Training in China/Hong Kong (Tai Ji)

[joedhoe]

I am looking for a place to learn taijiquan with a big emphasis on qi gong and mandarin

the heat conditions are only a factor of when I can go if they have the facilities to sustain quality training in the winter then I can go as early as mid December if not as soon as it heats up in March but I would like to go ASAP

[yan]

well

my situation is a little bit strange,because i had the luck of having a friend who lives here,and that his uncle knows tai ji.i also speak some chinese,so i can talk with the family and the teacher...

the training is good i train only 2 to 3 hours at day with the teacher,because he needs to go work,and the only free time is at the early morning 630,and at night 800.

iduring the day i am free,and i train by myself.yesterday i went to a school were they teach tai ji,sanda,and some jumps and flips(the coachs were from a school in dengfeng)and i asked them if i can train with they in the mornings for 2 or 3 hours,and they tell me,no problem...but you should ask the master if he have any inconvenience...(the coaches tell me that i can join the training without paying)but in the afternoon,the master apeared,he ask me how long i will be training(i said 1 month)and he tell me i should pay 300 dolars for this month i laught,and he tell me...o.k tell me how much you can pay(i said 300 yuan(around 35 dolars)and he turned back and went away in his expensive car....

so things here,dont look cheap at all....
i heard that there is about 3 academies here,but the one i went was the most old and shity...

so,i train the lao jia forms(the old ones),i am learning the yi lu(first form)right now,and some tui shou(pushing hands).
i was in shaolin almost 2 years so i know qi gong(ba duan jin,ji yin jing),but i think my teacher doesnt knows any qi gong....
we also run in the mornings to a quiet place outside the village,were the chinese go to exercise in the mornings,there is also a park with people practising tai ji,even in the supermarket,before they start to work,the staff trains tai ji for 15 min(yang style lol)

i dont know exactly what my teacher knows,but i think he knows the second form of the lao jia,there is only 2 (first one 75 moves,the second one 44),and also some wheapons(jian,tadao),but soon i will ask him exactly what he knows...

so,i recomend you not to come in winter,it snows,and even if there is electricity,maybe if you use any kind of warming stuff,they will try to ask you more money(i had this problem in the temple i lived in dengfeng),i think coming to china for the first time and try to get adapt to the food,living conditions,training etc....is hard enought.

and also if you come in march next year,i will be here,and also renato,so i can help you both to find a place to stay,and maybe between the 3 we can find something good and cheap....

also if you want i can teach you some qi gong(free of course),its easy to learn the movements,and you can practise by yourself...
and about the mandarin,you can find a nice girl who speaks a bit of english and learn with her(is the easiest,cheapest,most enjoyable way to learn chinese),but also i am sure you can learn some chinese with some students,if you teach they some english,osr you can find a teacher maybe(with money everything is possible in china),or in the worst situation i can tach you some(free of course) i think i am ggoing to change my religion.......

also renato ask me by e mail who was the master of my teacher,i have his book at home,with his name write in chinese,so i will ask today,but i am sure he is pretty famous because i saw him in a lot of pictures of chen tai ji(anyway i dony care about famous people)the best way is see,smell,taste,compare,and choose...

the condictions in the village are not so bad,there is electricity,hot water,and depending were you stay,and how much you pay you can have better or worst conditions.....

loooong post,sorry

[joedhoe]

It would be nice to meet up with you and Renato in march and have a few people who also speak english and not be alone but unlike you 2 I don't have any martial arts experience. So I will need to strat from scratch. I would also like to get aroun 6 hours of training a day. Maybe later on you could check out the other schools there for more info. And if you have any exerience or info on the the wudang taoist kung fu academy WTKFA in wudang I would like to hear about that place.

Thanks

[yan]

no problem man

we keep in touch,and about wu dang,the place looks very beutiful,but too expensive for me......no info about they sorry.

take care

[doc]

Well, whomever said that running a web site like this does not make for having interesting friends....

Just got this email, which you might find helpful.

Dear friend,

I'm sorry disturbing you by this letter. But it offers an information about Tai Chi from China. If you or your friends happen to be interested in Tai Chi, it is then an usefull message. Please read:

At the north of China a historic event is taking shape: the First International Taijiquan Science Seminar, scheduled for August 5-11 in 2007 at Changchun city. This is an unusual seminar making history: Taijiquan for the first time ever as a modern science discipline stands in our world. Please visit: www.01248.cn/tss1.

