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  • Going to Shaolin in Sept...

    I'm leaving Canada in late September and planning a 4 month trip to Dengfeng

    does anyone have current information on the conditions of schools in that area
    I know there are lots of schools too many to list..

    So i was hoping i could get some info on schools people have previously attended but with more emphasis on having attended recently there is lots to read about on these forums but most info is dated pre 2004 and i suspect is dated..


    I was very interested in going to Shi Yan Zhangs school but.... it seems like there are many choices and i dont wish to limit myself...


    I have trained Northern Shaolin here in Winnipeg Manitoba for 3 years and my master recently went on a week tour of shaolin where he learnt 10 forms the 10 core empty hand sets... i want to go there for the intense all day training. The debate on wushu vs. trad. is stale i can learn hung gar or bak sil lim or eagle claw here but there is only 2 hrs of class a day. So China seems like a good option.. Any current info would be great especially from people who are currently in country. Im open to any schools in Dengfeng and like I said am planning a 4 month visit so it would be nice to be able to make the most of my time at a school where i can learn Chin'na or Qi Gong and also learn some empty hand and weapons forms...


    thx guys for any help you can give

  • #2
    Well, I'll throw a little bit of information your way.

    What is in here, may be from 2004, but largely, is still kind of current. Decheng's school remains the same for the most part, other than the fact that it has expanded and has become more "foreigner friendly". The other schools mentioned here still remain. Things don't change in Dengfeng all that fast now.

    What is also unchanged, is the whole concept of "domestic versus foreigner" type schools. Most places will take foreigners to some degree, however the degree of westernization of these places is pretty sad, and to some degree, impossibly uncomfortable. Four months is a long time if the place is an absolute shithole, and, trust me, many of these places are. There are varying degrees of comfort available, and you have to decide, based upon budget and experience, just what you have to, and what you're willing to, put up with.

    I realize that you're from Canada, and therefore the harsh cold is not going to be a problem for you in November,and especially December, but please realize that training outdoors becomes very difficult in December. In fact, many schools start to close down, as students leave for the winter and the upcoming Chinese New Year time off. (Most schools are closed Jan and Feb, and, to some degree, December). Having been there and trained in November, I can tell you that outdoor training during that month is not fun. But, that's up to you.

    The wushu vs traditional concept is not as important; getting a comfortable realistic school is. At this point, I could only really recommend Decheng's or YanZhang's. Hengjun had a great little place up in Da Fa Wen Si, but I don't think the training was as good as at Yanzhang or Dechengs (and the accomodations most definitely were not, though the surroundings are non pareil). De Qian has a good school, but it is more oriented towards domestic students, as are most of these places. Beware the bullshit that you see on the internet concerning these schools.

    I'll have my contacts search out more current information and will get back to you soon.
    Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

    "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

    (more comments in my User Profile)
    russbo.com


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    • #3
      Stay home and train...You will not be the Martial arts superstar you think you are going to be...Wake up...take a cold shower...and stop staring at yourself in the mirror to see if those six pack abs turned to anything more than layers of Kraft dinner (mac & Cheese & Ketchup (or is it catsup?!?!)).

      It's great that you are going out and seeing the world but don't have dellusions of grandure. Enjoy it take some pictures post them up here somewhere. Have a good time and avoid any bowel disrupting foods and water.

      How's your shaved head feel?
      "What is barely legal?" - Ali G

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      • #4
        thx for the heads up guys..

        thx Doc for the quick reply,

        does Decheng's school have a website?

        and to the other respondant thx for the tip...... anyhow im not looking to instill myself with illusions of grandeur or anything of the like i just want to experience what its like to stay out of this country for a few months so i can gain a greater appreciation for it ... why not spend this time taking kung fu somewhere.

        plz dont reply in a sarcastic tone anymore

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        • #5
          Nice screenname. (I'm not being sarcastic.)

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          • #6
            i agree, i think i'll change my name to robby california. (im not being sarcastic either)
            "Life is a run. In attack we run, in defense we run. When you can no longer run, time to die" - Shichiroji "Seven samurai"

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            • #7
              How about Ron Mexico?

              I really wasn't being sarcastic, MS. Duncan Idaho is a character out of a book that I like.

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              • #8
                Decheng has a website, that is sometimes online, sometimes offlline, and not very good. In fact, I have a lot more information about his school on this site than he does on his. There are videos scattered in the video section, photos in the Photo Library, and current price information in the Gong Fu Schools section.

                I suggest going, for a month or two. Get back home by end of November for the holidays. Your master learning ten forms in one week doesn't sound too "real" to me, especially if it was his first time there. But, regardless, if he learned something, and it was a beneficial experience, then it was a good thing to do. It will start to die out there in December, and besides, it's more fun to freeze and play in the snow in Canada, than it is to shiver and lie miserably without warm water in some shithole for the holiday season.

