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Greetings - looking for feedback on schools in the San Jose, CA area.

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  • Greetings - looking for feedback on schools in the San Jose, CA area.

    Greetings to everyone.

    I’d like to start off by saying thanks to Doc for the great website, and to everyone else for all of the interesting information posted to these forums.

    I just recently started exploring Shao-Lin Kung Fu and I am currently looking for a school to begin my “formal” training (for the past few months I have been using books and websites as my sole solurces of information and instruction).

    I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the Chinese Shao-Lin Center in San Jose, CA (Associate Master David Theroff, teaching for Grandmaster Sin Kwang The’) or the Adam Hsu Kung Fu School (training in Palo Alto/Sunnyvale – I am not sure who the local Master is).

    Any feedback is appreciated. I will be making my decision on which school I would like to train at based upon many factors (sitting in on classes, talking with the Masters, talking with other students, etc.) and feedback here would just be one more factor to help me.

    Thank you in advance, and good luck to everyone.

  • #2
    Grandmaster Sin Kwang The’
    Haven't we been here before? My memory fails me...
    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
      Uh-Oh

      Sorry Doc....

      I checked the other threads looking to see if anyone posted about either of these schools before, but didn't see anything.

      I'll dig a little deeper.

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      • #4
        LOL. No problem. I just find this funny considering the "heated" discussion about , what was it, "shaolin do" before. I can't remember where it is in the forums, it might be in the archive, or in this present one. I suggest that you do a forum search on shaolin do and see what you come up with. It will be interesting..

        (There are two threads in the forum archive, in the "Other Martial Arts" section, on Shaolin Do. I think you'll find it interesting. You get there by clicking on the "archive" button above. Let us know what you think HERE in this forum; you can't post to the archive anymore. Feel free to copy and paste relevant material.)
        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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        • #5
          Wow....

          Wow, I found four threads on Shaolin-Do in the archives and they were bursting at the seams with "feedback". Thanks for poitning these threads out to me Doc, and again I apologize for not looking through the archives before posting here. I will keep my opinions on Shaolin-Do to myself as I do not believe they will contribute anything to this topic that has already been so thoroughly discussed.

          One thing that these four threads did make me come to realize is a sort of perplexing dilemna when it comes to finding a school/teacher: when I see a school/teacher that heaps huge accolades upon itself/themself I become very wary about them (due to their seeming lack of humility), of course if these schools/teachers did not make me aware of these same accolades then I would probably discount them as not being capable of passing on the teachings of Shaolin. It is an interesting paradox.

          Something else that these threads made me realize is that there is not a single webpage for Ch'an Meditation Centers here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am guessing that the local Zen Meditation Centers fill this void, but I need to research the differences between Ch'an and Zen teaching (if any exist) and visit the local Zen Centers as well, so today will be a fun filled day of research and driving!

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          • #6
            I will keep my opinions on Shaolin-Do to myself as I do not believe they will contribute anything to this topic that has already been so thoroughly discussed.
            when I see a school/teacher that heaps huge accolades upon itself/themself I become very wary about them (due to their seeming lack of humility),
            Remember two things. The monks are some of the most humble people I know.
            And, your opinions are always welcome here.
            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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            • #7
              Adam Hsu's schools teach several styles.. falling under long fist. I've heard good things about him and his students kung fu. As far as the SD thing goes, you may want to talk to a few people on the kungfuonline forums.. there are some people who practice that, and there have been plenty of debate for sure... Good luck on your search, if you want to do longfist, I'd definitely recom. the Hsu school.
              practice wu de

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              • #8
                Doc: Yeah, that's what I mean. I have no doubt that the monks are unbelivably humble - the truly great need not advertise (of course, this doesn't do me much good right now ). Also, thanks for allowing us all to express our opinions here.

                Shaolinstylee: Thanks for the inpuit, I have heard good things about Adam Hsu's Schools. I am going to contact the local school this week and learn more about them. SD is a dead issue, I am still going to contact the local school (I have to do that to form my final opinion), but I have gathered enough input both here and at the Kung-Fu magazine forums to reach my "feedback quota".

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                • #9
                  Not to reply to my own thread, but I spent this weekend doing some research and I must say that I am more puzzled than ever in regards to martial arts training. I have a few questions, the answers to which will hopefully confirm some of my assumptions and help me to find my way:


                  1) What is the difference between an internal martial art and an external martial art?

