The First YMAA Retreat Center Students

[Inga]

aaahhh, now i might be able to do something with that destination..in fact i may be able to find some other like minded folks 'round here. my mother is from the midwest too, and she acclimated okay, your gal should manage alright..

Well I love that dirty water Oh, Boston, you're my home - The Standells :)

[zipwolf]

aaahhh, now i might be able to do something with that destination..in fact i may be able to find some other like minded folks 'round here. my mother is from the midwest too, and she acclimated okay, your gal should manage alright..

Well I love that dirty water Oh, Boston, you're my home - The Standells

ROCK!

Also, the climate in michigan is generally warm summers, six foot of snow winters. I'm sure she'll do fine :p

[Dvivid]

Yes, the Retreat Center is really only looking for 15 students who intend to dedicate their lives to Chinese martial arts. The training schedule will essentially be every day, 9 months per year, all day.

It is a rare opportunity for rare individuals.

Rise before the sun, train all day, eat, shower, collapse.

Repeat.

10 years.

[zipwolf]

Yes, the Retreat Center is really only looking for 15 students who intend to dedicate their lives to Chinese martial arts. The training schedule will essentially be every day, 9 months per year, all day.

It is a rare opportunity for rare individuals.

Rise before the sun, train all day, eat, shower, collapse.

Repeat.

10 years.

You see i'd love to do something like that, but i really can't. Hell, i'd love it if i could retreat to the mountains and do nothing but play guitar every day 9 months per year all day for ten years. Thats my problem, too many devotions and loves.

Maybe i could make a theme tune for the retreat center? Like some sort of anthem... hmm..

[BaguaMonk]

If only I could take the year that I wasted once I got out of HighSchool (2 years actually) and apply it to this

[Inga]

indeed, if this was a one or two year course, no doubt the retreat would be flooded with students, the serious and curious alike. but as it is clear from the replies to this so far, this is a massive undertaking one has to consider deeply. the level of committment required is the highest of any career i can think of. this course is not only a tough and relentless regime, it is a sacrifce, in the sense that 18-22 year olds are usually in the process of work study and education which is applicable to a variety of fields, to cope with our increasingly mobile, technological and uncertain world. it is a time when life partners are generally found, often families are planned or begun. i grant this second point may not seem too worrying at the time of enrollment, and indeed, certainly would still be most likely to happen in future. yet how daunting to be aware that for the next ten years there is limited control of one's autonomy. to give up your freedom at a time when one has just gained it is a big ask. please don't think i am indicating that master yang's programme is not worth it or that he is misguided to hope to find individuals willing to come. quite the opposite. i think it is a phenomenal dream, one that would take a phenomenal man like master yang to realise.

paper - i had a bit of trouble comprehending your post, but if you are saying you are feeling without direction at this moment in your life, take heart. you are not alone. it's a process many go through. and i feel you are not wrong in living in your "illusion" of the world..that IS your real world, how you perceive things. don't be at odds with yourself over that. my apologies if i have interpreted you incorrectly. best wishes.

[darth_freak]

if you found your life partner between 18 and 22, you're a lucky one! Many people aren't settled at this age! so about planning a family or already having children seems weirder!

the age is kinda good I think; 17/18 are commonly the years of graduation. 21/22 are the years when you get your bachelor degree in college.

The main problem is that $90.000 are required and that American are most likely to go there because any foreigner would need a Green Card...

[Inga]

yeah, point taken darth freak, to clarify i was meaning that serious relationships would normally develop over that 10 year period, with individuals one had met at that age (or were already attached to) which would be hard to pursue if one was committed to the programme. sorry i was not clear. i did try to go on to say that that was probably not really a worry for most. i know people who have met at that age and are still together. it is not as unusual as one may think :) and what do i know, it may be perfectly possible to have a romantic relationship..military professionals manage years apart, short time together. some people may work better that way. the programme is only 9 months out of the year..so, i guess i withdraw the comment. i do agree with you it is the ideal age to undertake the course if you are going to do it..absolutely no question. last i checked green cards were not required for study, just employment. and this is such a specialist thing, master yang may be able to assist foreign students with getting necessary paperwork because of its unique nature. but i have not travelled much since 9/11 and so may be horribly out of date.

