Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

THE Multi-Million Dollar Question Peeps-Which Wushu school is the BEST?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • THE Multi-Million Dollar Question Peeps-Which Wushu school is the BEST?

    HI Everyone!



    First, I must say this is the best resource on the web thus far, great job Doc!!!

    Informative and free of B.S., just the way I like it


    Anyways, on to my master plan. I'm planning a trip to China in March/April 0f 2006 for Shaolin Wushu training. I'm hoping to stay for 3-7 months although I have other business obligations so I plan on training at one of the better schools for only 2-3 months and then working with a private trainer so a schedule can be independently designed based on both of our other responsibilities.



    I have read many of the prior postings in this forum on recommendations and reviews of Shaolin Wushu schools. Maybe I missed it but I only found a few schools mentioned and two are out of my financial league. The Wushu Guan I think is $80 per day and my bank account would revolt at anything over $600 per month ( including room/board/training/meals,etc).


    I'm trying to find a school that offers a happy marriage of both reputable training and safe/quality accommodations. I want an authentic school that is not just commercially driven but holds fast to the principles of spirit and discipline. Is it possible to find a Wushu school around $600 or less per month that offers both of these features?


    Also, is it better overall ( training/accommodation) to train in Beijing or Malaysia?



    So far I haven't found anything that really makes me do the splits in joy but there is one school that looks appealing.

    I'm considering attending the DengFeng Shaolin Epo Wushu College. It houses thousands of students and offers the basics such as Shaolin Wushu, Qigong, Mandarin and cultural classes for $600 per month. I particularly like this school because it ''appears'' to be very clean and accommodative for foreigners with modern facilities. Quality training is crucial but to me so is the quality and safety of the accommodations. I'm a female which plays into this need but also because one cannot train if their more susceptible to injury and illness. The overall lack of modern sanitary conditions concerns me and this school seems to be safer.

    ( http://www.shaolinepo.com)


    Has ANYONE trained at this academy or heard ANYTHING about it? Is this school all hype with poor training, or does it pass the reputable and worth every penny test?



    -Another school I'm considering is Songshan Shaolin Temple Xiao Long Kung Fu Training Center in Zhengzhou.

    http://www.shaolinkft.com


    Their almost half the cost of DengFeng Shaolin Epo Wushu College but this is because the facilities don't appear to be as clean and accommodative. Also, the Masters don't appear to have extensive Wushu experience. I could be wrong about the experience of their Masters but very little information is given on the trainer's background except for the main Master Shi Yanlin.


    Has ANYONE trained at this academy or heard ANYTHING about it? Is this school all hype with poor training, or does it pass the reputable and worth every penny test?






    -I'm aslo considering The Songshan Shaolin Temple Kung Fu Training Base in Zhengzhou.

    http://www.shaolin-base.com/en/Main.html

    I haven't contacted this school yet but it appears to be reputable although the accommodations look rough.


    Has ANYONE trained at this academy or heard ANYTHING about it? Is this school all hype with poor training, or does it pass the reputable and worth every penny test?




    *Are there ANY schools in Dengfeng/Zhengzhou/Shaolin that have a history of poor training and/or reputation?



    *Feel free to voice your opinions and if anyone is planning on traveling to China for training around March/April of 2006 then drop me a line...



    Much Respect,

    Lara

  • #2
    Come on peeps, show a little love and help a sistah out!



    I'm sure some of you have heard of or even attended the schools I listed. Any opinions??

    peace

    Comment


    • #3
      Make sure to check out the threads in the following forums if you didn't already..

      Shaolin Gong Fu Schools
      Shaolin Journals

      There are also vids around here somewhere with doc visiting various schools in the dengfeng/shaolin area.

      Comment


      • #4
        I hate to not be helpful here Lara, but I think that you'll find that all of these schools offer the same shit.

        They alll offer "not so nice" accomodations, at least, by western standards.
        They all teach modern competitive wushu, taught by young teenage coaches (even the "monk" run schools).
        They all will try to charge you as much money as they can get; remember, the Chinese are budding capitalists, without much concern for future customer return activity.

        OK, shitty advice, but, then again, what did you expect from me.

        I suggest that, if you really want to do this, go to Zengzhou or Dengfeng, and just stay for a few days, checking out some of the schools. You won't find much difference with respect to the training, but you will find differences with respect to living conditions and class sizes. Best to go with where you're going to be comfortable.

        And, as usual, I don't recommend that people go for more than a month or two. I'm astonished at the amount of people that "go for a few years", or at least want to, and just end up getting disgusted with the place. Don't push it, take it as much as you can, and enjoy it.

        You can always go back. I always seem to.
        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


        Comment


        • #5
          THE Multi-Million Dollar Question Peeps-Which Wushu school is the BEST?

          Hi everyone,


          Thanks for the comments Firbolg and Doc, they really helped!

          Happy Halloween peeps!!




          Wow Doc, does EVERY GongFu school in DengFeng/Zengzhou/Beijing really serve the same ol' shit ??



          I understand capitalism but there must be at least one decent school in respect to training and accommodation.




