Good school

[green_thaddeus]

So I've been doing alot of research here online for schools in MN that teach good kung fu (doesn't really have to be longfist I suppose) but so far have come up dry. I know I should'nt judge a book by it's cover etc, but even with the brief bio section of the masters I can tell that they probably don't teach the right things. One guy looked like a dirty old hippy! So anyways, I've been looking to move, with the goal of having a good place to learn kung fu as one of my main motivations, and was wondering who knows of any good places to train? I figure that there really is no solid reason I should stay here in MN (although the mid-west us would be nice) so I'm keeping my options open I guess. Also, anyone know anything about these schools in China I've seen online? Might be worth my time to save up a couple grand and spend 6 months or so over there getting some good learnin on...

[nyang]

you're always welcome to come to Boston to train with us we have 3 YMAA schools around the Greater Boston area that train Shaolin.

also, Boston's a pretty happening place, and there are definitely several other schools, in other disciplines as well. other disciplines include Tae Kwon Do, Jiujitsu, Modern Wushu, Sanshou, etc. popular names are Wah Lum, Jae H. Kim, Yao Li, Jason Yee.

i don't know much about the midwest, and somehow i've always had the impression that West Coast was more Modern Wushu instead of traditional (i'm probably thinking about Hollywood), so i can't offer much info outside of my own area.

i have mixed feelings about China training programs. while there are definitely still some quality masters and instructors out there, some of the programs are a bit commercialized, especially the ones that say you can become qualified as a "so-and-so" after only a few months or few years of training. qualification should never be based on a timeframe. it is based on skill, dedication, and pure practice. the art is something that is very deep that takes a lifetime of practice, and generations to perfect. today's training is also quite different from ancient times. we don't live with our masters, and we don't train every single day for 6-10 hours a day. the quality that we reach in training in 1 year of today's society is not equivalent to 10 years of training in ancient times.

i don't oppose going to China, as i've never tried it and can't really say, but just do be wary of what money can make people do ... and avoid those dirty hippies! : but still, keep an open mind and take the best from whatever program you choose.

[green_thaddeus]

All good ideas, Boston realy isn't to far from home, so I could still feasibly see family for holidays etc.

I was talking with an old friend of mine, turns out that he's had the longfist book and been studying it in secret for years now. He's somewhat lacking in self-motivation though, so I think I have a slightly stronger base already, but the point is that now I have a third friend I can train with! We were tossing around the idea of training solo in my garage for most of the year, then traveling to Boston etc. to spend a month or so training in school, then back home and on and on...anyone see any merit in this idea? I know that in my previos topic someone mentioned that many people have trained in simular ways, or at least with that much time with a teacher...

[green_thaddeus]

http://www.wmacenter.com/ Found this school in Minneapolis (MN) after weeks of searching now, and finally have a spark of hope. I'll have to swing down there sometime to check out their style of kung fu, they don't say a whole lot on the site. Cool thing is though, they also offer Kumdo, which I'm taking here and am loving, and hapkido, which would be cool to learn as well. They have a couple others as well, but I don't know how much I can take at once! Anyways, check this place out, let me know what you think?

[jfraser]

Check out the Shenmentao school in Minneapolis. It is a good school and a well trained teachers.
James

[jfraser]

Good teachers in China hide and are hard to find, let alone teach you as a foreigner. Stay away from the Shaolin temples, and commercial operations.
Learn some Chinese and how relationships function in this complex culture.
James.

This is a complex matter, not so easy.

[nyang]

We were tossing around the idea of training solo in my garage for most of the year, then traveling to Boston etc. to spend a month or so training in school, then back home and on and on...anyone see any merit in this idea? I know that in my previos topic someone mentioned that many people have trained in simular ways, or at least with that much time with a teacher...

you can definitely do that. remember that a huge part of your training will depend on how you practice and how often. but also remember, that if you can find a local instructor to guide you through your practice in-person on a more regular basis, that is recommended as well.

[green_thaddeus]

So I just started taking Tae Kwon Do here in town, it was that or the old Okinowan Karate, and I've done that before and wasn't to impressed. Plan on taking some of the basics from that and trying to use it with my longfist? I can already see alot of differances in stance and stuff, but some things seem to cross over fairly well. Also, the second instructor has trained in Wing Chun, so I may be able to talk him into some private lessons...

[nyang]

that sounds like a plan. Tae Kwon Do specializes in kicking, and Northern styles like Long Fist certainly do like to kick a lot, and jump! Karate and Wing Chun have roots from Southern styles, like White Crane, so any difference in stances is a result of different fighting strategies. Northern styles are more suited for middle to long range. Southern styles are more suited for close to middle range. Southern styles have much shorter movements and generate power from the waist, as opposed to Northern styles which have longer movements and generate power more from the ground up. glad to hear you've found a school.