WELCOME TO WING CHUN STREET DEFENCE

Welcome to the Wing Chun Street Defence website. Owing to the dramatic impact of the pandemic and ongoing uncertainty as we head into 2022, I have taken the decision after 9 years to close the Chipping Norton club for the foreseeable future. I hope in time we can re-open our doors when people are once again, ready to commit themselves to regular physical full contact training. In the interim I am continuing to teach privately across Suffolk and the East of England.

PRIVATE TUITION

I also offer a range of options for private tuition. Find out more here: Private Martial Arts Training

REVIEWS

I had a 3 hour session in Ipswich with a +1 that we booked at short notice.
The session was progressive and very well structured and covered a wide range.
Very informative and enthusiastic instructor. I’ll definitely be booking again

My family, friends and I have only just begun our journey into the realm of self-defense, but Barry is already proving to be the perfect guide and teacher to learn from as we embark on our new adventure.

Our weekly private lessons are enjoyable, informative and inclusive. Barry is a knowledgeable and understanding instructor. No matter what level of fitness or skill level you are, he has the patience, technique and experience, to make you feel comfortable, relaxed, and little more confident in your own self. We would highly recommend taking lessons from Barry, to not only Martial Arts enthusiasts, but also to anyone who is keen on learning how to become more vigilant, and more capable of dealing with potential threats.

My friend and I are planning to take a trip to Kenya and our parents were keen for us to learn self defence. Barry made us feel at ease right away and we were able to learn the skills at our own pace. It was very enjoyable and I look forward to future lessons.

With my daughter going off to college soon I felt very nervy her walking the streets of norwich on her own. Booking with Barry was easy and after just the first training session I feel much more at ease. The training so far is incredible and is building her confidence and my own knowing she is mch more prepared in being able to defend herself against harm. Would 100% def recommend one to one sessions should you wish to progress quicker. Would just suggest you are able to have friends and family members willing to help out in being the attackers although not essential does help a lot.
🙂

I’ve been a private student for a number of years. Sifu Barry brings a wealth of experience from Wing Chun, Karate, Krav Maga and other Martial Arts into his lessons, and is always exploring and developing new his ideas to push his students. I was already an experienced Martial Artist myself when I started training with Barry, but I can honestly say I have added a deeper dimension to my personal practice and gained greater awareness of body dynamics since I began training at Wing Chun Street Defence.

Hello…… 5 STARS, I hear you say… Yep.. if there was a 10 star rating then i would give it.
You must be interested in martial arts otherwise you would’nt be looking at this site.
The chief instructor (Sifu Barry) is very knowlegable and friendly and you soon feel at ease in class. This style (wing chun) is a very relaxed method of defence.. however it teaches you to respond to an agressor with speed and confidence.
I have trained in many different styles of Karate over the years but felt something was missing (For me).
I then found Wing Chun Street Defence.. never looked back.

I train with male and female students (young and old). Tall and short.. thin and round.. We have fun in class , but also learn great skills that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
So.. i challenge you to come along to one of our training sessions..you WILL be welcomed by friendly students and made to feel at ease.
Oh.. also, we do NOT go into competitions against other clubs or organizations, we just train ourselves under the expert tuition of chief instructor (Sifu Barry).
Just one last thing….. I did say I training with young and old..
Well I am 72 yrs OLD…. and loving it.
Cheers.

As a student of the last 3 years of Sifu Barry I can 1st hand recommend the very high level teaching and skill that he has within Wing chun that really makes his students achieve the highest potential possible…one of the most realistic and practical forms of martial arts and one of the best self defence Systems out of all the Martial arts.

Wing chun is definitely the best decision of my life regarding martial arts.
I’ve been practicing wing chun with sifu Barry for 2+ years now and I’m still amazed and fascinated by everything we learn. Street defence should be put into school around the country for our kids.
Sifu Barry is Such a great teacher.

I have been attending Wing Chun Street Defence for 4 years under the instruction of Sifu Barry Holland. An excellent instructor who has experience in many aspects of martial arts. The classes are tailored to suit the student with the emphasis on fast, effective self defence. The classes are dynamic, fun and easy to follow, you don’t need to be fit, just willing to partake and enjoy Barry’s enthusiam.

I was initially apprehensive about going along to these classes but am so glad I did. Barry is an excellent instructor and teaches wider practical self defence techniques together with Wing Chun which is addictive. Mixed abilities, ages (I’m 56) and fitness levels are all welcomed in a friendly and inclusive environment and Barry takes the time to work with you individually regardless of whether you are a complete beginner or have any experience. I also recently introdued my 18 year old godson who hates anything new and generally avoids any envrionment with new people and he loves it too. Well worth giving it a go.

Barry is very Knowledgeable instructor and I would highly recommend him.
Classes are fun and have very good atmosphere.

I have trained in other martial arts and have found wing chun to be the most effective form to train. Barry is a great sifu explaining the move and the application of the forms. Great to learn from young to old.

I have been training with Barry and Wing Chun Street Defence for almost 5 years.
It’s a great club with a friendly, inclusive atmosphere and no egos. The training is relaxed but intensive and based on a traditional Wing Chun, with an emphasis on practicality and effectiveness.
Whether you’re an experienced martial artist or beginner, there will be a warm welcome and lots to learn!

