by nyang » Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:03 am
Hi Ralteria:
There is only one YMAA School right now in the Carolinas, run by Henry Lai. All schools that have been well-established since the beginnings of YMAA International carry the label of "Branch School." Most new schools that formed after that period are labelled with "Provisional".
YMAA Raleigh is still in its infantile stages of being a school, hence the label of "Provisional". There aren't many students there, so I'm guessing the practice schedule is on a more casual basis. Please contact Henry Lai directly for more information, especially if you plan on making such a long drive.
The listed topics on the Community page list the only YMAA things that are taught at the school. Schools sometimes teach other topics from other disciplines. In terms of being YMAA "accredited", we adhere to a very strict and standard grading system. Fully-qualified YMAA Instructors and YMAA Assistant Instructors have passed YMAA tests according to our worldwide ranking system, in which there are 10 levels each for both Taiji and Shaolin. All other YMAA are considered YMAA students, practitioners, and/or Coach Instructors.
All active YMAA Instructors should have passed at least the first 1-2 levels of what they are teaching. We encourage instructors and students to make periodic trips to YMAA seminars and to other Branch Schools to maintain a certain level of quality in their training, and to further advance in the ranking system levels.
Nicholas C. Yang
President, YMAA International
Assistant Director, YMAA Retreat Center
http://ymaa-retreatcenter.org