Chinese Kung Fu is a very broad spectrum of martial arts, ranging from the subtle internal styles like Yang family Tai Chi which many old people practice for basic exercise rather than as a martial art, through to the elaborate external styles like Shaolin and Wushu which can resemble gymnastics.
If you’re looking for a practical martial art for self defence purposes, Wing Chun is usually your best bet although it is usually taught with idiosyncrasies like all traditional martial arts are. See our dedicated guide to Wing Chun in Brighton here.
Tai Chi is one of the most popular styles of martial art but is often treated not as a martial art but as a form of spiritual exercise like yoga. See our dedicated guide to Tai Chi in Brighton here.
Beside Tai Chi and Wing Chun, there are various other styles of Chinese Kung Fu being taught in Brighton – to explore these styles and the schools which teach them, see our features below.
Dragon Martial Arts Association (DMAA)
Brighton’s Dragon Martial Arts Association (DMAA) teaches a few styles of Chinese kung fu, namely Southern Dragon style kung fu, Yang style Tai Chi, and an internal art called Liu He Ba Fa which means Water Boxing and closely resembles traditional Tai Chi.
Whether or not Dragon style kung fu is for you, rest assured that this is one of the highest standards of Dragon style kung fu outside of China. It’s a fairly fancy style of martial art but not so much like Wushu, and if you prefer the less fancy stuff then try Yang tai chi which is one of the most simple, gentle forms of kung fu in the world very popular among older people.
DMAA has classes at a few locations around the Brighton area – they teach Tai Chi and Dragon at BHASVIC BN3 6EG on Monday evenings; and further afield they teach Tai Chi in Denton, Newhaven BN9 0NR on Wednesday evenings. Even further afield, they also have classes on Tuesdays (Tai Chi & Dragon) and Thursdays (Tai Chi) in Fernhurst, Haslemere GU27 3JD. For fill details about DMAA, their teachers, the styles they teach, and exact class times and locations, visit their website: http://www.dmaa.co.uk/styles/.