Who Are The Best Martial Arts Schools In Slough?

When Martial Arts Schools begun sprouting up in the UK in the 1970s, it was still hard to find a good Martial Arts School. Since then, Martial Arts schools have been popping up all over. This choice made choosing the best Martial Arts schools in Slough both easier and harder.

Fast forward to now, it’s even harder to find the right Martial Arts School for you, as there’s so much choice.

Are you looking for the Best Martial Arts School in Slough?

As a newcomer to Martial Arts, it’s hard to tell which one is right for you. But luckily, in this blog, you will find out the best Martial Arts Schools in Slough, and why they are the best.

But first, let’s lay down some ground rules.

We want to make sure this is about you making the best choice.

It’s not about us and our Martial Arts School!

Reviews of Top Martial Arts Schools in Slough –   The Rules

  • We won’t talk about ourselves, and our own Martial Arts School at FitRoots. We have purposely excluded ourselves from this review. We want to be as transparent as possible about the best (and the worst) Martial Arts Schools in Slough.
  • Reviews will only base our thoughts, points, and statements on genuine evidence and real-life scenarios. This is not a collection of views that we just believe in personally.
  • We aim to be as honest and open as possible. In doing so, we may upset some people. However, our aim is to help you make an informed decision about the best Martial Arts School in Slough, so you can join the right one.
  • Objective sources such as public reviews on sites like Google and Facebook will be used to validate reviews.
  • We will also assess more subjective elements such as the service, and what is included in the membership at each Martial Arts School.
  • We aim to ensure that what is stated is always accurate to the best of our knowledge.
  • All information within this review is accurate at the time of publication

Warlords Kickboxing Academy – Dave Lee

For full disclosure, Warlords Kickboxing Academy was my Dad’s (Dave Lee) Martial Arts School. He opened this in the Slough area in the 1980s, and it was one of the first Kickboxing and Martial Arts Schools in Slough.

As a result, some of the instructors and schools within these reviews are present here, as they have also been training and teaching for a long time in the Slough area.

In these reviews, we will outline what style each Martial Arts School teaches, some insight into what they offer their students, plus their online reviews and ratings.

Here are the Top 6 Martial Arts Schools in Slough.

Slough Cobras Kickboxing

Martial Arts Style: Kickboxing

Slough Cobras is a well renowned Martial Arts School, with a focus on Kickboxing and Boxing.

The founder, Junior Senior started his school in 1999, and has been practicing Martial Arts since the early 1980s.

Junior used to be a student and instructor at Warlords Kickboxing Academy in Slough. I have a great deal of respect for Junior, as he was actually one of my instructors when I first started Martial Arts.

Junior prospered on the competitive Kickboxing and Boxing circuit. So, he has genuine experience on how you can apply your Martial Arts skills to reality.

Since he taught at Warlords Kickboxing Academy, I have trained with Slough Cobras on a few occasions. So, my points here are also based on what I have personally experienced, as well as others’ viewpoints.

Slough Cobras Location

Slough Cobras are based out of Unity Martial Arts Academy. This is a shared Martial Arts training space where different clubs teach from.

Unity Martial Arts Academy also have a fully matted training area.

The surrounding area is Farnham Royal.

Slough Cobra Reviews 

Facebook

They don’t appear to have a Facebook Page, so there won’t be any reviews available to search from there if you do so.

Google

Their 5 star rating on Google with 3 reviews in total says a lot. Given the nature of the reviews, it is easy to spot that they are genuine.

Service

From my personal experience and through word of mouth, Slough Cobras has a good reputation for being an honest and upfront Martial Arts School.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • What you see is what you get – Junior teaches his Martial Arts with an old school style, but with a new twist. His teachings are a solid base of Western Kickboxing, and Boxing too.
  • Price – Lessons are cheap, from their website it is only £5/lesson, with pay as you go as the way to pay.

Cons 

  • You might want more outside of class – If you are looking for more support outside of class times to achieve your goals, Slough Cobras may not be for you, as their focus seems to be predominantly on the class itself.
  • Timetable and class availability – It seems that there is only one class available, which is on Wednesday evenings, and it appears to be just for adults. If you are looking to train more often, or need flexibility, you may struggle to commit to classes.

Future Taekwondo

Martial Arts Style: Taekwondo

Future Taekwondo is respected as one of the best Taekwondo Martial Arts Schools in Slough.

