Ma Fang Fa Kung Fu School, located in Warrington, is home to the Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun Kung Fu system. Led by Sifu John Blackledge, the school provides comprehensive training in this traditional and original Kung Fu system, including ground fighting techniques.
Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun is known for its hard, powerful, and accurate techniques, which involve simultaneous blocks, breaks, grabs, kicks, and strikes to vital points. Unlike other martial arts, Pak Mei does not focus on restraining techniques; instead, it aims to subdue opponents immediately in self-defence situations. The art is fast and aggressive, relying on destroying the opponents' defences and targeting vital points by exploiting weaknesses or creating distractions.
Furthermore, Wu Chi Yun is an advancement of the Pak Mei system, incorporating borrowed energy and focusing on internal techniques. This aspect of the art is known for its relaxed, seamless, and continuous movements. It encompasses its own set of advanced techniques while providing a more energy-efficient framework for delivering the existing Pak Mei elements. Very few Sifus outside of China are knowledgeable in and teach the Wu Chi Yun advancement, making Ma Fang Fa Kung Fu School and Grandmaster Blackledge unique in their offerings.
The Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun system is limitless in its execution, allowing practitioners to deliver devastating simultaneous hand strikes, breaks, and kicks. The techniques in this system align with the principles of energy conservation and force multiplication, generating maximum force within the body. Additionally, weapons are utilised as an extension of the hands and body movements, further enhancing the art's effectiveness.
Training at Ma Fang Fa Kung Fu School encompasses various methods to develop skills and fitness. Students spend years mastering basic punches, kicks, and open-hand techniques before progressing to the extensive catalogue of movements, forms, and techniques. The curriculum also includes over 2,000 specific self-defence techniques, including ground fighting.
In addition to technique training, students engage in body conditioning, stretching, and overall fitness development. While basic exercises and conditioning drills are incorporated, the primary focus for fitness development lies in practising the Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun techniques and movements. As Sifu Blackledge emphasises, the effort put into training directly correlates to the results achieved.
The school also emphasises the importance of grappling, locks, and breaks in the Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun system. These aspects ensure that students gain a well-rounded understanding of martial arts and develop comprehensive skills beyond stand-up striking techniques.
To help students develop live techniques, sparring methods such as step sparring are practised. Breathing methods and moving meditations are introduced at higher levels to enhance technique execution. Additionally, forms play a vital role in training, with the first form, Taig Chi Po, containing advanced components necessary for power generation and coordination of stepping and breathing. Forms are taught after students have mastered the individual applied techniques through two-man drills.
Overall, Ma Fang Fa Kung Fu School offers a unique and rare opportunity to learn the complete Pak Mei Wu Chi Yun Kung Fu system outside of China. With comprehensive training methods, emphasis on technique mastery and conditioning, and dedication to preserving the art's authenticity, Ma Fang Fa Kung Fu School is a haven for martial arts enthusiasts seeking to delve into the intricacies of this ancient Kung Fu system.