Renato, Thx for your efforts. I've just calculated a little. Unluckily its out of my price range. There are two other reasons that make me pretty sure that I have to deny your offer. First: I thought a bit more about what I want and I'm pretty sure I want to have shaolin, where I always have the option to do some Tai Chi besides (I hope). Second: I'm nopt sure if I really could train hard by myself. I believe I'm likely to, but then again, who knows what one is able to do in hypothetical situation until the situation really comes. I hope I didn't waste your time. I appreciate your help a lot. Honestly!
Doc, I've been through the threads again now and I've also read a whole lot of other things on your site. As I said in my first post: wiser but still lost.
Shaolin is a very controversial thing, prob the most controversial Martial Art existing, since its one of the most interesting and popular, hence our view upon it is dimmed by storie, movies, legends, cliches and strong criticism. (I hope u know what I mean. Sry for my english.) Since I started to do research on it, I have meet many, often very contrary views on its existence or authenticity in China (sometimes even in general) including very convinving ones on both sides. More knowledge led to more questions, more confusion. I'm sure u know what I mean.
At this point I have to say I trust your opinion about it. This may sound very foolish and naive to some people, since you are a person like everybody else being subjective like everybody else and plus I have never even talked to you personally. But you seem to have a lot of experience, knowledge and contacts in Shaolin and I like your point of view on the whole Shaolin / training in China thing. Therefore I try to stop this bloody questioning that does lead nowhere but nowhere and believe myself in good hands with you and the elite members of this site.
Thank you for your effort with De Cheng. I don't think you know how much I appreciate it. Honestly, I believe your doing a great job, trying to get good deals at good schools for people you have never met. In this point you are far a better person than I am, cause I don't think I would ever spend so much time helping random people from all around the globe. You have all my respect for that one.
Back to De Cheng: I know you are his disciple and I've read about that caring disciple-master relationship. therefore I perfectly understand that you suggest him to everybody. Before, I said that I trust your opinion. Therefore I do believe that De Chengs school is a very good school an it would be an absolute honour to train with him. But the money, the bloody money...
In your FAQ there is a letter correspondence between you and somebody interested in training in China. To cut a long story short: He sais de Cheng is too expensive, you reply with some good argument I have forgotten that convinces him to go there. Now, don't get me wrong. I do believe he's worth every penny, but I just can't change my financial situation. Let's leave aside the fact that I have been earning Chinese money for the last year, which wasn't even much since I have been working as an English teacher not having a uni degree and not even being a native. My familie's financial situation at home doesn't look much better. I know they charge more for foreigners and there's no way around that. Here I just want to say that part of my family lives in a small village in south italy and they would like to emigrate to richer, "better" countries just as much as the Chinese do. What keeps them from doing it is not some visa difficulties but only the finances. The other party of my family is German, they are a bit better off moneywise, not much though and there's no way I'll get some more money sent from home in order to afford a good school. If I'm going to be a financial pain in the ass to my family it will be for uni and not for MA. So what I have is what I have and I can't spend more. Staying for a shorter period of time in order to choose quality over quantity is out of discussion as well for me, since one month is a short time already.
Therefore I'm questioning your efforts arraniging a price with De Cheng (here we go again with the bloody questioning!). I don't want you to go through the pain of bartering with your master and friend only to hear me telling you in the end that I still can't afford it. I don't think either of you will be happy about that after a long bargaining around between you two.
Also I think as a martial artist I'm not worth to train with De Cheng personally (I'm not talking about me as a person. My self-esteem isn't that low). I mean, I have no bloody experience. He should spend his time trainig people of an advanced level, who can gain more from him and I'm sure he would actually prefer that. So why should I buy myself a privilege I'm not worth of? Why bother him with an amateur? (Since nobody answered my question about wushu/traditional for a beginner I think I just did it myself.)
Don't get me wrong. I'd still like to go there. And I'd still LOVE to train with him as a person. Please just consider my thoughts when talking to him about a price. I really hope Im not gonna regret this, but personally I think any low-cost school with good coaches and good intentions will do. Please correct me if Im wrong.
Now some people may think I'm exaggerating making such a fuss about one month of training, especially considering my poor experience. Others though may understand the better how important this is to me. One thing's for sure: I won't live China a\before I have got my experience!
Sorry for the long reading. I just want to give you a better inisght about my situation and it's importance to me. I would love to hear what you think. Besides, everyone who has an opinion about this is more than welcome to share it, no matter how much you think you can help me. Thanks a lot.
