My point: there comes a time, after one has trained with a real sifu, the sifu takes on a less vital role. A true student of martial art is supposed to learn, then practice, then discover and create on his own. How did the masters of old do this? They trained. They trained with other martial artists and friends, and they climbed the ladder of skill. There is a famous master from my style of xingyi (Shanxi Che Style). His name was Che Yizhai. In his bio (from jarek's sight) it says:
"Che worked as a guard of rich mansions in Taigu for over thirty years, everyday practicing free fighting with his disciple, Li Fuzhen. Most of those, who went to challenge Che, were defeated by Li Fuzhen."
How many people train like this today? Many of the xingyi masters of old learned only the Five Fists. The rest of their time they practiced fighting and became experts. Many went on to learn more deeply from their teachers/friends over time. This is the path I'm trying to follow now, practicing what I learned and training with other martial artisits. It satisfies me, I'm not worried about finding another sifu or not.
I'm open for any comments, questions or snide remarks......