Future-Taekwondo-Slough

It has a reputation and focus on creating competition level students in the Taekwondo circuit.

The founder is Stewart Armotrading, who has an extensive background in Martial Arts. He has been in the Martial Arts world for a long period of time. In addition, he has created one of the first established Martial Arts Schools in Slough as a result.

With Taekwondo primarily being a kicking art, it may be more appealing to some more than others. But either way, knowing how to kick well is useful to learn in your Martial Arts journey.

As I have not personally trained with Future Taekwondo, my points here are based on my general observation, others’ viewpoints, and my connections with others in the local Martial Arts circles.

Future Taekwondo Location

Future Taekwondo operates from Herschel Sports Centre in Slough. This is a shared general sports centre, which is a part of the Absolutely Fitness Group, and Herschel Grammar School.

The surrounding area is the Slough Trading Estate.

Future Taekwondo Reviews 

Facebook

They have a 5/5 rating based on the opinion of 16 people.

The reviews here seem legitimate, and are mostly from parents who are very satisfied with their kids results.

Google

They have a 4.8 star rating on Google with 4 reviews in total. Again, the reviews seem genuine, as they are mostly from happy parents. There are comments about how their children have been helped through their programmes.

The one review which brings their score down is mistakenly from an individual who is asking for more details about what they offer.

It is possible that Future Taekwondo actually have a 5 star rating as a result.

Service

From my understanding, Future Taekwondo have a great reputation for teaching Taekwondo to their students.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • Focus on one Martial Art – Future Taekwondo are honest about what they teach, and are good at it.
  • Large student base – As they have been well established in the Slough area for a long time, Future Taekwondo have built up a lot of students over the years, and will have students with a range of different experience levels.
  • Price – Lessons are £50/month for 1x/week, and £90/month for 2x/week. There is a startup cost of £112, which includes uniform, and annual insurance (£75 for the uniform, and £37 for the annual insurance). There is a sibling discount available too. With this set up, they are essentially making sure you have what you need at the start.

Cons 

  • Student to instructor ratio is high with around 40 students per class – As with many traditional Martial Arts, it is quite common to have many students to one instructor. Depending on what is being taught, and how it is done, this can be a good thing, but generally, it means less attention to detail, as one to one feedback is limited, and hence slower progress may result.
  • Extensive focus on kicking – Naturally, this will be the case as it is Taekwondo, however, a more practical way of learning Taekwondo would be to supplement it with more upper body, hand, and close-range techniques too.

Slough Wrestling Club

Martial Arts Style: Wrestling

Slough Wrestling Club is the only Wrestling club in the area.

Slough-Wrestling-Club

Given the nature of Wrestling, it’s not for everybody. It is a little more hardcore than some of the softer Martial Arts, but it is worthwhile learning.

This club has built up a reputation of high-level wrestlers. They take their students to many competitions, and tend to rank well when they do so.

I have not personally trained at Slough Wrestling Club, but intend to do so in the near future, as Wrestling is a part of my Martial Arts game that I want to improve a lot.

Slough Wrestling Club Location

Slough Wrestling Club operates from the Singh Sabha Slough Sports Centre. This is another shared general sports centre, which was built by the local Sikh community.

The surrounding area is Manor Park, which borders onto Farnham Royal.

Slough Wrestling Club Reviews ⭐

Facebook

Although they have a Facebook Page, they don’t have a Reviews section on there, and hence they have no reviews.

Google

They do not have a website, or a Google listing, so they don’t have a Reviews section available. As above, there are no reviews present.

No visible reviews are not necessarily a bad sign, but it is not a good sign either.

The likelihood is just that they haven’t set it up. Maybe they would rather focus on teaching their students, so this is no indication on their Martial Arts credibility at all. As a result, their review status is neutral.

Service

From their word of mouth reputation, Slough Wrestling Club has a good standing in the local Martial Arts community. As they are the only Wrestling club in the area, it is a given that if you want to learn Wrestling in Slough, this is the place to go.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • Focus on a transferable Martial Art – They focus on Wrestling and are good at it. If taught properly, Wrestling has a great transfer to general self-defence, and in combination with other Martial Arts. This can create a well-rounded Martial Artist.
  • Price – Lessons are pretty cost effective. They operate on a pay as you go basis, and charge £4/lesson. If you can’t commit to classes in a membership based model, this may be a good option for you.