Btw: Please note that none of what I have written is meant offensive to anyone, especially not to you, doc. I know my style of writing can be recieved as insulting sometimes (Che wen Long, Si Ping Shaolins Manager certainly thought it was...).
Doc, I've been through the threads again now and I've also read a whole lot of other things on your site. As I said in my first post: wiser but still lost.
Shaolin is a very controversial thing, prob the most controversial Martial Art existing, since its one of the most interesting and popular, hence our view upon it is dimmed by storie, movies, legends, cliches and strong criticism. (I hope u know what I mean. Sry for my english.) Since I started to do research on it, I have meet many, often very contrary views on its existence or authenticity in China (sometimes even in general) including very convinving ones on both sides. More knowledge led to more questions, more confusion. I'm sure u know what I mean.
At this point I have to say I trust your opinion about it. This may sound very foolish and naive to some people, since you are a person like everybody else being subjective like everybody else and plus I have never even talked to you personally. But you seem to have a lot of experience, knowledge and contacts in Shaolin and I like your point of view on the whole Shaolin / training in China thing. Therefore I try to stop this bloody questioning that does lead nowhere but nowhere and believe myself in good hands with you and the elite members of this site.
Thank you for your effort with De Cheng. I don't think you know how much I appreciate it. Honestly, I believe your doing a great job, trying to get good deals at good schools for people you have never met. In this point you are far a better person than I am, cause I don't think I would ever spend so much time helping random people from all around the globe. You have all my respect for that one.
Back to De Cheng: I know you are his disciple and I've read about that caring disciple-master relationship. therefore I perfectly understand that you suggest him to everybody. Before, I said that I trust your opinion. Therefore I do believe that De Chengs school is a very good school an it would be an absolute honour to train with him. But the money, the bloody money...
In your FAQ there is a letter correspondence between you and somebody interested in training in China. To cut a long story short: He sais de Cheng is too expensive, you reply with some good argument I have forgotten that convinces him to go there. Now, don't get me wrong. I do believe he's worth every penny, but I just can't change my financial situation. Let's leave aside the fact that I have been earning Chinese money for the last year, which wasn't even much since I have been working as an English teacher not having a uni degree and not even being a native. My familie's financial situation at home doesn't look much better. I know they charge more for foreigners and there's no way around that. Here I just want to say that part of my family lives in a small village in south italy and they would like to emigrate to richer, "better" countries just as much as the Chinese do. What keeps them from doing it is not some visa difficulties but only the finances. The other party of my family is German, they are a bit better off moneywise, not much though and there's no way I'll get some more money sent from home in order to afford a good school. If I'm going to be a financial pain in the ass to my family it will be for uni and not for MA. So what I have is what I have and I can't spend more. Staying for a shorter period of time in order to choose quality over quantity is out of discussion as well for me, since one month is a short time already.
Therefore I'm questioning your efforts arraniging a price with De Cheng (here we go again with the bloody questioning!). I don't want you to go through the pain of bartering with your master and friend only to hear me telling you in the end that I still can't afford it. I don't think either of you will be happy about that after a long bargaining around between you two.
Also I think as a martial artist I'm not worth to train with De Cheng personally (I'm not talking about me as a person. My self-esteem isn't that low). I mean, I have no bloody experience. He should spend his time trainig people of an advanced level, who can gain more from him and I'm sure he would actually prefer that. So why should I buy myself a privilege I'm not worth of? Why bother him with an amateur? (Since nobody answered my question about wushu/traditional for a beginner I think I just did it myself.)
Don't get me wrong. I'd still like to go there. And I'd still LOVE to train with him as a person. Please just consider my thoughts when talking to him about a price. I really hope Im not gonna regret this, but personally I think any low-cost school with good coaches and good intentions will do. Please correct me if Im wrong.
Now some people may think I'm exaggerating making such a fuss about one month of training, especially considering my poor experience. Others though may understand the better how important this is to me. One thing's for sure: I won't live China a\before I have got my experience!
Sorry for the long reading. I just want to give you a better inisght about my situation and it's importance to me. I would love to hear what you think. Besides, everyone who has an opinion about this is more than welcome to share it, no matter how much you think you can help me. Thanks a lot.
Btw: Please note that none of what I have written is meant offensive to anyone, especially not to you, doc. I know my style of writing can be recieved as insulting sometimes (Che wen Long, Si Ping Shaolins Manager certainly thought it was...).
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