A Wing Tsun school on Cuba Street in central Wellington, teaching Wing Tsun Kuen, the Chinese martial art also known as Wing Chun. The school calls itself a full martial arts school, and its training is built on the Wing Chun forms and maxims.
The school takes adults and children, and it runs a range of classes: Wing Tsun kung fu, fitness, weapons, and philosophy and meditation. The fitness classes are built on body-weight exercises, designed to be easy on the joints, and each person works at their own pace. Flexibility, balance and core strength are trained too.
New students start in groups, which the school takes on every two to six weeks. The first class is with other beginners, so no one joins a room of experienced fighters alone. Introduction classes are free and are held on the same two-to-six-week cycle.
The school's gym, which it calls a gwoon, is open Monday to Saturday.
The academy's approach is likened to learning chess, starting with how each piece moves and building up to strategy. Students practise with different partners, so they learn to respond to different styles rather than to rehearsed moves.
The academy is at 33 to 39 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington. Our pick in Te Aro for an adult who wants a structured, supportive first course in Wing Chun.