Frequently asked questions

What do I wear?

On your first introductory lesson you need to be wearing loose clothing so that you are able to move around freely. The most important thing is to remember to wear clothes that are comfortable and suitable for physical activity.

I've never done Martial Arts before, is that a problem?

No! Everybody at one time had never done any Martial Arts training before and so of course it isn't a problem. For some reason many people often seem to think that you have to know what you are doing before you can join in a class.

We have specific beginner classes for just this reason to get new members comfortable with some of the moves and names for techniques before you are integrated into the main class.

I'm nervous about my first class. Can I bring a friend?

Of course! In fact we strongly recommend that you do as it makes training much more fun. Also you can feel more relaxed as you both don't feel foolish making any mistakes together. Mistakes are natural and part of a healthy learning experience but easier to cope with when with friends.

I have a grade in another style or political organisation. Will I have to start again?

No.

Twin Dragon Martial Arts believes in people being awarded the belt that they deserve and not based on politics or styles.

If you come to us with grades in other systems/groups we would look to assess your ability against what we would deem adequate for our grading system and then allow you to keep going at an appropriate level. The journey to Black Belt (and beyond) it not a race, but neither should anyone be penalised unnecessarily

How long will it take to get my Black belt?

This is a question specific to the individual. How old are you? How physically fit and talented are you? How much training are you prepared to do? How seriously will you train?

These questions cannot be answered right away. Some people start off training as a hobby and for some reason after about a year or two, suddenly become very focused.

On average it takes between 3 and 4 years to go from a complete beginner to a Black Belt. Sometimes people from Twin Dragon have done it in 2 years (training 4 times a week) and sometimes it took 5 or 6 - it just depends.

Will Martial Arts help my fitness?

Certainly!

Martial Artists have some of the best all round fitness levels of any sport. Explosive strength, cardio endurance, flexibility and body control. All are tested and developed to a high level.

Do I have to be fit to start training?

No.

Classes begin very gently and being a non-team activity you work out to the level you feel comfortable with. It doesn't help anyone to make you feel ill on your first few classes so we take it easy and see how you cope with trainng. In a very short time you'll be surprised how mush more you can do than when you first came

Will it help me defend myself?

Yes.

Obviously the Martial Arts are all about combat in one form or another and so it makes sense for them to be useful to defend yourself. However, over the years many systems have become more stylised or sport based so that realsitically they aren't as much use in a street fight as you might think.

Twin Dragon Martial Arts always promotes a principle of avoiding trouble first and foremost but it you have no other choice then the Self Protection techniques and principles we teach are tried and tested to work for real. These are based on systems taught to Military and Special Forces worldwide.