Women who train martial arts do not just learn how to defend themselves — they develop confidence, physical strength, and mental resilience that change how they move through the world. At the Reading School of Martial Arts, women's kung fu classes offer structured instruction in Hung Gar Kung Fu in a supportive, focused environment.

No prior experience is required. Classes welcome women of all fitness levels and all ages.

Why Martial Arts for Women?

Self-defence statistics in the UK are not comfortable reading. Women are disproportionately affected by street harassment, threatening behaviour, and physical assault. Awareness of this reality is the starting point — but awareness alone is not enough.

Martial arts training gives women practical tools and, more importantly, a trained response. When a threatening situation arises, trained muscle memory responds faster and more effectively than conscious thought. That is what regular training builds.

Beyond the physical, the psychological impact of martial arts training is significant. Women who train report feeling more confident in daily life, less anxious in unfamiliar situations, and more capable of asserting boundaries. These outcomes are not incidental — they are a direct product of the training process.

Awareness Before Action

The most effective self-defence begins before any physical contact. Situational awareness — the ability to read an environment, identify potential threats, and position yourself appropriately — is the first skill Hung Gar training develops.

Awareness training teaches women to:

• Trust their instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is.
• Identify exits and safe positions in unfamiliar spaces
• Project confidence through posture and body language
• Avoid confrontation before it escalates

This does not mean living in a state of anxiety. It means developing a calm, aware presence that de-escalates most situations before they become threatening.

Physical Self-Defence Techniques

Hung Gar Kung Fu is particularly well-suited for women's self-defence. Its core principles — leverage, structure, and efficient use of force — do not require size or physical strength to be effective.

Key techniques include:

Bridge Hand (Kiu Sau) — The ability to redirect and neutralise an opponent's force through contact. Smaller practitioners use an attacker's momentum against them rather than matching force with force.

Horse Stance and Rooting — A stable, grounded stance prevents being easily moved, grabbed, or unbalanced. This fundamental Hung Gar skill is directly applicable in close-range defensive situations.

Wrist and Grab Releases — Practical techniques for escaping holds and restraints. These are introduced progressively and practised until they become automatic responses.

Striking for Compliance — Precise, targeted strikes to create distance and opportunity to escape. The goal is not to fight — it is to create the space needed to get away safely.

Building Confidence Through Training

Confidence built through martial arts is different from confidence that comes from being told you are capable. Kung fu confidence is earned through consistent effort, progressive challenge, and genuine achievement.

Women who train Hung Gar develop confidence in three distinct ways:

1. Physical confidence — knowing your body is capable, strong, and trained
2. Situational confidence — trusting your ability to assess and respond to a threat
3. Social confidence — the assertiveness and presence developed through disciplined training translates into every social and professional environment

Many women who joined for self-defence find that the broader confidence benefits are what keep them training long-term.

Fitness Benefits

Women's kung fu classes provide a full-body workout. Training develops:

• Core strength through stance work and controlled movement
• Flexibility through consistent warm-up and cool-down stretching
• Cardiovascular fitness through active drills and forms practice
• Coordination through complex technique sequences

Classes are physically demanding without being reckless. Intensity builds progressively. Women who have never trained before are welcomed at their current fitness level and progress at their own pace.

Why Hung Gar for Women?

Hung Gar's combination of Tiger and Crane principles makes it an excellent system for women. The Crane element — precision, redirection, and efficient movement — does not depend on physical mass. A well-executed Crane technique neutralises aggression without requiring strength to match an attacker.

The bridge hand system trains sensitivity. Rather than overpowering an opponent, Hung Gar practitioners learn to feel, redirect, and respond. This principle is fundamentally practical for women defending themselves against larger attackers.

The style also has a strong precedent of female instruction. Fong Wing Chun — Hung Hei-gun's wife — contributed the Crane techniques that define Hung Gar. Women have been central to this martial lineage from its founding.

Women's Classes in Reading

The Reading School of Martial Arts offers women's kung fu classes in Reading at Saint Bart's Church, London Road (RG1 3QA). Sifu Wayne Husbands provides structured instruction in a focused, respectful training environment.

Classes are open to women of all ages and fitness levels. No experience is required. The first class is free.

To book your free first class:
Phone: 07916 938105
Email: Sifu@ReadingSchoolOfMartialarts.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions