Going to china to practise Kung Fu

[JessyBlue]

Well, since a few times I´m thinking of imigrating to china to life there and to learn Kung fu for several years.
But I´ve heared, that there are a lot of comercially focused temples and hardly any true shaolin temples where you may learn Kung Fu.
It is not only (but mainly) for learning Kung fu, but for just getting out of here and choosing a more fitting way of life.

Does anyone of You understand what I mean? :)

[keef]

Hi Jessyblue,

That is a big decision to make! I think you would most proberbly find within the country excellent teachers outside of the temple, like you can in this country. Depending what style you want to learn I know plenty happens around Foshan.

You state "a more fitting way of life", I would seriously recommend reading thoroughly on the subject of china, its people & culture before making any decision to move. Its different as Im sure you are aware than when visiting. Culture shock is something to take into consideration and also the reversal, ie. coming back to your original home country and having culture shock again! Good idea to do as much research as possible about the area you wish to live in and there ways & cultures. For example (now i`m not implying that you are gay) If you was gay and moved to china, how would you be welcomed? Are women equal to men! Are outsiders welcomed? etc etc

I`m not trying to put you off it, if you have researched it well, decided it is for you, have the guts to do it, GO FOR IT!

Hope all the journeys of all walks of life are good for you, Good Luck!

Keef :-)

[JessyBlue]

I think I know what you mean.
It is an important decision and should be well concidered.
Of course i will inform myselfe before and surely I will visit China.
It may take a while but at least, when the level of "not getting along in my country" is high enough (I´ve the feeling it is almost as far) i will go.

Thank you for your kindness

[TkdWarrior]

hey jessyblue,
u know me too once had the same idea but it wouldn't be easy for me to shun my responsiblities towards my family n others... :)
soooo i hav come to the conclusion that if i want to learn i CAN learn here in my country n visit once of twice to the ppl who are really good with KungFu and learn from them and for whole year i'll practice my own...
i do know some of really good teachers around Bejieng and hopefully i'll go there this year.... let's seee.
-TkdWarrior-

[JessyBlue]

Hm... understand.
The thing with the responsability towards your family.
But it is more a thing of uncomfortness in my country.
I feel like not matching into this all, though I am too different from my family.
I am really loyal towards my family but I can not understand the way people are living here.

Another thing is, that i´m young (just about 20) and so ,I do not have so much responsability.
I think I just take my girlfriend and we will live in china.
(of corse it sounds very much like a dream, but if it is supposed to come true...).

Please don´t think that I do not take this serious, even if it sounds like the dream of a teenager which is supposed to change till he finds something more interesting.

[keef]

Isnt life funny Jessy, U want to move away from Germany & I want to live in Germany :-)

Keef

[JessyBlue]

One is always unsatisfied with the things one has

[grandmaster mat]

how is germany these days? because im going to be living there for 6 years at december 2004

i want to do exactly the same thing as you do jessyblue i want to move to china when im about 20 maybe.

[TkdWarrior]

Another thing is, that i´m young (just about 20) and so ,I do not have so much responsability. >>>>

jessy i m 21 yr old :) and think i hav so much more on my shoulders.

<<<But it is more a thing of uncomfortness in my country.>>>
jessy living in any of asian countries isn't easy compared to other parts of world. different culture, different ppl, different climate, food habbits etc etc...
-TkdWarrior-

[JessyBlue]

different culture, different ppl, different climate, food habbits etc etc...
-TkdWarrior-

This is exactly the reason 'I want to go.

I do not think that I´ll be completly satisfied there, because it is just a part of human nature, not to be happy (only if your stupid enough).
I accepted that I have the feeling, that I will not be satisfied in this time.
But there in China I finally will be able to focus my thoughts on the things I want to.

[pgm316]

I like martial arts, started originally as a small child, had big gaps of doing nothing and similar gaps of focusing completely on it.

My conclusion is you shouldn't focus your life entirely on one thing! (no for too long at least) Everything should be in balance :)

[Kar-jun]

I agree with pgm316,
I too started and stoped practising kung fu and am only 14 but am part chinese and have family out there which i visit every year.
When i have completed college and university i too wish to spend a year or two out in China and learn more about the culture and practise my Kung Fu. My farther is teaching me at the moment and he was tought by his Grandpa who was a great martial artist.
By the way i hope everyone has a happy chinese new year. It will be on the 22nd of january and i think is the year of the monkey.

