Bill Judd opened KO Kickboxing over thirty years ago. In that time he has trained the likes of…read moreMadonna, Pink and numerous World Champions. KO is a force in Muay Thai boxing and the Bethnal Green gym is well respected. Training is physically demanding and respect must be shown at all times, to instructors and fellow students. In return for your hard work, the gym operates like a family and you can expect vociferous support if you take the ultimate challenge and fight for the club. You will never be pushed to fight though and Thai boxing is a sensational way to keep fit and build self-confidence. KO is a full-time gym. It is open everyday and along with the full size boxing ring, you'll find kick bags and all the equipment you need to get started.

This is a great gym to study Muay Thai. The only reason I…read morestopped goin to this place was because my new job clashed with the gym time table. The instructor here is called Bill. I don't know much about his professional career, but I know he was a champion muay that fighter, and he is a good teacher. One tip from me if you start to go here regularly is invest in your own equipment! In the beginning I did not have my own gloves, so I had to use their public gloves.... they were all sweat drenched, and trust me, it takes ages before you can wash the stench of sweat off your hands! Same goes for the shin guard... they were so wet with sweat that they soaked through my nike jogging bottoms! Also, be careful if ur a newbie. It seems that Bill makes it a point to "demonstrate" on newbies, showing them how powerful Muay Thai is by using his "weak" left leg to kick you "lightly" on your arm... hurts pretty bad! lol. But dnt worry, we have all been there... its like a right of passage.

I originally started training in Judo as a child in Dorset, I have trained in many martial arts…read moredisciplines, such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do and now Wing Chun, which I find to be the most enjoyable discipline. I moved to London 6 years ago, and started training in Wing Chun at schools across London. Last year I moved to Croydon, and after looking around several schools, I decided to join Kung Fu Schools. This decision was taken due to the extremely friendly and professional nature of the schools instructors and students, and the fact that school caters for each individual students very varying needs. Since joining the school I have met and enjoyed some training with Chief Instructor Sifu Paul Hawkes, who has trained with Masters & Grand Masters such as James Sinclair, Lung Ting and Sergio Iadarola who is head of the IWKA. The instructors at the school love there chosen martial arts discipline and have trained and learnt there craft from all around the world. The massive enthusiasm generated by the instructors is injected into the training, which makes it a such a great experience for all, and makes me, keep coming back for more. The best school by a country mile, that I have attended, and I have trained at many, over my 26 years in martial arts(probably more expert than most). I would like to thank Kung Fu Schools for organising an excellent Self Awareness Seminar at the weekend

Having a real life Shaolin Temple to train in here in London is a dream come true. The Shaolin…read moreTemple UK does not disappoint. Run by Shifu Shi Yanzi and Shifu Yan Lei means classes are taught by real monks. You can learn meditation, Qigong and of course Shaolin Gung fu. The classes are broken down into levels so beginners learn at an even pace and progress when ready. The training is very hard, but just being in the presence of real life fighting monks makes the experience worth every penny.

Agreed with all of the above, the Shaolin Temple and it's genuine Shaolin Monks are the real deal…read morein terms of learning Gong Fu and San Shou (kickboxing) in London. I attend with my 5 yr old son in our respective 'preperation' classes as often as possible. One major plus for me is the presence of a gifted Chinese doctor, who has been giving me treatment for a back injury which caused Sciatica. After just two treatments I am off the prescription painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. A super friendly, welcoming atmosphere has added to the positive experience for us as well as the inspiration of seeing the Shifu and senior students in action , many of whom are national or international champion in their chosen discipline

I'm not a local, but I am a frequent visitor for both camps/seminars and general training. My…read moreprimary martial art is BJJ, but I've tried some of their other sessions (MMA and even the Wing Chun!) during longer stays in London and enjoyed them. It's a nice group of people and they offer quality instruction. I'm a very experienced competitor in BJJ and a rusty hobbyist/essentially a beginner in striking arts and I've found people in both classes to be pleasant and accommodating. If you live in the area, I highly recommend the place.

I have never been to one of his session as I am training from 7 for rowing on a Saturday morning,…read morebut for the days when I have land based training during the week, some of things he posts up on Facebook are great fun to try out. I like how he add little add ons, such as how long it takes, but not only does he ask how long you take he says how long he takes. A great comparison! I especially liked the '12 Days of Christmas' workout that involved some tough exercises (especially on day 11/12!) but it did help me keep in shape over the Christmas break. He is a great trainer and advises people on new ways to get fit - a great way to shake up the boring fitness plan.

