Kung Fu

About Us

Kung Fu movies are badass, so why not try Kung Fu? Our style, founded by our head instructor Mike O’ Meara, draws inspiration from several martial arts; Golden Tiger Kung Fu and Fu Jow Pai to name a few. We have a five-animal style system, Crane, Monkey, Snake, Tiger and Dragon – a combination of the latter two being our essence which gives us our name (which may be mentioned in Ranger 22!) - Fu Lung Chuan or “Tiger Dragon Fist.”

Our style emphasises low stances, powerful strikes, and evasive, elusive hand movements. We take a holistic approach to training as we seek to improve ourselves not only physically, but as people. We also have a saying among ourselves that no two classes are the same, so we always keep our training diverse; TaiChi and QiGong, HIIT and calisthenics, and stretches and yoga are just some activities we do. We also train occasionally with nunchucks, and for more advanced people, swords.

Like other martial arts we progress through our own syllabuses and hold gradings to progress members onto their next sash. We sometimes hold self-defence classes which also function as fundraisers for good causes; here we learn skills such as handling knives and self-awareness.

We also enjoy traveling to places around Munster, going for food and even exchanging and talking about books, which helps bring us together as a group. Over the past year, we went to Killarney and Killeagh, and visited Umi Falafel a few times. Beginners are always welcome during the academic year; we have all started from zero at one point and we enjoy seeing new faces, whether experienced athletes or just looking to try something new. Some members have experience with previous martial arts, others with other sports, and we also have people who began their fitness journey with us.

We also hold summer trainings for existing club members, which are more relaxed and casual. UCC Kung Fu is also linked with other Fu Lung Chuan schools based in Cork with many old and familiar faces, so you can always find a home with our style - as Lao Tzus said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” We have a lot of plans for the year, so why not join and be a part of them? Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!