Wing Chun Kung Fu Schools

Safe Practice Policy

 Policy approved by: Sifu Scott Rowlinson (Mr)

Aproval Date: 9^th May 2023

Policy review date: 8^th May 2024

Section 1:

Introduction

Safe practice policy

Introduction

Martial Arts are activities where safe practice is essential to help prevent injury. Children are particularly vulnerable as they are still developing mentally and physically, so training methods need to be modified as described below.

Safe practice policy

Warm Ups

All activities should include a thorough warm up, and head to toe stretching and gradual cardiovascular activity with press ups, sit-ups, squats and burpees. To help reduce injury, specific attention is paid to those muscle groups that will be used during later activity. 

• Press-ups, warm up the upper body, chest, shoulders and arms. 
• Sit-ups, warm-up the core muscles in the hips, abdomen and lower back.
• Squats (own body weight) engage the leg muscles and joints for kicking
• Burpees are an overall body warm-up that engages all muscle groups and gets the heart & lungs ready for training.

 Wing Chun Kung Fu primarily involves strikes, punches and kicks

The risks are:

• concussion (brain injury) from heavy blows to the head; damage to internal organs and joints from heavy blows; injury from inappropriate stretching and other exercises.

Safe practice includes:

Sparring is practiced only for adults and is light contact only, especially to the head. (Light contact means the technique is targeted but controlled so that whilst the opponent is touched the technique is not followed through). Padded mitts, head and shin protection are to be worn when sparring at all times. All protective mitts, head and shin protectors must be approved by the organisation prior to use.  (Expert advice from a neurosurgeon is that the use of helmets, mitts or foot pads does not eliminate the risk of brain injury from full contact strikes.)

Drills

In all other children’s classes are light contact only and contact to the head is forbidden. Children will always wear padded mitts that are approved by the organisation.

We avoid excessive stretching and exercises such as press-ups on the knuckles the joints of children are still developing and can be damaged by these exercises.

Wing Chun Kung Fu and the practice of grappling and strangling

The risks include:

• falling on unsuitable surfaces: landing on the head: damage to the joints from locks: strangulation. 

Safe practice must include:

• Checking the matted area for suitability, particularly where the mats have been joined.
• Checking that there are no hard surfaces or sharp/hard objects around the matted area.
• Having an experience instructor who will ensure that children are not taught to use locks, throws or strangles which will injure their training partner.

Wing Chun Kung Fu and it’s use of weapons 

The children’s Black Belt Course is the only children’s training syllabus training includes using the organisation approved foam Nunchucks, foam sticks. Organisation approved mitts and head protection is worn.

 Safe practice includes:

• No live blades (sharp or otherwise) in the training hall when children are present

• Safe protocols for the use of training weapons by children

• Good supervision at all times by Instructors
• Above all, safe practice means having a suitably qualified and experienced instructor who will ensure that children are not exposed to the above risks and who can make a training session enjoyable whilst maintaining the discipline essential to learning a Martial Art.
• No live blades (sharp or otherwise) in the training hall when children are present
• Safe protocols for the use of training weapons by children
• Good supervision at all times by Instructors

Above all, safe practice means having a suitably qualified and experienced instructor who will ensure that children are not exposed to the above risks and who can make a training session enjoyable whilst ensuring the safety of all that attend the classes.