Cons 

  • If you want extra support – ‘Old School’ Martial Arts Schools are generally geared towards students who don’t want much support outside of class. This isn’t always a bad thing, but depending on what you are looking for, you may develop faster with more guidance outside of class.
  • Timetable and class availability – It seems that there are only two classes available, which are on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, and it seems to be just for adults. The Saturday time works well for some who have a busy week schedule, but I can also see why it wouldn’t work for many potential students.


Slough-Martial-Arts

Slough Amateur Boxing Club (ABC)

Martial Arts Style: Boxing

Slough Amateur Boxing Club is the main boxing club in the Slough area. Although there have been more Boxing clubs opening up over recent years, Slough ABC has been the original one.

They have been established since 1945, and are an ‘Old School’ Boxing Club, through and through.

I have trained with Slough ABC on a few occasions. We also used to share the same training space for many years, under Warlords Kickboxing Academy in Slough. Both of us used to train in the Rotunda Stadium on Belfast Avenue.

Sharing the training space with Slough ABC, sometimes meant we crossed paths. My Dad, Dave Lee knew the instructors from Slough ABC relatively well, and the clubs complemented each other nicely.

Slough Amateur Boxing Club Location

Slough Amateur Boxing Club operates from the KO Gym, on Mercian Way.

They have a fully kitted out Boxing Gym with a ring, bags, mats, and more.

The surrounding area is Cippenham.

Slough Amateur Boxing Club Reviews 

Facebook

Although they have a Facebook Page, they don’t have any reviews on there.

They do have a Facebook Group, however, a group doesn’t allow for public reviews to be posted.

Google

They have a 4.3 star rating on Google with 27 reviews in total. The reviews are mostly from satisfied customers. Similar to Future Taekwondo, they have one review which brings their score down, and this is again from someone asking a question about what they offer.

Again, it is possible that Slough Amateur Boxing Club have a genuine 5 star rating as a result.

Service

As far as I’m aware, Slough Amateur Boxing Club has the longest history of operating a Martial Arts School and/or Boxing Club in the local area. This alone speaks volumes. If you are purely interested in learning Boxing in Slough, then this is the place to go.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • Boxing is the focus – They are clear that Boxing is what they teach, and are good at it.
  • History – They have been around for a very long time, and as a result, have a team of highly qualified coaches who teach the sweet science.
  • Price – Lessons are either pay as you go, at £8/session, or, it is on a monthly Direct Debit basis. Classes for Juniors are £20/month for 1x/week, £30/month for 2x/week, or £40/month for 3x/week. Classes for Seniors (above 16) are £25/month for 1x/week, or £40/month for 2x/week.

Cons 

  • Focus on Boxing – If you want an all-around self-defence curriculum, Boxing may not be for you. Although great Boxing offence and defence is important to learn, it is not enough to solely rely upon it in a real-life situation.
  • Do you need extra support? – Boxing clubs are not known for giving more support outside of classes, unless it’s for the fighters who are a part of that gym. Unless you are a competitive fighter, you may not get the help you need when it comes to nutrition, mindset, accountability etc.

Fu Jau Academy

Martial Arts Style: Kickboxing

Fu Jau Academy is a Kickboxing club which was started by Adrian Bedlow in 1996. Adrian is well respected in the local area as a quality Martial Arts instructor, specialising in mostly stand up Martial Arts.

Adrian used to be a student and instructor at Warlords Kickboxing Academy. However, I didn’t personally train with or under Adrian, as I was too young at the time.

Since Adrian started Fu Jau Academy, he has gone on to produce many champions in the ‘Light Continuous’ Kickboxing competition circuit (effectively light contact competitive Kickboxing), and his club is regarded well, particularly if you want to compete as a part of your Martial Arts journey.

Fu Jau Academy Location

Fu Jau operates from Our Lady of Peace School.

The surrounding area is Burnham.

Fu Jau Academy Reviews 

Facebook

They have a 5/5 rating based on the opinion of 38 people.

All of the reviews are positive, and more from a mixture of happy parents, and adults who train there.

Google

They have a 5 star rating on Google with 23 reviews in total. The reviews echo the same sentiments as the ones on their Facebook Page.