Right lets call it what it is - THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL PAIN, BUT most definitely in a way that…read moreonce you have showered the mud and sweat off you will look at yourself and think DAMMMMMN, I look good!! OK, so the thought of training at 9am on a Saturday morning doesn't appeal to most, once class with Mark and you will totally change that mentality! I went along with my mate Matt (who whilst doing star jumps was described as looking like a ballerina ha) both of us train at the gym regularly and stay pretty pretty active! So the class was 7 of us, 5 girls to us 2 boys, and we started off with a warm up, so far so good, get the bloods flowing, warm up (its a Mid January morning), a star jumps, lunges, laps, sprints, knee ups etc., Section 1: rotations on plank, press-ups, run and weights, set 1: OK, I am doing good, set 2: slowed down a tad (Mark wont let that stop me pushing myself), set 3: Mark continues to make sure none of us cut corners by motivational speaking to all of us as he notices we begin to lag! Section 2: a run carrying a canister filled with 10KG of water, carrying over my head for what felt like a mile (was actually only like 250 yards - hey I'm not a runner) Section 3: PAIR UP - so I paired up with a lovely girl named Helen and we now had to compete against another 2 girls and the team that my mate Matt was on (it goes without saying but after he kicked my ass at everything else, I was ready to kick his butt). We start the a tougher version of a leap frog constant for about 100 yards, sprint back tag your partner then do squats while they do it (Me and Helen win - YAY), Next the bear crawl, like a mountain climber cardio exercise but your actually moving, so again 100 yards there and then bear crawls back and tag your partner, then while they do it you do squats (we came second....Matt came 3rd) We then do 4 100 yards sprints, tag again and do sits up (YAY we win again) Now we go back to back with you partner and do squats, by this point I can start to feel my legs buckling under me - me and Helen are out first so as a forfeit we have to run to a nearby tree and back! Section 4: we do section 2 again to return to where we started, and I think the adrenaline has finally started to kick in as I feel like I can carry the 10kg bag back I make most of it before I need a hand, then once back we do a cool down! AND WE ARE DONE! I managed a number of gyms, for a number of years and can honestly say after having PT sessions from a number of people this was hands down one of the best exercise things I've done - Mark keeps you motivated, everyone is constantly involved, its social, and when you feel like you are about to give up someone in the group will give you a boost and you feel like you have to keep going, partially because you don't want to lose to a girl, or your mate, but mainly because you start to feel a huge sense of achievement once you have completed everything! Definitely recommend to people looking for something different, if your in an exercise rut, or just fancy trying something new for 2014!! Will most definitely be making this regular part of my routine! Great work!

It was only after I moved on after several years I realised how limiting this organisation is. I…read morewish I'd realised earlier. Ok for beginners and better than some other tai chi organisations. But compared to the best Mei Quan is quite shallow despite the glitzy image. Run as a business, you never get to see the head honcho unless you're deemed "special". A bit cultish and the quality of teaching is patchy. By all means try them out for a year or so, but Ideally start off with the real deal (if you can find it).

Set in a non competitive, relaxed environment - these classes are ideal for people who either want…read moreto find out more or want to improve their basic fitness without the chore of the gym or have an interest in Tai Chi, Qi Gong or martial arts generally. The teacher is laid back and makes everyone feel welcome whether you are brand new to the club or have been there for a while. Very quickly you'll start seeing the benefits.

Pleased to be the first to review! Rabble's philosophy is that exercise should be fun, so their…read moregames are throwbacks to childhood and the playground (British Bulldogs, Dodgeball, all variations of Tag, Frisbee, Robin Hood, Zombie Hunt) and the equipment involves bouncy balls, Nerf guns, foam javelins, and (at one point) and inflatable banana. I once tracked a game with GPS and ran 5k within one session. They're reasonably priced - I've bought two £50 packages, each of which covers 10 games to be used anytime - and switch between North, South, and City; once a month is an epic North vs South playoff. Before you think this is like BMF but with "childish" games, come check out a session. Everyone enjoys themselves all the time. (Compare the smiling faces of Rabblers to the scowls of any other fitness group.) Charlotte & Rosemary, who run the sessions, are encouraging and playful themselves and never want anyone to have a bad time; there are no sore losers in Rabble! It's just the right amount of competitive for those who can't dedicate so much time and energy to playing an amateur sport, and while you'll be missed if you don't show up, the team won't lose because you're not there as teams are semi-randomly assigned at the start of each session. The question remains: do you run faster when you're chasing or being chased?? Either way, I've definitely improved my fitness over the past year with this gang and had a blast to boot. All sessions end with a trip to the pub for drinks (weeknights) or lunch (weekends). It's a great crowd!

Rabble makes me sad that I don't live in London right now…read more Rabble is absolutely great, the team are fantastic, and it's just so easy to meet people and enjoy exercise. There are a lot of throwbacks to your time on the playground, and it actually is super fun- when I first went it wasn't when I was converted to gym-bunniness either. It's outdoors, so it's as fresh as you can get for London, and gosh does it make you competitive! I don't know if it's because it's team games where you're against others, or because you refuse to be out of breath and lose at a game in your twenties that you won so much in first school, but it works! Make sure you take enough water, especially if it's hot.

Trang is bursting with positivity and has such a passion for what she does. I love how her sessions…read moreare fast paced and ever changing. I always leave feeling energised and ready to make more of my day. Could not recommend her highly enough. Thank you, Trang!