FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why do martial arts?
People practise martial arts for various reasons.

• for self defence, fitness and confidence

• -for competition

• to share a positive activity with family members and/or friends

• or simply for the huge sense of achievement you get as you progress through the kung fu qualifications.

Martial arts  can give you a vast array of principles and techniques to improve your body and mind. To be good in anything, you need to practise - and practising martial arts can help improve your quality of life.

How is Kung Fu different from Karate, Judo, or Tae Kwon Do? 
Judo is a Japanese sport that involves primarily throwing and grappling. 

Karate is a Japanese martial art which uses hard hand blocks, straight techniques, lots of power.

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial that emphasizes the feet as weapons and is also power oriented. 

Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art that has both hard and soft styles. Kung-fu uses hand and foot strikes, throws, grappling holds, locking, weapons, and self defence. It is therefore a more broad and complex system of combat than many other styles above.

Kung Fu is thousands of years old, the styles listed above are relatively new and are said to be derived from Kung Fu.

What is Lau Gar Kung Fu? 
A Chinese martial art that uses kicks and punches together with grabs and joint locks to form a well rounded self-defence system. Advanced practice also includes the use of traditional weapons such as swords and sticks. 

Kung fu is said to have its origins in the 6th century AD. Lau Gar Kuen is a form of kung fu from Southern China. 

What does "Lau Gar Kuen" mean?
Lau    = The family name
Gar    = literally translated as family,
Kuen = Fist. short for Kuen Fa (fist movements).
Hence Lau Gar Kuen translated means "The Lau Family's Fist methods".

Who is Lau Gar kung fu suitable for? 
Lau Gar kung fu is suitable for people of all ages, male or female. Our classes are tailored to take account of your age and physical capabilities so there is no need to worry whether you are young or old. 

The best way to find out more is to visit one of our registered clubs and speak to the local instructors. They will answer any questions you have and explain how you can start your kung fu journey. See Club Directory 

Where is the nearest club?
See Club Directory

Should children study Kung Fu? 
In general, yes, because there are huge benefits. These include boosting concentration, confidence and self esteem, self-respect and self-control, as well as the obvious self-defence benefits. Our instructors ensure a safe training environment for people of all ages.

Do I have to be fit to do Kung Fu?
Whatever your level of fitness, practising kung fu can help you improve it. Our classes help to boost strength, stamina and flexibility. Instructors will work with you to help you to achieve your goals. You may also lose weight, improve your shape and be generally healthier. While there are exercises that all students will do, some parts of the training will be catered specifically to the needs of individual students.

Do I have to be flexible to do Kung Fu?
Basically, no. You don't have to be flexible to start out in martial arts. The more you practise, the more flexible you become.

Are there specific enrolment times?
No. Most BKFA clubs allow new students to enrol at any time during the year. 

What forms of training are available within Lau Gar? 
There are really 3 aspects to Lau Gar training: 

• Traditional training 

• Self-defence training 

• Kick boxing and competition fighting 

All of these involve some degree of physical contact. The risk of injury during traditional and self-defence training is minimal. The aim of these types of training is to develop your technical skills.  As you progress you will be supported to demonstrate your skills in self defence.

Sparring is optional in most clubs. However you will need to demonstrate a basic level of sparring for as part of your grading. Sparring is kept under strict supervision and is controlled.

Students who want to pursue the fighting aspect can opt for kick boxing and competition fighting. This type of training offers a higher degree of contact and the risks of getting injured are higher. Again however, levels of contact are controlled and all fighters wear protective equipment such as gloves, foot and shin pads, head guards and gum shields. See Kick boxing 

We also practise a form of fighting which we call 'sticking hands'. This advanced form of fighting is for brown and black belt grades only because there is no protective equipment and a wide range of techniques are permitted. See Chi Sau.

What should I wear at my first lesson? 
We recommend a loose fitting t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. 

Footwear: Given the wide selection of club venues - i.e. sports halls with matted areas, or community halls - each club will have its own policy to ensure students are safe, but options include trainers, specialist martial arts training shoes or bare feet. 

All clubs will ask that your training kit be clean and that you ensure your toe and finger nails are kept short. You are likely to get hot when training so please bring some water or other re-hydrating drink (Please avoid bringing jewellery to the classes.).

How often should I train?
Put simply  “You reap what you sow“, The more often and harder your work, the better the benefits. As well as attending classes to learn new skills, it is also important to practise in your own time. Students adopting this approach tend to advance through the grades more quickly.

Are there any health benefits?
Yes, practising martial arts brings a wide range of benefits to your mental and physical health.

Is there a grading system in Lau Gar? 
Yes, there is a grading system. There are 8 sashes, from white to black. Beginners typically achieve their first sash after 12 weeks of regular training.

How long would it take me to get a black belt?

The average time to reach 1st degree black is 4 or 5 years. A person who trains 3 times a week is more likely to achieve their goal sooner than someone who does the bare minimum. 

Is private tuition available?
Private one-to-one or small group classes are available. These classes can help to advance students that are focusing on a particular area of interest in their training, or to work out a problem, or those who are approaching a grading or tournament. They are also useful for people wishing to increase their fitness with a personal training work out.  Just ask your Club instructor for details.


Do you teach weapons?
Weapons training is an integral part of all traditional Chinese Martial arts. The Lau approach is to ensure that students first have a good understanding of the unarmed aspect of the art before weapons training can commence. The traditional weapons taught within the Lau Gar Kuen are the Eyebrow Staff, Rat-tailed Staff, Broadsword, Butterfly Knives, Tiger Fork/Trident and Spear. 

What is sparring about?
Sparring is controlled fighting and an essential element of training. It gives students a practical insight into the effectiveness of their own training and also how people react to certain techniques.

Do you have competitions?
Your instructor will selects tournament suitable for their students to attend to compete in either points fighting, continuous or full-contact. Competitions will cater for students of all skill levels, from those with limited experience through to National, International and World Championships.

What is the Lau Gar Lineage : 
The Lau Gar Kuen system is headed by Grandmaster Jeremy Yau of Birmingham, England, head of the British Kung Fu Association and Master John Russell. Grandmaster Yau brought the style to Britain in 1961, and in 1973 the British Kung Fu Association was set up.

What or who are the Lau Gar Guardians? 
See the Guardian page. Grandmaster Jeremy Yau, the Head of the British Kung Fu Association (BKFA), has appointed a group of 'Guardians' comprising senior members of the BKFA. The Group work with Grandmaster Yau to see how they can best ensure that the knowledge, skills, principles and values of Lau Gar can be preserved so that future generations of students can benefit.