                  I found a website which stated that an internal martial art is one which begins with more emphasis on the development of the mind and spirit, with the body and self defense following later, and an external martial art begins with more emphasis on the strengthening the body and self defense, with the mind and spirit following later. Both arts would “end” with the body, mind, and spirit being fully developed (I realize that there is no endpoint to training or learning, but end is defined as a point after many, many years of intense training). Does this make sense, or is the author westernizing/categorizing too much?


                  2) If my ultimate goal is to be proficient in both an internal and an external martial art, should I begin my training with an internal art or an external art?

                  Some examples of what I am calling internal arts would be Hsing I, Bagua, Tai-Chi Ch’uan. I believe that any one of the many Kung-Fu Styles would be deemed an external art. My ultimate goal is to reach a complete development of body, mind, and spirit, but I am more interested in the mental and spiritual development that the martial arts have to offer (i.e., I have no desire to enter tournaments, etc.). At this point I am leaning towards an internal art, but I am still gathering information.


                  3) In reference to question 2, should I just sack it up and begin training both an internal and external martial art simultaneously?

                  I have a full time job and this will be my first formal martial arts experience. I am a good athlete, but by no means a martial artist. I can probably devote 1.5 – 2 hours a night to practicing on the weekdays and 4+ hours on the weekends. I am very concerned with putting myself on overload and learning two martial arts poorly, instead of being able to learn one well, so I am leaning towards beginning my training in one martial art.


                  4) How much emphasis on spiritual development do most schools have? Should one expect to have to go elsewhere (e.g., a Buddhist Meditation Center) for their spiritual development?

                  I understand that this question is a loaded one, and will vary from school to school. However, on the whole, I have noticed that a few schools actually have specific times set aside for “Meditation” and specifically list it as part of their curriculum, while most schools (and it seems all of them in the San Francisco Area) make little or no mention of meditiation. Is this the norm? Again, I understand that this will vary from school to school and this question is on my “Long List of Questions to Ask Your Prospective School”.


                  Any feedback is appreciated. Please understand that I am not running to internet messageboards looking for the answers to life's greater meanings, I am simply trying to confirm a few assumptions as well as stimulate thought to aid in the decision making process (after this weekend, my capacity for stimulating thought/raising questions is kinda’ shot ).

                  Thanks in advance, and again, good luck to you all.

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                  • #10
                    Internal vs. External.....

                    Many times, especially with the longfist practioners that I know taiji or some other internal art will start later in training. You should just try a class or two of each, see what would be more fun for you now. I studied longfist for a few months at my present school before I got into the taiji class. Taiji to me is taking longer to become somewhat proficient in, however I'd never try to take that out of my training. With the amount of time listed, I'd say you have more time to practice and train than most other people. Another thing is to some, training is not "spiritual" at all, but to some that is why they train, so you'd have to figure out where in that spectrum you think you are, and start the search from there. If you need more meditation time, take the time out of your day to meditate, etc....

                    I hope this helps a little bit.

                    practice wu de

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                    • #11
                      An external MA uses force, while an internal MA uses chi.

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                      • #12
                        Every martial art uses qi to strike. The difference between soft and hard is how and where that qi is generated (muscles vs. dantien/earth), ultimately, soft occassionally becomes hard, and hard training inevitably leads to softer internal training.
                        Show me a man who has forgotten words, so that I can have a word with him.

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                        • #13
                          Does anyone know any good schools/teachers in west los angeles? All the decent ones seem to be in Monterray Park or the LBC.
                          Show me a man who has forgotten words, so that I can have a word with him.

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                          • #14
                            Where are you in SJ? that's my turf, Trained TKD and MT there back in the day.

                            I would say try the Adam Hsu school. He is highly regarded and I have seen a couple of his students in competition who were well balanced practicioners, and his gongfu philosophy is very good -- pick up and read a copy of "the sword polisher's record".

                            Shaolin Do, while it may work for some, has dodgy history and some outlandish claims (over 900 forms in the system, for example) and is generally scorned by the traditionalist CMAers.

                            So continue to do your homework, visit the schools, try a class and pick the one that is a fit for you personally, but if it were me, I'd choose Hsu in a heartbeat.
                            Whatever doesn't kill me had better be able to run damn fast.

                            "You are one of the most self-deluded immature idiots I've come across here for a time..." —Blooming T. Lotus

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