Kung Fu members who have passed Grade 8 (note there will also be adults training in the seminar). 

When: Sunday 10th May, 2pm-5pm
Venue: 28th Cambridge Scout Hut
Price: £40
Sign Up: Please just send us an email to reserve your child’s place. We will take payment via your Direct Debit unless you let us know otherwise.

This term’s Youth Escrima grading will be taking place on Monday 6th and Monday 13th July. 

This term’s Youth Kung Fu Grading will be taking place from Tuesday 30th June – Saturday 18th July inclusive. Note that this term:

• The first week (Tuesday 30th June – Saturday 4th July) is for Revision Grade only (students going for 4, 8 and 12). 
• The second week (Tuesday 7th – 11th July) is for non-revision grades (students going for any grade other than 4, 8 or 12).
• The third week is grading for all students (14th -18th July)

Your child should attend as normal during the Grading Weeks as Grading takes place within their regular class. Youth Kung Fu Students going for Revision Grades (Grades 4, 8 and 12) can attend as many grading sessions as they would like during this period.

If you will be away for your grading classes then please get in touch about organising an alternative. Grading is always optional, for example if your child hasn’t been attending class regularly please ensure they feel under no pressure to grade. However, if they are keen to grade then FuTube has all the resources they need in order to do some extra practise and preparation at home.

We then continue through the Summer Holidays with our usual timetable of classes, with students allowed to come to unlimited sessions at no extra cost, and a focus on our fundamental skills. During the summer holidays Youth Escrima students are welcome to attend unlimited Youth Kung Fu classes.

Wing Chun Gradings are starting on Monday 29th June – see the details below for grade specific dates. You can attend as many sessions within your grading dates as you want in order to give you the best possible chance at passing your grade.

Beginner Grades 1-3: Monday 29th June – Saturday 4th July, with Ka Fai (Monday), Laura (Wednesday), and Col (Thursday & Saturday).
Intermediate Grades 5-7: Monday 29th June – Saturday 4th July, with Col
Senior Grades 9-11: Monday 6th July – Thursday 9th July, plus Saturday 18th July, with Col
Revision Grades 4, 8, and 12: All grading sessions from Monday 29th June – Saturday 4th July and Wednesday 15th – Monday 20th July (not the week in between), with Ross.

Gradings will take place during your normal lessons. If you are not grading this time around you will be able to train, as normal, during the class.

The price of Grading is as follows…

Normal Grades (1-3, 5-7, 9-11) – £30. Once you have graded this will be added to your monthly payment.

Revision Grades (4, 8, and 12) – £50. This is a one off payment for the grade, not per grading session, and is added to your monthly payment after your first grading session.

If you are unsure what you need to know or if you’re ready to grade, check out the details on FuTube, drop Col an email, or chat to us in class.

Click here for Beginner, Intermediate, Senior.

On the 8th July-12th July Amsterdam Camp with Sifu Benno & Sifu Kleber will be running the Amsterdam Summer Camp at Sifu Benno’s School. Each day is broken up into a number of workshops that progress through the week. Each day usually starts with Nei Gung (Internal Work) with Sifu Benno. This year the guest instructor is Sifu Kleber who as well as being an expert in Wan Kam Leung’s Practical Wing Chun is also an instructor in Gwok Wai Jarn Wing Chun, a school of Wing Chun from Foshan in mainland China, & the home of Wing Chun. Usually each day is a good balance of technical work and practical self defence including pad work and often weapons. There will be students of all levels and the content will be accessible to all. 

For more details you can chat to Ross or Laura and also check out the website here

19th – 20th September: Sifu Benno teaching in Cambridge, plus Advanced grading

13th October – 17th October: Spain Camp with Sifu Benno

13th November: Stand Up Grappling with GM Steve

15th November: Open weapons seminar with GM Steve

Beginners Grading (SG1-4)
30th November – 5th December

Intermediate Grading (SG5-8)
30th November – 5th December

Senior Grading (SG9-12)
7th – 12th December

Revision Grading (SG4, SG8 and SG12)
2nd – 5th September
30th November – 12th December

Steve and Wayne will be teaching in Wimbledon at the start of June.

Saturday 6th: All grades welcome
Sunday 7th: Going for Grade 7+

Contact Jason Potter for further details and to sign up here.

The FMA Festival is a yearly opportunity to train under the top instructors from a huge range of martial arts originating in the Philippines. There are approximately 15 styles represented over the weekend, so you are able to try out, and get a feel for, many of the different styles out there, while training with students who don’t study exactly the same style as us. The weekend is great fun and a good experience (especially for the senior grades who are expected to have a basic understanding of other styles, which helps your understanding of why we do what we do).

When: 11th-12th July:
Where: West Bridgford School, Nottingham, NG2 7FA
Price: £30 per day, £50 for the weekend.

Several members of the club usually go along with Col, so if you would like to share lifts/hotel rooms, or if you have any other questions, please contact Col or mention it in class. More information here.

The full EC International calendar can be downloaded from here.

20th September: Open Wing Chun Seminar with Sifu Benno

13th-15th November: Steve and Wayne teaching in Cambridge.

You can see all the EC seminars with Steve and Wayne on their website here.

10th-13th October: Advanced Training in Clacton. Open to all members who have passed Grade 9, this is your opportunity to really improve your skills under the watchful eyes of Steve and Wayne whilst training with TGs from across the system. Let me know if you’d like a space.