                If I can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to ask.
                Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

                "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

                (more comments in my User Profile)
                russbo.com


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                • #9
                  he knew 10 forms that he added to our curriculum

                  ive noticed the forms practiced at songshan that alot of the motions can be found in lots of the forms we already know and practice so maybe it would be easy if you look at it like that..... anyhow his trip isint the point so maybe we can forget i mentioned it



                  Thank you kindly for your feedback and the time you took to respond

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                  • #10
                    doc, i in china...no problem getting on the site...not sure what firewall others are mentioning....but...i'm curious....
                    ZhongwenMovies.com

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                    • #11
                      ok, you got me. so how does zach canada sound? (ok maybe im being sarcastic now)
                      "Life is a run. In attack we run, in defense we run. When you can no longer run, time to die" - Shichiroji "Seven samurai"

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                      • #12
                        just got back

                        First off, I want to give doc a big thanks for all his help answering questions, pointing me in the right directions, and putting this site up. It's really a great resource to help those who wish to find out for themselves if our ideas about the shaolin arts are just great stories or if there is some truth to it so that we can refine our practice. I just got back this sunday from china-was there for a month- spent the last week in deng feng scouting the area for potential sites to train in the future. I too would like to engage in a period of full time training if I felt it would be time well spent. Allow me to share my views-take them for what they're worth. Here goes- I checked out about twelve schools, about 3-4 a day, all by foot- that's a lot of walking. for my effort I saw two maybe three schools I would consider training in short term (<1mos) but only one if training longer. Shaolin wuseng wenwu, dechengs' school, and deqians' school. I watched a number of other schools practice daily in the pagoda park during the am. the week i was there happened to be finals week for a number of wushu schools and their finals were being held just outside the shaolin temple ( right after you get past the vultures at the new entry trying to sell you everything they have because you're soooo rich). I watched a number of practice sessions during my stay, and honestly, for anyone looking for a viable martial arts practice that you don't think you'd find state side- I think you'd be dissapointed. I was. very few of the students moved like they could fight, all were fast and agile, but it was pretty clear from their builds and their performance of certain moves-there was no real skill other than gymnastics at work with a lot of speed and posing ( esp. for the compulsory routines). If all you really want to do is sharpen up for wushu forms competion- go for it. but I strongly suggest you consider the cost of accomodations because what most schools offer will take some serious adjustment. I stayed at the songshan yongbin hotel-they gave me the best rate and the manager Albert- speaks decent english. Other hotels were out for blood, I could've stayed at some nice casino hotels for what they tried to charge me. one shaolin hotel had great rates but no rooms- they're right on that round about when you come in off the highway on shaolin da lu. Even though some of the guidelines on this site are more than 2yrs old - I found them to still hold. fare from train station or airport is 200 yuan- if they say more tell em to **** off find another cabbie with cash in hand and they'll understand. DO NOT SMILE when negotiating. I took a semesters worth of chinese to prepare for my little escapade -it was definitely worth it- but personally I wouldn't go back alone unless I was conversant in the language. It makes for a much more worthwhile experience if you can actually communicate. chinese gov still maintaining 8:1 exchange rate, found only BoC atms' worked with my card, learn to count as a minimum or else you'll be paying american prices for merchandise and food if not careful. let me know if I can help with more insight- it's the least i can do to return the favor- Again, thanks doc.

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                        • #13
                          but only one if training longer
                          Which school was that?

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                          • #14
                            my choice

                            that would be the shaolin wuseng wenwu, on 170 shaolin da lu, with shi yong di, the guy i spoke to was Du Xu lei. he speaks some english but bring a dictionary and take a class before you go. new facilities are under construction and shold be completed in a few months . current facilities are crap. one building for beds (2-3 to a room but they'll prbably give you your own-just tell them) one building for showers and another for shits. The reasons I would consider this school are: it was the only school where the instructor noticed I was watching from across the street and after a while sent a student over to invite me for a tour or a closer look, it was the only school with a number of stone weights, metal weights and benches (rickety for sure, but still...) , a sand pit with bags for daily filling and emptying after use, heavy bags on the frame and being used by students, and the students looked healthy and stronger than some of the other schools I visited. I could be wrong but that's my opinion. price all inclusive is 2400 yuan a month, I'm sure you could talk them down if you get there and your serioous. if not you could just get a room and start shopping - most of the rates i was given were about 100-300 usd a month.

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                            • #15
                              hi everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              hi everybody,i am in the ssdu school,we are in fa wang si now,a beatiful temple.
                              it is my second year here,and i really like it.

                              i find the school thanks to doc,so if i can help anybody to come here to shaolin,its a pleusure...

                              this is the web page of the school:



                              if you want more pictures videos or information,please ask....

                              i hope it helps
                              son of the light

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