[Dvivid]

1. Foreign students ARE encouraged to apply. We are finalizing our application with the required forms for allowing students a 10-year study VISA.

2. $90,000 over ten years is $9,000 per year tuition. Very inexpensive for schooling, AND, graduating students will get this entire $90,000 tuition back, so they may have enough to start their career.

See also the Student Loan Deposit and Sponsored Student programs.

3. The Center is looking for exceptional people, with a vision of living a meaningful life studying, teaching, and promoting the traditional martial arts. They will have 3 months off, to develop the other aspects of their lives, such as relationships, and they get to see girlfriends on weekends too, of course...

(And regarding the other topic, about years going by with no benefit, or nothing gained: we must have no regrets! Life itself is a learning process. In those years, whatever you have done has shaped you, has brought you into this amazing YMAA international community, and has brought you now to this very moment, where you may continue to search for a meaningful path in life. You are among like-minded friends! Peace.)

[fujowpai419]

I for one would be greatly honored if Master Yang would consider me for this rare oppurtunity. I have already made great sacrifices to learn traditional kung fu with a skilled sifu (I live hundreds of miles from my nearest family) and I am willing to make any and all sacrifices necessary to be accepted as a disciple into this 10 year program. I train every day with my sifu.
My plans before learning of this program were to finish school at my community college and then transfer out of state to a university of traditional chinese medicine and philosophy and at the same time continuing my practice of kung fu. To study kung fu, philosophy, medicine, and qigong full-time with master Yang, one of the most respected and skilled teachers, would be a great honor. Kung fu is a journey not a destination, it is a life long process. 10 years is a very short time compared to a lifetime and I do not look at this as a sacrifice but as a great honor and privelage. I realize the demands both physically and mentally are very rigorous however to truly attain a high skill level it is not an option to train this way, it is a requirement.
The only possible obstacle might be the $90,000....hmm...if theres a will theres a way.

[Dvivid]

fujowpai419, please fill out an application. Downloadable here:
http://www.ymaa-retreatcenter.org/candidates


The $90,000 tuition is like any schooling; the students will need loans.

A student must pay $30,000 to cover lodging, food, and training in the first year, $24,000 the second year, $18,000 the third year, $12,000 the fourth year, and $6,000 the fifth year. Years 6 - 10 are tuition-free. After 10 years, the complete tuition is refunded.

[darth_freak]

Dvivid: do you know how many people have already filled the application?

[Dvivid]

Dr Yang has received about 40 applications - not all applicants are qualified.

[lorek-15]

Hi, I will finish school in June 2008, do I can send application in 2008?

[Dvivid]

Anyone interested in this program, please send the application NOW. Thirty applicants will be selected, and then 2 groups of 15 will be brought to CA to be tested, and from this, the final 15 will be selected by Spring 08. These 15 will be the only applicants accepted.

Following this 10-year cycle, another 10-year cycle will be started, and the Center will operate in perpetuity as a valuable resource for the YMAA community.[/b]

[fujowpai419]

Dvivid, I am in the process of completing my application. Do you have any advice as to which aspect of training I should give special attention to at this point? I train with my sifu everyday but I'd really appreciate any additional advice. Thanks.

[fujowpai419]

Also Dvivid are the degrees offered (chinese martial arts, business management) accredited? Where can I get info on this?

[Dvivid]

Hello,

Everyone accepted in the program will be starting over at the beginning. Master Yang recommends that anyone interested in the program become familiar with his books.

Currently, the Retreat Center is not an accredited school, but it is a registered CA Educational Center qualified to award any degree of its choosing. This is an unconventional education.

Please get the word out about the Retreat Center. Funding this project is necessary before the training program can commence.

[fujowpai419]

I'm spreading the word to doctors, lawyer, martial artists...anybody that might be able to contribute in some way. I have a question, will the 10 year program be taught by master yang directly or by his advanced students?

[fujowpai419]

also how close are you to getting the required funding?