Frequently Asked Questions

What will it cost me? 

You may have one introductory class free of charge. You then have an option of a further 3 lessons at a non-member price to give you a chance to decided if you like it before joining. Once you have paid the joining fee, you pay the member class price each time you attend a class (please refer to the prices section for a full list of pricing structure).

 

Do I have to pay if I don’t go to class?

No. You pay for each class as and when you attend; if you are not there you don’t pay.

 

Are there any hidden extras in the prices?

You get everything you need to start you off in the membership cost. You will however need to renew your licence yearly. Grading, courses, tournaments, extra uniform & equipment are extra.

 

Do I have to pay any monthly Direct Debits?

No. Everything is pay as you go.

 

Have I got to bring a training partner?

No, there are many people who come on their own. The students are all very friendly and the club encourages everyone to interact with each other rather than stick to working with one person all the time but if you would rather just work with your friend that is fine also. 

 

What do I have to wear?

For your introductory lesson wear a t-shirt & track suit bottoms. If you decide to join you will receive one T-shirt & 1 pair of training trousers with your membership package. You may purchase additional uniform if you wish.

 

What do I wear on my feet?

We train bare foot. You may wear Martial Arts shoes providing they do not have laces and that they have not been worn for outside use.

 

Do I need to bring anything with me?

You will need to bring a drink with you, water, squash or energy drink is your choice, fizzy drinks are not advised. You may also need to bring a hand towel with you.

 

How fit do I have to be?

The classes are structured for all different age, fitness and ability levels. Everyone has to start somewhere and most of us take up sport because we want to get fit, we don’t expect Bruce Lee on day one!

 

How old do I have to be?

Students may start from the age of 5 years old. 

 

Am I too old to start?

You are never too old; you know your own personal fitness capabilities. Although everyone works to the same syllabus; a student who is 50 for example would not be expected to perform to the same fitness level as a 20 year old. 

 

Can I earn belts?

There is a structured grading syllabus from beginner through to Black Belt and beyond. 

 

How often do I take a grade?

Gradings are held approximately every 3 months. You must have completed a minimum amount of lessons between each belt and be able to show the techniques learnt to a reasonable standard to qualify. You will be advised when you are ready to grade, you are not expected to grade every time if you are not ready and will never be pushed into a grading that you are not comfortable with. 

 

Do I have to take gradings?

You do not have to grade if you don’t want to, however all students learn the same syllabus.

 

Are there any differences between the children’s and adult’s syllabus?

The syllabus is the same for all students. Every student is graded on their own individual ability according to their age and experience. Cadets must be a minimum age of 13 years before taking their Black Belt.

 

How does grading work?

You will be issued with a grading syllabus book within your membership package; this will explain the belt system full detail. Students are examined by the Chief Instructor at one of their usual venues up to their Brown Belt. For Black Belt and above the grading is held at the Cobra head office in Manchester in front Andrew Morrell (Founder & President of Cobra Martial Arts Association) and a selected panel of examiners. Sam will also travel to Manchester to sit on the grading panel for your Black Belt.

 

I have trained and graded in kickboxing before with another school, do I have to start again?

If your certificate is recognised by Cobra Martial Arts then you may transfer your grade, however, syllabus vary from one school to another therefore you must be able to complete all techniques prior to your belt from the White Tiger syllabus before you may progress to the next level.

 

How long will it take me to get my Black Belt?

This varies from student to student. It will depend on your own personal ability, how often you train and how much work you put in; on average it could take up to 3 years based on training once per week.

 

What is sparring?

We offer two kinds of sparring; Semi-Contact and Light Continuous. Semi Contact is points scoring based where each time a point is scored the competitors stop and return to their start position. Light Continuous is a continuous bout for a timed round.

 

Is sparring dangerous?

Every sport has its own dangers. All sparring is controlled with protective equipment in use, with a qualified referee who is a qualified first aider.

 

Do I have to spar?

We understand that sparring is a scary thought for some; the thought of being hit or hitting another person would never normally be considered by many people. Sparring is under controlled circumstances and is based around technical ability and not about who can hit the hardest. Whilst kicking and punching pads is great; there is no substitute for practical sparring, we therefore encourage members to spar from beginner level. 

 

Sparring appears in the syllabus as a grading requirement from Green Belt. This is the 5^th belt in the syllabus, which could mean that you could have about 1 year experience before having to spar for a grading. 

 

What if I really don’t want to spar?

In some cases ‘Coach Sparring’ is available. This allows the student to get the feel of proper sparring with an experienced student or Instructor but not receive any contact in return. In extreme cases students may not wish to participate in any kind of sparring or coach sparring, in this case a zero would be scored in the sparring section relevant to that grading. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from sparring, other alternatives will be offered.

 

Are there any restrictions to sparring?

Little Tigers (5-11 years of age) are restricted to Semi-Contact sparring only. At this young age students find it difficult to control their aggression and power, Semi-Contact prevents a mini scrap between two youngsters.

 

Non-members are not permitted to spar. As a non-member you are not insured. Members receive 1 year Public Liability Insurance within their licence and membership package.

 

Students are required to wear relevant sparring equipment. This is for the safety of yourself and your opponent.

 

What equipment do I need?

Every student must own their own gum shield and males must own their own groin guard (all ages) before they are permitted to spar. The club has a few sets of sparring equipment which students may borrow in their early days of training but students are requested to purchase their own set of sparring equipment as they progress further up the ranks. 

 

How much does the equipment cost?

White Tiger recommends Blitz equipment and the standard equipment range is more than adequate for our requirements. You can find equipment both more expensive and cheaper but you get what you pay for. White Tiger has certain restrictions on sparring equipment and only recognised manufacturers are acceptable for use during sparring. If you choose to purchase your equipment from a source other than through Blitz you may find that you are not permitted to use it in class.

 

How do I get my equipment?

You may either order through White Tiger or purchase online direct from Blitz. If you purchase direct you will be charged a delivery cost, if you purchase through your Instructor you will pay the RRP but will not be charged delivery (see links to other sites for Blitz).

 

What does the member Insurance cover?

This is a Public Liability Insurance which is valid for 12 months, providing the individual and the club are members of Cobra Martial Arts Association. It covers the individual should they accidently cause damage to property or another individual. It does not cover the individual for personal injury or loss of earnings.  

 

Can I take part in tournaments?

There are tournaments available through Cobra Martial Arts Association and affiliated organisations; you must have an up-to-date Cobra licence for you to participate. Fights are separated into age, sex and experience and you must own your own full sparring equipment according to Cobra’s requirements.

 

What else is on offer?

There are many courses and seminars available through Cobra Martial Arts Association held at venues throughout the country. Course schedules can be viewed on our events page or at cmaauk.com