Health & Fitness
Change 4 Life
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| The UK Kung-Fu Federation is a partner of the Change 4 Life initiative. Click to find out more. |
FREE Trial Period
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| Apply now & get up to 4 weeks FREE training at any school. |
Our Locations
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| Click for the location & contact details of all our local martial arts schools. |
Eat Natural
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| A vital component of functional fitness is a balanced diet & quality nutrition for your body. |
Core Stability
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| How good is your core stability? It's essential for general fitness and a prerequisite for good martial arts ability. Think yours is OK? Try this test. |
Balance
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| Instead of static balance, balance in motion is the key to almost everything in life, including wellness and martial arts too. Your sense of balance, or equilibrioception is developed during all our training, however there are specific exercises which can rectify problems in this area. |
Are you fit for the job?
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| Fit for the job? Only if you are employed as a Paperweight! Believe it or not, this photo is of a teenager, and obesity is just ONE symptom which arises from placing zero demands on your body. It can happen regardless of age or condition. |
Contrary to what many would have you believe, for the vast majority of people there is nothing fundamentally difficult about obtaining and maintaining a good level of functional fitness - and by functional, we mean that your body is able to perform the daily tasks which you demand of it, without it painfully protesting or parts of it breaking.
One way to achieve this goal is to demand almost nothing of your body. Sit, snack, watch TV, use computers at work & at home, drive everywhere, get mechanical assistance for everything. Do this for a while and watch how your body changes, becoming flabby & weak, slow & sedentary. The same is true of your mind too. Sadly the above description is a common lifestyle choice for far too many people, who in turn influence others around them, including their families, until it becomes the perceived norm to be lethargic, unhealthy, dependent upon medication, always ill, run-down & tired.
Let's be clear about this situation - it's not right, it's not desirable, it's not good for you or those around you, and it's incredibly depressing for everyone involved, except those immoral companies whose business it is to keep you low & profit from your desperation.
It doesn't have to be this way: Simply demand more, and your body will respond.
The laws of supply & demand
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| That's more like it. Place demands upon your body and it will adapt & change to meet them. This soldier may need to run through water with full kit whilst under enemy fire, so although it looks tough, his training today is still building up to what may ultimately be demanded of his body. Why does he do it? Simple. He wants to stay alive if he's ever called up for active duty. Threat stimulates development. |
Together your body & mind are the twin parts of an amazingly complex biological machine which is constantly regenerating & developing from birth until death. This ever-evolving machine learns from, and adapts to the demands placed upon it, optimizing the chances of your continued survival in your current environment.
If your environment makes no demands, your body has no need of toned muscles, strong bones, quick reflexes and a rapid mind. For reasons of economy it drops all functions to a lower level. If you continue to take on fuel at a rate more suitable for a higher level of function, your body will either store or excrete the excess in various ways.
Conversely, if your environment becomes more demanding than your current level of function, your body rapidly starts shifting resources into muscle growth, weight reduction, bone strengthening, and increased alertness, to name but a few. If you continue to take on fuel at a rate suitable for a lower level of function, your body will use any stored reserves to make up the deficit.
Supply & demand. Simple in principle, and the principle applies to every aspect of your physical & mental health. The key to success is to make the new demands just that little bit greater than your current ability, letting your body adapt to a gradually higher & higher level of function until you discover the right balance for you.
Threat stimulates development
This is why our approach to martial arts training is so wonderful for functional fitness. The absolute best stimulant for a higher level of body function is the threat of danger - even if the threat is empty! By simulating this environment in training as closely as possible, you create a demand for the body to develop, and it responds by supplying the necessary resources to meet that demand.
If you want peace, prepare for war: The threat of war stimulates development, and thus the act of preparation itself is of enormous benefit to health & well-being, no matter if the conflict itself is forthcoming or not. But if conflict does occur, you'll already be better prepared to meet its demands. The act of training creates a win-win situation.
Our continuing study of the martial arts has led naturally to a deep understanding of the human body, and the many methods by which it can be developed. At the start of 2005 we formalized our knowledge of these methods into a separate Health & Fitness Training Programme which is available to all UKKFF members. This programme perfectly complements all our martial arts and consists of a specially-developed approach to traditional Qigong, and a complete system of Functional Fitness training which includes optimum diet & nutrition.
Qigong
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| Qigong is a very popular large-group, cultural activity in China, whereas the West is still only beginning to appreciate the many benefits the discipline offers. Our own compact Qigong system is very simple to learn and covers all aspects of breathing, stretching & strengthening using the body's own tools. |
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is one of the health & fitness disciplines of the UKKFF. After studying many different approaches to the art, we have developed our own short, concise system which is quick to learn, easy to remember, and removes any religious or spiritual overtones. We feel that Qigong can be taught more effectively without resort to mysticism.
Put simply, Qigong (aka Chi-Kung or Chi-Gong) means breath-work. The controlling of respiration whilst performing movements or holding positions that stretch, tone and strengthen the body. Although the discipline looks slow & relaxing, many people are surprised to discover that Qigong takes a lot of mental & physical effort to practice effectively. Even allowing your breathing to flow rhythmically takes practice at first, which comes as a revelation to the beginner.
Qigong training utilises your own bodyweight and muscular resistance to stretch & strengthen the body, instead of external resistance devices (i.e. weights) or fitness machines (i.e. treadmills). It is very natural, very balanced, and once learned can be performed anywhere. You only need your own body, a little time, and a little space.
Our Qigong system is taught to current members via small-group workshops throughout the year or via private tuition.
Functional Fitness
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| Getting outside is an important part of health & fitness. Some training methods lend themselves to more enclosed spaces, but some work best in the open air. Running is just one exercise found within one element of our Functional Fitness system. Our personal trainers can apply the entire system to your body to get the results you desire. |
The Functional Fitness system taught by the UKKFF uses a similar five-elements approach to the one pioneered by our primary martial arts. It uses this to combine the knowledge of both traditional & current methods in personal fitness development, with resounding success.
Instead of working on individual attributes of fitness, such as strength, power, endurance or flexibility, our approach recognises elements such as movement, which involves ALL of the aforementioned attributes in greater or lesser proportions. By developing movement, you can simultaneously develop all the attributes which this element contains. Our approach also draws upon many esoteric methods of body awareness training, including Alexander Technique and of course the methods employed by our proven martial arts.
The system also draws upon the full range of more traditional fitness training. This covers own-bodyweight calisthenic exercises such as running, jumping & lifting, plus equipment-based exercises using kettlebells, club-bells, swiss balls, resistance elastics, free-weights, medicine balls and skipping ropes. The system also covers the complete range of training methods, for example isometrics, plyometrics, proprioceptive training and resistance training.
Our Functional Fitness system is taught to current members AND non-members via small-group workshops throughout the year or via one-on-one personal training.
In the latter case we start with a personal assessment of your current ability and desired goals, then the system is tailored to your own unique requirements by our resident personal trainers. They then work alongside you through an agreed training programme, providing that all-important motivation, instruction and advice until your goals are reached.