In 2017, after focusing on competitive cycling for a few years, I decided it was time for change. I’d read about Wing Chun Kung Fu back in the 1990s in Combat magazine. There were articles continually mostly focussing around Ip Man, Bruce Lee and his legacy. So I decided to take up a new martial art; I couldn’t believe my luck when I found a Wing Chun Kung Fu club in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Classes were in a church hall about 30 seconds walk from my house.
The instructor was Sifu Jason Cooper and the club was affiliated to Wing Chun International. The lessons were held twice a week. There was a fixed syllabus and regular gradings. I passed my first two gradings within four months.
Wing Chun Street Defence
Although the classes were very close to home I decided to consider other Wing Chun clubs. Sifu Jason Cooper is a good instructor but I found the organisation was too structured and overpriced for me personally. I found a club called Wing Chun Street Defence based in Chipping Norton. Thirty minutes drive, considerably further but I decided to give it a go. I met the instructor, Sifu Barry Holland who had been practicing Wing Chun for many years. He had previously trained in Karate and then later took up Wing Chun Kung Fu. He trained under Sifu Nikolaos Gourgounidis and formed Wing Chun Street Defence. He continued his training with Sifu Wang Meng visiting Shandong Province in China to train.
The below image is a link to Sifu Barry Holland’s Wing Chun Street Defence website. He also holds classes in Clare, Suffolk.
As the name suggests, Wing Chun Street Defence focusses on practical self defence based on Wing Chun Kung Fu. The members are a mixture of first time martial artists and the more experienced with a background in such skills as Karate, Taekwondo, Kick Boxing, Tai Chi to name but a few.
Most practical for Self-Defence
Without a doubt Wing Chun is the most practical martial art I have participated in. The speed, ease of motion and the economy of it by far surpasses many other martial arts.
Financially the classes are reasonably priced with just the additional annual membership to pay.
I am currently still practicing and attended the club up until training temporarily ceased with the Covid-19 out break. So I’m currently training at home.
Below is a short clip of Wing Chun Street Defence
Hello there do you have private one on one lessons?
Hi Anthony, Here is a link to contact Barry Holland for private lessons. He is an excellent teacher https://wingchunstreetdefence.co.uk/private-lessons