WCI Telford - wing chun, martial arts for self defence

Reviews

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  Dan Hill

  I joined this school a few weeks ago after thinking about it for a while, I'm glad I did as the trainers are very helpful, it is a very relaxed atmosphere and everyone is very friendly. I am happy to be learning something new that also improves my mental and physical well-being. I would 100% recommend to anyone considering to join.

  Posted 1 year ago
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  Leights

  This is an incredibly good class. I have been a member for about 11 months as I was looking for a dedicated self defence class and not a sports-fitness class nor a sports fighting-techniques class such as how boxing, judo or BJJ can be presented. Wing chun is not a sport and it’s purely self defence and self awareness with a brutal sting in its tail, and it has an interesting backstory in Chinese Buddhist lore. The venue of the class being the Chinese Cultural Centre adds to this. I’m not sure what made me drift through its doors. but I’m glad I did. And self defence is damn useful in any case. Anyway, a few things which a reader of this reviews might appreciate - firstly Wing Chun is clearly effective. The whole thing is to encode a certain behavioural response to an oncoming aggressive act. Secondly, wing chun is for everyone, it is not a testosterone activity and you don’t have to be a fit 20 year old to join, the origin lore is that is was created by a women against the rapey advances of aggressive men in a historical rustic time when there was nobody else to help. It is very close quarters, has a somewhat deflecting-energy blocking defensive style rapidly followed up by very direct, efficient, fast but relaxed offensive response. This means it’s great for women and youngsters to learn. The instructor (Sifu) David Ridgway presses that each person ultimately becomes the master of their own Wing Chun- after the journey learning the system- based on their own physical abilities and attributes. Third point; This class is very inclusive, as mentioned above, but because Wing Chun has a rather esoteric element to it, there’s a cool weirdness to it, it is kind of self-selective in the temperament of members. This is a polite way of saying of egotistic aggressive types won’t find much here. And if you are put off martial arts because you might have to come across this type of person, you will be OK here. And the environment is conducive to learning. Everyone is respectful; the higher abilities and those further along the journey tutor the lower abilities and still learn because it often seems there is the active principle of the best way to learn is to teach others, and David Ridgeway has an incredible passion for passing on the spirit of increasing knowledge aided by technicians, who are advanced along the path, to help newbies. David is the hub as main demonstrative instructor and the technicians help spread and practice the teaching . It has a family feel to it in many regards, and a good humoured spirit within the class . Class structure is typically a gentle stretchy warmup, then footwork techniques incorporating defensive/offensive methods (because moving around is one of the most important things), then specific wing chun forms forms and hand form drills and punching drills which I love more than anything, then a segue into good old street self defence (One thing about this which many other martial arts teachers don’t have, is that David was a police officer for many years and has extensive experience of how real thuggish violence, from the pub monkey dance kickoffs to drug fuelled fights and predatory attacks occur). After this there is usually a deep dive into a specific Wing Chun discipline technique in greater more detail and learning how these are applied in self defence and often another form practice. All this is learned in 8 week rotations and full curriculum in about 18 months, 2 years or so. Then at the end a relaxing stretch down. A thread through it all is integrity and self discipline, good humour and respect. All in all, a pleasant evening. You might even make a few friends. If there is a tiny element in interest, I really would highly recommend giving it a go for a night (Mondays and Thursdays) It may lead you to become a better version of yourself or at the very least, harder to kill. It can be a evening hobby or it can become part of a very positive lifestyle practice to help focus for other things if you choose or allow it to. Highly recommended. Good times.

  Posted 1 year ago
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  Mohsen Moradi

  Joining this martial arts school in November 2021 has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. Each session is something I eagerly look forward to. Sifu David is an outstanding instructor with a remarkable ability to break down complex techniques into simple, understandable steps. The classes are meticulously planned and well-structured, with each lesson building upon the last to ensure steady improvement. Being part of this school has been an incredible experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in martial arts.

  Posted 1 year ago
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  Richard Sankey

  I have been with WCI Telford for about 12 weeks now and I can't rate it high enough, I have never trained any sort of martial arts before and as a 40 year old I did wonder if it was too late to start but after speaking with Sifu David I decided to try it and have fallen in love with wing chun. The school is a great place to learn and Sifu David is a great teacher with a patient and practical approach to teaching, also in his team he has technicians Mark and Paul that spend a lot of time with you coaching and mentoring you, personally they are a great help to me and a huge inspiration in my decision to start my wing chun journey. Every member of the school pushes you to do your best and helps where its needed, there is no ego or judgment just fun while learning a new and very valuable skill. I have met so many new friends here and I look forward to spending time with them training every week. I would recommend this school and this martial art to anyone, it is literally for anyone that wants to learn no matter your fitness level or age.

  Posted 2 years ago
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  Robbie Fraser

  I always wanted to try martial arts and when a good friend recommended wci Shrewsbury I gave it a go , since then it has changed my life and has become something I look forward to every week! I highly recommend giving it a try, sifu David is a excellent teacher and really keeps our training group positive and fun and together !

  Posted 4 years ago