The Seminar features courses in whole 6 days, which will present the aspects and structure of this art as a modern discipline. So this seminar should be a "must" event for any kinds of instructors of Taijiquan, who want to heighten themselves in this occupation, and also for the beginners who want to learn this art in correct way just at the beginning.

And a meaningfull travel line, the Taijiquan Tour through China, will be offered after the seminar. Participants will visit important places in Taijiquan history, such as the Chen Village where Taijiquan originally came into being, Shaolin Temple, and Beijing Chen-style Taijiquan Institute. Please visit: www.01248.cn/tss1.

Thank you for your attention.

sincere your

Chinese friend

Well, the usual "caveat emptor" advice applies.

[joedhoe]

I'm Going!!!

hey guys

I'm planning my trip. I am going to china in mid February and I think will go and check out that Chen village for the tai chi training but I'm going to be staying in Beijing to take as many leasons as I can to learn the language until it the weather heats up. So if anyone knows any good places to learn mandarin in beijing and maybe a good place to learn the basics of Tai Chi (preferably indoors) in Beijing It would be nice and anyone planning to go to China or already there and wants to go to Chen village or beijing until the weather heats up, drop me a line. By the way any tips on getting a visa for a year to China, do the places in Chen Village maybe help you with that?

[doc]

Beijing is going to be cold. And expensive. Keep that in mind. I'm sure that you can find some language places, but, I'm not aware of any. I have some contacts there that can help you, get in touch with me directly if interested. Good luck with the visa, that's going to be an issue for a year....

[onesp1ng]

beijing daxue (aka beida) or beijing university...is the best choice, if your serious about learning chinese, and are residing in or around beijing. their program is intensive, and also has a very good reputation.

[onesp1ng]

btw, many people situate themselves with a school, like beida or another accredited institution. They can usually assist in helping with visa issues by writing a welcome letter (acceptance letter) that you hand in with your visa info.. I'm not sure if language centers are able to do this or not. In Taiwan they are.

Also, there are many scholarships available through the ministry of education specifically for students looking to study chinese in china, taiwan...etc. Since you may only have a couple of hours of class a day, and have the rest of your time free, this can often work out very well. You just need to keep up your grades (to keep the scholarship) or pay tuition costs. If you get a scholarship, you will be given a student visa. but, many schools will have you come on a tourist visa and change it for you after 60 days if you are not on a scholarship. you are then responsible for paying tuition costs in order to extend your visa.

[doc]

I thought that the school in Beijing was a year program; a real "college" sort of thing, with application process and all that stuff. Had a friend that did it for one year. It's pretty intensive, and it was worthwhile. But, you had to apply for it. Not your typical "drop in and take language classes" sort of thing.

There are language schools in Thailand where you can get pretty intensive Mandarin training. I tried, gave me damn migraines from hell. And that was twice a week.... Good teachers though. Not sure what they have in Beijing that is not university type of processes.

[onesp1ng]

yes, you're right - you have to apply, go through the process, and it is a year long program. is he not staying for a year? not sure.

i think, given a person is staying a year or more, beida is an excellent choice. in his case, well, it might be an option...that is, if he applies before leaving the states or finds a way to stay till the beginning of the school year.

beida may be different from chenggong university, where i attended. just, if you're looking to learn the language and study in the arts, give it some thought. also, contact some language schools in beijing to see what they can offer you. and think about applying for a scholarship; they're not difficult to obtain. really.

looks like i'll be back in beijing for the 2008 olympics...if your still there joe... i'd be happy to hook up with you.

[joedhoe]

Scholarship

I'm planning to stay in Beijing for a month or so and about 8-10 months in chen village if I find a good place there to train in tai chi

could give me some more info on how to apply for the scholarship, where to go, what to right them, what to tell them who to tell this to that kinda stuff...

Thanks

[doc]

A scholarship for a tai ji school in Chen village?

Are you sure you know what you're getting involved with?

[joedhoe]

I thought the scholarship was for learning chinese isn't it?

[doc]

If you wnat a scholarship at one of these real universities in Beijing, to learn Chinese, you have to apply to the college; the program will be at least for one year. You matriculate in that school, get college credits, etc. But, getting a scholarship at a foreign college is going to be tricky, to say the least.