Classes are informative and fun, you can learn the basics very quickly and progress at your own speed. It’s a simple method of self defence which people of all abilities can learn and use if needed. Barry and les are both great instructors and I would recommend giving it a go to anyone

After many years of doing various martial arts I found Wing Chung to be the most effective and logical. Barry is an excellent teacher that give you confidence even with some of the more difficult techniques. Wing Chung for learning self defence in a fun and relaxed environment and also improving your mental health I give Barry and his class 5 stars.

Doing wing chun is medicine for the mind body and soul,been practicing for a year and there is so much more to learn, will be looking to learn more over the next few years.

WING CHUN BACKGROUND

Wing Chun Kung Fu was created by a women (Ng Mui) around 250 years ago and therefore issues such as physical strength, body shape, fitness and size are less important than structure, stability, angle and the use of body mechanics.

WING CHUN’S POPULARITY

Wing Chun has become a very popular style of Kung Fu since the release of the motion picture Ip Man, starring Donnie Yen as the titular hero and the subsequent follow ups with Ip Man 2 and the recent Martin Scorcese creation, GrandMaster. The burgeoning Wing Chun market has been helped by the 2016 release of Ip Man 3 which sees Donnie revisiting the iconic role of Ip Man and even Mike Tyson gets in on the act. Wing Chun’s popularity has been helped along the way by proponents of the art such as Robert Downey Junior, who uses Wing Chun to great effect in the Sherlock Holmes films and of course by (arguably the world’s most famous martial artist) Bruce Lee, who originally trained in Wing Chun as a student of Ip Man, before developing his own “non-rigid style” Jeet Kune Do that borrowed from many martial art forms. It is also worth mentioning that just like every other martial art, there are many differing styles of Wing Chun depending upon lineage, school, teacher and ethos, all of which have their uses.

HOW WING CHUN SELF DEFENCE WORKS

Our particular brand of Wing Chun focuses on the traditional empty hand forms and the wooden dummy form that we then adapt for modern day applied self defence techniques, helping you stay out of danger and quickly, effectively and convincingly, discourage any further aggression.

Unlike other martial arts that rely upon a learned pattern based of a visual cue and repeatedly practiced response (e.g. I see your right fist heading towards my face therefore I raise my arm in an upward arc in front of my face in order to block it), Wing Chun develops the practitioner’s sense of touch over time, allowing them to develop a set of stimulus responses based upon the context of the situation. This creates in the student an increased ability to react according to the pressure they sense so that they are able to ascertain and respond to the level of threat, the size and power of the opponent, the level of aggression and the position of the attack. Over time Wing Chun students develop a wealth of automatic responses and shapes formed by the opponent. After 12 months of training it would be reasonable to expect one of our Wing Chun practitioners to subdue and suppress an attacker within a few seconds of the violence erupting.

WING CHUN CLUB ORIGINS

The club is owned and run by Barry Holland who trained with Sifu Nikolaos Gourgounidis who spent 14 years learning and teaching Wing Chun. Barry also spent time in China learning under the guidance of Sifu Wang Meng. Barry originally trained self-defence with the British Army over a ten year period. In 2010 Barry attained a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate and progressed to 2nd Dan winning several medals and trophies at various competitions along the way, culminating in winning 1st place for Kata at the TISKA National Championships.

In 2012 he transferred his skill set over to Wing Chun. In reality this meant unlearning much of what had previously been taught in order to absorb the martial art effectively. Barry takes an holistic view of the mind and body and introduces elements of Yoga, psychology and well being into the well-structured, yet fun Wing Chun classes.

WHY WING CHUN?

I decided to learn Wing Chun following an incident where I used all of my previously learned skills sparring with a Wing Chun practitioner, only to discover that the techniques my opponent used effectively negated any strike or counter-strike I endeavoured to use. This impressive display was what led me to change styles to what I believe is the most effective defence form available.

CAN ANYONE LEARN WING CHUN?

If you are considering starting a martial art or wish to convert from an existing style, it is worth knowing that Wing Chun’s strong focus on body mechanics means that gender, physical strength, age and fitness play little part in the ability to overcome any adversary, making this the perfect martial art for adult women and adult men of all ages.

We look forward to welcoming you along to one of our classes to see if Wing Chun Kung Fu works for you. Why not book a free lesson or just come along and watch by calling the contact number now? There is no obligation and your decision could prove life-changing.

THE WCSD DIFFERENCE

At WCSD we use accelerated learning techniques to speed the learning process. This incorporates many of the senses, taking advantage of experiential learning techniques and embracing modern technology to assist in making your training experience the most rewarding ever.

KEY BENEFITS OF WING CHUN

Helps develop speed and awareness
Quickly teaches you how to defend yourself and loved ones
Develop fighting skills against real-world opponents
Increases fitness, stamina and strength
Reduces reaction times
Improves confidence
You don’t have to train for months to make it work
Effective from lesson 1!
Teaches traditional Wing Chun forms
Learn Empty Hand Form 1 – Siu Nim Tao (Sil Lim Tao or Little Idea)
Learn Empty Hand Form 2 – Chum Kiu (Seeking the Bridge)
Learn Empty Hand Form 3 – Biu Jee (Bil Ji or Thrusting Fingers)
Learn Wooden Dummy (Muk Yan Jong)
Learn street defence applications including knife, firearm and other weapon disarms
Creates an arsenal of technical choices
Develop and adapt at your own speed