Teachers with limited knowledge..

[Crane_Fighter]

Hi guyz

I study Fujian White Crane Kung Fu which my teacher says is a combination of Tiger/Crane style.

I have been studying this form for just over three years but I am worried about the knowledge my teacher possesses.

He was taught by a very good teacher (Dennis Ngo), But only admits to 5-6 years of study.

Some of the classes are becoming very repetative and a lot of my fellow class mates have given up studying because they say that they are not learning anything new.

I have a great deal of respect for my teacher but i'm always worried about sticking with him. There is another class not to far from me which sounds good.

What should I do???

[darth_freak]

you would not want to be sarcastic, but do you master or perform well the things you've been taught?
there can be so many things to work on in a simple move or routine...especially white crane...

but that's just my opinion from what I understand.

[Crane_Fighter]

I am trying to master the moves and patterns I am taught.

I want to be able to perform White Crane as it was intended to be performed, with graceful,flowing hand movements, powerful snapping strikes, the correct breathing and tension.

I have learnt a single broadsword pattern and the perfect staff pattern. Also I have learnt the first three patterns and have got them pretty much dialled. The only thing left to master is the breathing and tension.

I also study chen style Tai-Chi with the same teacher and I know there is a lot for me to still learn from my current teacher in both Kung-Fu and Tai_Chi but I want to know the the instuctions I receive are right.

[dc]

make everything you just mentioned better for starters...there is always room for improvement. that being said, if you hit a wall, its up to you and your teacher to work it out; maybe you could start off by asking him what the next step should be, especially since he only has 6 or so years of experience.

[Crane_Fighter]

Thanx dc,

I am practicing lots more of late as I now work in a leisure centre which has a studio I can use for myself.

I know that it is all about mastering the technique and showing that what you are taught has been learnt.

I will speak to my teacher and try to workout my dilemma.

[Jashu65]

Dear Friend,

I am just learning the White Crane system myself, but your issue sounds more of a moral dilema than anything. I remember when I first started out in the martial arts, my first sensei was first degree black belt himself. The guy, bless his heart, probably didn't know as much as the other martial art instructors, but he taught everything he knew with heart and soul. Even though I had left him, (joined the Navy and saw the world,) he had imparted a solid foundation that I could count on when I transfered to other martial arts. This was true for many years. Unfortunately, I dropped out of the martial arts when I was transfered to Korea for a duty assignment. That began a dry spell that lasted for almost ten years. Then I started to explore distance learning methods for martial arts. Even though I wouldn't learn everything there was to know, I would have a solid foundation. I chose to learn from Sifu Yang's because I wanted to empty the glass so to speak. I also liked the fact that the basics I was learning could be applied in a multitude of ways. It forces me to become more creative. I am in Japan now, and I believe that I am training on my own and believe me, training on your own is tough. But I believe that if I can learn everything from the materials that I posses right now, I can still be a great martial artist who has a solid foundation in the art. The point is that even though your instructor may have a limited knowledge base, there is still a lot to learn and improve upon. But if you question his credentials, you can always ask him how he became an instructor.

Best of Luck!

J. Hull

[DOM]

From what you say,he sounds like a good guy and teacher.Learn what you can,and research and do more research.A good teachers gaol should be to make you better then them and if they can not take you any further recomend that you train with some else with more knowlage and or skills.Maybe if you go out and research and learn more from others you could bring back what you learned and give somthing more back to your teacher and school.This mite not be possable depending on how humble he is.To day there is to much money at stake and fear of compatition.I was lucky enough to train with a man that was humble and taught for the love of it not the money.He did it for free.The master on the other hand did not like this and pushed me out when others of higher rank would come to me for imformation.Once you begin teaching you give up the freedome to train and learn more.Ya you learn from teaching but inless you have the rare circumstance to travel and train with others that are better then you.You kind of get stagnate.Inless the teacher is in it just for the money they have made a great sacrifice to teach others.Like others have said crane is a very deep art.Their are many founders of other martial arts that only learned a portion of the system,combined with what they already knew or learnd after,and created an effective an worthy martial art.Look at Dr. Yang for instance,he mixes crane teachings in with the long fist training so to give the student a brouder out look in there martial arts training and in long and sort rang fighting.

[jellybean]

Hello kung fu masters,

Yea...I know what you mean.

Personaly, I think you shouldn't over stress it.
It's a very simple rule, if you like the style that person is teaching you, you should put all your heart and faith into it and learn as much you can. Foundation is the bread and butter of all martial arts. Mean while feel free to check out other training spots. Later on branching off to learn knew things is only natural.

If you don't feel comfortable enough, then maybe you should find someone else to train with.

A person's level or skill shouldn't be judge by the years of training he/she had, but the results and experince.