          Is it better overall ( Shaolin training/accommodation) to train in Beijing or Taiwan?





          *Feel free to voice your opinions and if anyone is planning on traveling to China for training around March/April of 2006 then drop me a line...



          Much Respect,

          Lara

          Comment


          • #6
            I can't give you any advice about Taiwan. But, it's an interesting concept, considering the fact that Taiwan would have a lot of traditional gong fu that was "untouched" by the rigors of the birth and evollution of communism and capitalism. I know that you can find good Wing Chun there; Yip Man's ancestors still teach there (our Wing Chun teacher spent many years with him in Taiwan).

            As for Beijing, I can recommend a good Sanda school. And, for modern wushu, the University of Beijing is tops. But, it's modern competitive stuff and acrobatics. One of our current teachers at our Las Vegas school spent many years training in Beijing; his wushu is incredible. The problem is, with these modern schools, the training in traditional forms is severely limited. Same is happening in Dengfeng and Zengzhou, but not to the same degree.

            You can also find good wushu schools in other provinces of China; the university in Wuhan is reknowned, as are other places.

            Now, March/April is a good time of year to go; Decheng might be there for some of it, but he usually goes to Europe to teach during that time. But training at his place will more than likely find you learning from one of his coaches, which is what you'll find in just about all of the other schools.

            Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of decent schools there. You'll learn some good stuff regardless of where you go. Just keep your expectations realistic, concerning what you expect to find. And remember, China is not your only option, you can find good gong fu schools in America and in Europe. Granted, living accomodations will be more expensive, and the experience won't be the same.

            Also remember that the further you get from Shaolin, the less traditional stuff you might find (and the more modern competition type training). At least in Shaolin, there are some of the older monks who still like to teach traditional stuff.

            Oh, and I'm returning to Asia in March. I'm supposed to hit China sometime next spring, but I'm not sure when. Got to get the school in Thailand up and running again; but, as usual, as my Chinese friends refer to it, I'm drawn back to "my second home", lol.
            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


            Comment


            • #7
              THE Multi-Million Dollar Question Peeps-Which Wushu school is the BEST?

              'Whats up Doc'?


              Thanks for the valuable input!


              I did look into Sanda, Wudang, Choy Lay Fut and Wing Chun but I'm seeking an art of external styles combined with internal roots. Traditional Shaolin gongfu and Choy Lay Fut deeply appeals to me b/c the movements are fluid, graceful, fast, powerful, practical, and diverse. The animal forms are another little tasty treat in both of these styles.



              I don't think I can find this perfect combination by learning Sanda, Wing Chun, Wudang kung fu (taiji, Wudang boxing) or modern Wushu. All these styles are magnificent but just not for me.



              Shaolin gongfu and Choy Lay Fut are my choices for training but lately I was considering Wudang kung fu b/c I do have respect for the softer, internal styles and of course the opportunity to train daily in Mt. Wudang.



              I would love to find a school in Wudang that teaches shaolin gongfu but I believe all these schools only teach internal styles such as taiji and wudang boxing.



              Maybe I can find a private Shaolin gongfu trainer in Wudang



              I'm still open to training in Shaolin/Dengfeng/Wudang/Beijing/Taiwan but just have to find a happy medium.



              "Also remember that the further you get from Shaolin, the less traditional stuff you might find (and the more modern competition type training). At least in Shaolin, there are some of the older monks who still like to teach traditional stuff."



              I hear ya Doc, good point. I also heard that most of the good masters have left Shaolin and settled in Dengfeng due to the relocation of the majority of wushu schools. I'm sure both areas have their fair share of traditional masters willing to teach.




              You mentioned DeCheng's school. I sent an email to them about 2 weeks ago and didn't receive a reply. The website's English link isn't working so I don't know how much they cater to foreigners.


              I believe this was the same school, gets confusing ....http://www.sdcshaolin-kungfu.com ??




              I also read about Shi De Yang's school but didnt see any website links nor did it come up on a web search. Do you happen to know the website link to this school?



              So you might journey to the East in April? You never know, our paths may cross



              Peace & Respect,

              Lara

              Comment


              • #8
                Well, I'd forget DeYang's school, at least, internet wise. It's hard enough getting in touch with Decheng sometimes, and he has an English speaking teacher there. Or so I've heard. Deyang's school is probably not something that you'd want to go to anyway; they are focusing on modern competition, and Deyang is not teaching all that much anymore. Great guy, awesome skills, huge knowledge base, but, the conditions are not the best.

                Oh, and most of the good masters have not settled in Dengfeng. With the "new sheriff in town" attitude over the previous few years, most of the older masters just plain left. A few are in Dengfeng.

                YanZhang's school, Decheng's school, and the larger ones, such as Tagou, are all good choices. Hengjun is presently in France, so his school is not presently an option, even though that temple up there in the mountains is truly incredible.

                Depending upon how much time you have, why don't you just try a few of your options?

