Martial Arts

Safe with patient teachings, friendly and good fun, a great way to make friendships and put protection and fitness in to my life. I signed up and got my Wutian Tee :)

I regularly attend Steve's BMS Kung Fu class in Shepherds Bush and I can tell you 100% that Steve is an absolutely excellent Martial Arts instructor. He is a skilled and patient teacher and I feel like a learn something new each time I go. What I especially like is that as well as learning top notch self-defence and fighting skills, we also learn meditation, chi gong (chinese breathing techniques) and also how to apply martial arts skills to your everyday life when dealing with events that happen to you in a focused, clear, grounded and calmer way. I enjoy it and would highly recommend him to anyone interested in real martial arts.

Mayfair is the flagship Shorinji kempo branch in the UK, taught by Tameo Mizuno (8th dan) who has taught in the UK for over 40 years, and assisted by a number of his senior students. Training is comprehensive - from basic forms to detailed and technical, from free sparring to pair form sequences, and from meditation and philosophy to fitness.

I can not recommend Xendo enough. To be honest I've always wanted to practice a martial art but was always "too busy" with studies/work etc. I was pretty much hooked as soon as I found Xendo.. you get a fun, intense workout AND learn a very important life skill - how to defend yourself. All the Sensei's have a great way of encouraging you to push past your limits.. even as a complete novice I've never felt intimidated. Since starting 6 months ago I've noticed an improvement in my strength, flexibility and stamina. It's not just the physical aspects either; as I have a demanding job I'm often put under pressure but I don't notice it much these days.. I'm usually in a great mood!

Nice place to learn martial arts and ki meditation.

Excellent Martial arts school. A great place to learn Traditional Shotokan Martial arts in a warm & friendly atmosphere for everyone, from beginners to experienced Karate exponents.

The way a lot of other people teach martial arts for self defence in Western coutries they take it for granted that anybody you come up against can't handle themselves which is not what traditional martial arts was about as people trained to be able to test their skills against other martial artists. They also teach you like dance moves steps which is unrealistic and in reality it is not going to go down like that and you're going to be in a fight. In Bushin you get taught all round skills and techniques to be able to fight which are of real practical use and to be able to take on people who also might have skills. The method of training is also very good and is suited from complete beginners to people who are already quite well trained but can't be going to work the next day with a black eye or busted nose like if you went to a MMA gym.

Martial Arts is not just about physical fitness, being clever and efficient, it's also about a way of life. If you desire to combine your life energy with real physical skills, then Hapkido is definitely for you. I have been practicing for 3 years now - relax, focus, move like wind and you can conquer whatever is ahead of you - it may or may not lead you to the highest level of spirituality and fitness, it depends on how much effort you put in. The general (don't want to generalise) rule of thumb is 10000 hours, so prepare to spend that much time from white to red before entering the realm of black belts, where you have to go from white again. I have not started exercising until I was in my early 30s, people learn dancing in their 70s and if you watched the Paralympics, you know there is nothing one can't overcome. :) A taster class with Master Tammy Parlour may better your life - first start by seeing what she teaches about meditation (ki) and the physical / practical skills to deal with various situations. There are many martial arts classes in London, not easy to find one this central and accessible in Zone 1 and held at office friendly hours, Chang's Hapkido Academy is not simply a martial arts school - it is also a life school no matter what your story is :)

I have been looking to get back into training after several years of on and off martial arts. Prior to trying Xen Do I had not really been active for at least a year and felt like I was missing something. I decided to do a thorough search and ended up visiting the 3 most appealing places for my requirements. It was a difficult task to narrow down which ones would be most compatible with myself, and my goals. In the end I came to the conclusion of signing up with Xen Do (Golders Green). I have Sensei Simon to thank for that as he thoroughly worked me yet, was very approachable and friendly. What started of as a personal goal to improve my fitness levels has grown to a much larger scale. The teachers have reignited my craving for sparring and my desire to make myself technically sound as well. The atmosphere is friendly and calm yet the hard working ethos is clearly demonstrated, and expected. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and make the general atmosphere welcoming. I initially also planned to focus on myself when joining up however I have found a group of people who I can relate to, even outside of the classes. The teachers; who I believe is a critical area when deciding on a martial arts, are great. I have had the privilege of being taught by different teachers from Sensei James, to Sensei Denise. They have many years of experience in different backgrounds and I found this to be a huge deciding factor on swaying my decision. Needless to say, I have no regrets. If you are not sure whether to sign up then I would 100% recommend you to contact Xen Do for a trial class. It may just be the thing you are looking for.

A brilliant and well taught academy, there is a friendly and positive atmosphere and the teaching is first class. The techniques are effective and due to them not being overly complicated in application they work well in practical scenarios. The stand out qualities of the academy in my opinion are its commitment to excellence and not compromising or watering down the rich traditions it has inherited.

I've been training here for a few weeks and absolutely love the atmosphere, the trainers and facilities. I can definitely see myself improving with each session, and there's a welcoming vibe in every class - which is definitely a positive given the daunting expectations people might perceive accompany martial arts classes.

I moved two months ago to London and joined Xen-Do. It has been my best decision ever. The style of training is brilliant. Its all about technique and fitness. In two months I have learned so much. After every week I feel I am progressing and getting fitter. If you are interested in kickboxing or want to get fit Xen-Do is the best way for you!