If you want to learn kung fu in Bath, come to The Moral Dragon on a Monday evening. I teach Gao-style Baguazhang in a small group at 19A Monmouth Place. The work is traditional, martial, and practical. There are no belts, no gradings, and no mysticism.

I have taught this syllabus since 2006. The school name, Long De Guan (龍德館), came from my teacher, Luo Dexiu.

Learn kung fu in Bath — Ollie Smith teaching Baguazhang sword in the Monday class
Monday class at The Moral Dragon, Bath — Gao-style Baguazhang.

What kung fu is taught in Bath

The weekly class is primarily Gao-style Baguazhang, second Xingyiquan and Taijiquan. That is the kung fu you will train if you join on a Monday.

Baguazhang is one of the three internal Chinese martial arts, with Xingyiquan and Taijiquan. Gao Yisheng organised this branch into two halves. Pre-Heaven is circle walking and the palm changes. Post-Heaven is sixty-four linear fighting palms. You start with the legs and the walk. The hands come later.

Xingyiquan is part of the same Yizong curriculum. There is no dedicated Xingyi group class at the moment. I can teach it in person, or as private tuition. I am not teaching the main Taiji syllabus.

Taijiquan is part of the same Yizong curriculum, but not currently taught completely. We practise the first section and specific push hands, such as double rolling.

Internal training means structure, timing, and whole-body power. You still sweat. You still condition. Partner work is controlled. There is no weekly free sparring or Sanda.

Kung fu class in Bath practising Gao-style Baguazhang palm work
Palm work in the Bath hall. The group stays small so I can correct each person.

Who teaches

I am Ollie Smith. I am a senior student of Luo Dexiu. I have trained with him for twenty-six years, eight of them full-time in Taipei. Luo certified me to teach Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Taijiquan back in 2008.

If you want the longer path — from childhood Wutan kung fu and boxing, through Xingyi in Kent, to Luo’s class in the park — that is in my kung fu story.

The Yizong line is from kung fu master Gao Yisheng and then transferred on by Zhang Junfeng, the Hong brothers, then Luo Dexiu directly to Ollie Smith. I still go back to Taiwan (not as often as I use to). I also catch master Luo at seminars in Europe, and we still speak on the phone.

Luo Dexiu and Ollie Smith practising push hands in Taipei 2010.
Push hands with Luo Dexiu, CKS Park, Taipei, 2010.

What a class looks like

A Monday session is two hours. We warm up and condition first with basic drills, then we might move into one of the many traditional kung fu training methods (there are many). Partner drills come in as skill allows. I correct as we go. Progress follows ability, not a timetable of gradings for belts.

Ollie Smith demonstrating Gao-style Baguazhang in the Bath training hall
Post-Heaven Baguazhang in the Bath hall.

Who can learn kung fu in Bath

Beginners are welcome. So are people who have trained another style of kung fu. You should be reasonably fit and flexible enough to train comfortably. You do not need to be an athlete, and you do not need to get fit first.

Class times, fees, and where we train

  • When: Mondays, 6:30pm–8:30pm
  • What: Gao-style Baguazhang
  • Where: 19A Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AY. Parking is on site.
  • Trial: £15
  • Monthly group class: £40, paid on the 1st
  • Private tuition: £45 an hour, Xingyiquan or Baguazhang, booked in advance

The full list of what we train is on the syllabus. Times and fees stay on the classes page if anything changes.

How to start

To learn kung fu in Bath with this school, contact me and come to a Monday trial. Wear clothes you can squat and turn in, and bring water. A uniform is not required for the first class.

If you want Xingyi rather than the Monday Bagua class, say so in the message and we can book a time.