Service

Fu Jau Academy is known for producing competitive fighters in the local Kickboxing competition circuits.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • Quality Kickboxing – At Fu Jau Academy, it’s easy to tell that the Kickboxing standard is high, and the quality of teaching is too. Students exhibit a particular style of Kickboxing, which is mostly ‘American Kickboxing’, and they do it well.
  • Variety of times available – As Fu Jau Academy operates as a more ‘full-time’ school, they have more class availability throughout the week, which is useful if you need flexibility when starting out. They also have sparring classes after their regular adults classes which is a great way to test the application of your training.
  • Price – Classes for Juniors are £45/month for 2x/week. Classes for Adults are £55/month for up to 3x/week, plus the option of 2x/week Sparring classes.

Cons 

  • Sparring style – Whilst some Martial Arts Schools don’t have any contact in their training, Fu Jau Academy have relatively hard contact in their Kids’ Programmes. Some may see this as a good thing, but after years of personal experience of ‘hard sparring’ as a kid, it’s not a good thing for a child’s development in their brain and bodies.
  • Fitness Training – Most Martial Arts Schools give their students fitness-based training in classes, e.g. sit ups, press ups, and so on, as part of each class. Whilst fitness training is important, it depends on the type being taught. It can be more damaging to repetitively do certain exercises the way most Martial Arts Schools and fitness clubs do.

IMAS (Integrated Martial Arts Systems) Slough Martial Arts

Martial Arts Style: Wing Chun

IMAS Wing Chun is led by Vik Hothi, and is one of the main Wing Chun based Martial Arts Schools in Slough. Vik started IMAS in 2001, along with co-founder Sunny Riyat.

Wing Chun is primarily an upper body and close range Martial Art. It is considered more of a ‘self-defence’ style, and is thus a hard style of Kung Fu.

Having practised Wing Chun myself for many years, I can vouch for its effectiveness when taught and conducted properly. However, the time frames to learn Wing Chun to a decent level of proficiency tend to be higher. This is due to there being a large focus on precision in the techniques, so they can work in reality.

I have not personally trained with IMAS WIng Chun, so my points here are based on my general observation, others’ viewpoints, and my connections with others in the local Martial Arts circles.

IMAS Wing Chun Location

IMAS Wing Chun operates from their own facility, which is fully equipped and matted.

The surrounding area is the Slough Trading Estate.

IMAS Wing Chun Reviews ⭐

Facebook

They have a 4.8/5 rating based on the opinion of 20 people.

All of the reviews are positive, and more from a mixture of happy students who train there.

Google

They have a 4.6 star rating on Google with 12 reviews in total. The reviews are similar to the ones on their Facebook Page, however, there is one negative review. It’s hard to say whether or not this is genuine, as it lacks details.

Service

IMAS Wing Chun is known for teaching kids and adults in the Slough area WIng Chun.

Below, you can see what I think the Pros and Cons are of their service.

Pros ✔️

  • Wing Chun is the focus – Although they state there is a blend between other Martial Arts in their teachings, they primarily focus on what they’re good at.
  • Variety of times available – As IMAS Wing Chun is a ‘full-time’ school, they have a full timetable throughout the week.

Cons ❌

  • Focus on Wing Chun – When practised as a sole Martial Art, it can get quite repetitive depending on how it is taught. Wing Chun can be used effectively in self-defence, but lacks in lower body and kicking techniques.
  • Sparring suitability – Wing Chun is best put to the test in live, or freestyle sparring rounds. However, to test this accurately in a safe way is quite hard. It requires either no gloves, or light gloves, and relies on students being controlled enough to execute the techniques properly. On the other hand, it can be done, but tends to be more suitable for higher level students.

Conclusion – Which Of The Top 6 Martial Arts School In Slough Should You Try Out Now?

Each Martial Arts School which has made this blog, has established themselves in Slough as one of the best available.

So, if you are looking to join a Martial Arts School in Slough, you won’t have to waste time sifting through the seemingly unlimited options available nowadays.

Our least favourite thing about the Martial Arts industry, is that there are a lot of people teaching disingenuous, fake, and dangerous things to their students, which simply doesn’t work. Luckily, if you choose one of the options from above, you will have made a safe bet for learning practical Martial Arts in Slough.

You might be interested in reading our blog, How Much Does Martial Arts Cost? so you’ll have an idea of how much money you should expect to invest in the right place for you.

Additionally, we’d love to hear your experience with any of the Martial Arts Schools above, or any others for that matter. Feel free to add your comments below, or reach out to us privately if you’d prefer.

In the meantime, we’d love you to come down for a Free Taster Class in the Slough area with us at FitRoots.

>> Book your Free Taster Class here <<


Slough-Martial-Arts

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