                I'll be heading back to Thailand this spring, in order to save my lungs from the onslaught of allergy season in Vegas. Not sure when I'm heading back to Shaolin, but I'm due for a trip, especially since I didn't make it a few weeks ago.
                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


                Comment


                • #9
                  THE Multi-Million Dollar Question Peeps-Which Wushu school is the BEST?

                  Hi Doc,


                  Thanks for the reply, you're one quick mofo



                  I hate to be 'negative' but I'm losing my patience and my faith in trusting what is being communicated to me by most of these Chinese wushu schools. Its quite a challenge to get accurate and straight-forward info from these schools.


                  The overall communication is ambiguous at best, every other sentence is riddled with contradictions, and it appears if they don't have a satisfactory response to your question they just ignore it all together. However, I'm sure most of these internal challenges are a direct result of language/cultural barriers.


                  I'm planning to spend 2-5 months in China. You're right, I could explore a few of my options and I will travel to Mt. Wudang and other areas but I think it would be wise to stay somewhere near Shaolin or elsewhere where I can find a healthy congregation of traditional Shaolin gongfu monks and Masters. Visiting Thailand and dropping by your school is definitely on my list of 'must do'



                  You mentioned that at least in Shaolin there are some of the older monks who still like to teach the traditional stuff. Based on your input and my research every school teaches modern wushu, regardless of what they promise. Some of the big and smaller wushu schools had told me I can choose to train in either traditional shaolin gongfu or modern wushu. Why would I get special treatment in a particular style of training that no one else is receiving? And there is no incentive for these China wushu schools to teach the traditional forms so why should they? These are the kinds of questions that seek the truth. Honestly, its truly disappointing how a once pure art form was turned into a glitzy show n' tell purely for economic greed.


                  I think the only way to ensure I learn traditional shaolin gongfu is to seek out a private trainer or monk in Shaolin. This will be the best bet as I need a flexible schedule anyways.


                  What do you think of this idea Doc?



                  Any words of wisdom on how to seek out a reputable, experienced monk or Master for private gongfu lessons?



                  Is Shaolin my best bet or do you think there would be a decent flock of traditionalists in Beijing or Taiwan?




                  Talk to ya soon!


                  Lara

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I hate to be 'negative' but I'm losing my patience and my faith in trusting what is being communicated to me by most of these Chinese wushu schools. Its quite a challenge to get accurate and straight-forward info from these schools.
                    Welcome to China. And, if you really want to be jaded and cynical as I, welcome to the Chinese.

                    Think about that for a bit....

                    (Oh, and you're very perceptive).
                    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


                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Doc,



                      I totally agree, and I don't think you nor I are being jaded and cynical in regards to the witnessing of common social behaviors of our little friends from the east. Its called Reality and obviously were both from the Realist family, welcome.


                      "Think about that for a bit...."


                      Nothing to think about Doc, I'm well aware that the basic human needs of survival would take precedence, especially in a third world country. The question is "who's better at capitalism, the East or West"?


                      I think their both masters of this and everybody is benefiting from free enterprise. If the intent to gain financial freedom and economic growth wasn't a main factor then the world wouldn't be exposed to the beautiful styles of Chinese martial arts. Due to the PR of Shaolin kung fu many people have discovered a hidden jewel.



                      Maybe this site would of never reached such a wide audience and touched so many people in such a positive way if it weren't for the developing capitalism of martial arts overall ??



                      I have swam with the sharks all my life and I always seek to understand what the person's motivation is before I decide whether to trust what I'm hearing...because there always is one..its just human nature. For every action there should be a reaction, right?


                      People expend their energy and precious time to gain something in return, whether its a conscious or subconscious decision.



                      These wushu schools in China receive approximately $400-700 USD per month for training foreigners. I believe the local Chinese students pay this amount for one year of training, noticeable difference. The motivation to gain foreign students is quite obvious and therefore everything I was told by these schools was carefully put under the 'bullshit radar'.



                      I think the biggest difference I've seen between both cultures in the business arena is how one views the relationship and long term value of a customer. It appears the Chinese lack the ability to look at the 'Big picture'. I'm not classifying every Chinese person into this category but it just appears to be the a normal practice.



                      But, despite all these darker realities I still have much respect and love for the country and the culture. China is a major contender and they have just begun...



                      As with anything else and every country, one must be aware of their surroundings and understand how basic human conditions will always be a lead player.



                      As for China, well all applies, and I will need to get my Mandarin understandable. I'm starting my lessons soon and of course start with the basics, the cuss words


                      peace

                      Lara

                      Comment


                      • #12


                        hi all-i hope this goes through as im crap with computers-this is the 1st forum
                        ive ever replied to so write back even if its to tell me im a tosser(english slang)
                        in case this ends up in the wrong place im replying to the what is the best school,
                        master etc.
                        my advice is to just go and see and as doc and mystic said dont expect too much
                        I WENT

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Hi tolreif,

                          which school did you study at?do you train now on the uk if so where?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            What's a "tosser"?

                            And where did you go in China? You should let us know what you thought about it; god knows people don't need to hear just my jaded opinions on the place.
                            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


                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by doc
                              What's a "tosser"?
                              Wanker. One who indulges in the five knuckle shuffle.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X