[hwardo]

I think that anyone who wants to train in China should check out the shaolin faq at
www.russbo.com

[Guerilla Fists]

You don't need to leave your country to find a more righteous lifestyle. It's all about your internal not your external. (someone bang the gong)

[reptile]

Hi Jessy,

I want to move to china too when i'm older(currently 17) because I don't like the attitude towards martial arts in austria and the attitude towards everything in general(especially in salzburg)
Everyone in my class thinks of martial arts as just some hobby like football or tennis... but i want to know more about martial arts. I think martial arts is not only that you know how to fight but the philosophy aswell and thats just not possible in austria.

Another point for me to move to china is, that i love the culture there(allthough i've never been there). I'm fascinated of the history and the people and i can identify a lot more with chinese people than with austrian.

When i'm finished with school i'm thinking of studying TCM and moving to china some time, although it wont be that easy :)

greets

[jimmytofu]

Don't let your judgement be clouded by romance. China is a very culturally rich country with severe disparity of wealth. I would suggest a visit or two before moving for good.

I would love to go for a month or two in order to enrich my martial arts experience / knowledge.

[RubyMoon]

I had just typed up a few paragraphs explaining how "the grass is always greener," and if you can't find what you're looking for at home then you can't find it anywhere. Then suddenly it hit me. If I had the opportunity to go live in China for a couple years, learning more about the culture, language, and of course studying kung fu too, wouldn't I jump at it?

So, I say go for it. Just go with realistic expectations. If you're searching for fulfillment or inner peace, you won't find it any easier in China than you would in Upper Sandusky. It would certainly be a great experience, however.

[zumtream]

Yeah. I've always wanted to go to China to learn Kung Fu. My ultiamate dream would be to get private lessons from Grandermaster Lung Ting. It would be awsome to personnaly get experience from possibly the greatest Wing Tsun practitioner alive.

[Ad McG]

"As always, I reserve the right to be wrong or to change my mind at any time without notice or apology." -- Ruby Moon


Ah look, the calling card of all women :p

[shunyadragon]

Originally posted by JessyBlue
Well, since a few times I´m thinking of imigrating to china to life there and to learn Kung fu for several years.
But I´ve heared, that there are a lot of comercially focused temples and hardly any true shaolin temples where you may learn Kung Fu.
It is not only (but mainly) for learning Kung fu, but for just getting out of here and choosing a more fitting way of life.

Does anyone of You understand what I mean? :)

I came to China six years ago with a similar goal, but my other goal was to study jade culture and mainland China is the place. I got a job teaching English which is a good way to go. You need a degree to get a decent job and it is very advisable to get extra training like a TOEFL or IELTS certificate.

It is true that the temple schools are state run and highly comercial. Very good alternatives are Taiwan and Singapore. There are older traditional temples and schools there, but commercialism is still a problem to be aware of.

First tour around and visit temples and try things out. Do not make quick judgements. Check out the parks in the cities and see what is practiced there.

[moondog]

do you mean that you need a college degree to teach english? and are you talking about the martial arts temples being commercialized? i thought that the temples were run by monks not the state

[shunyadragon]

Originally posted by moondog
do you mean that you need a college degree to teach english? and are you talking about the martial arts temples being commercialized? i thought that the temples were run by monks not the state

Yes, a degree is almost always required to teach English in China. The degree does not have to be a dgree in English or teaching.

The temples in mainland China are state owned and controled. The monks are state employees. The leader is appointed by the state and must be communist party member. The primary purpose of state run temples, monastaries and schools for Martial Arts is commercial profit and tourism. It's a circus and total farse.

The temples, monastaries and schools of Singapore and Taiwan are more legitamate and 'real', but not totally untainted by commercialism and tourism. So it is best to look around and check things out where ever you go. The parks in the major cities are good places to practice and learn and real cheap, sometimes free.

[Kat]

What ShunyaDragon said.Parks in China have a great mix of CMA knowledge but to get the most out of it you will need to speak Putonghua and not take yourself too seriously.
If you are serious about studying in China I sugest getting involved with study of Language and Culture through their University system.
Things will flow from there concerning MA if you truly want it to.
Personally I would recomend this school.
www.yiquan.com
But it really depends on your goals and attitudes.The polar opposite is the Beijing Tiyu Daxue
http://www.educasian.com/program/martialarts.html
Either way getting a basis in the language and culture is the best place to start.
Will be in Beijing next month,so PM me if over there.

[moondog]

shunyadragon would you be able to refer/recommend any temples/monasteries/schools in singapore or taiwan?

[CKava]

I think most people are often level headed replies are which is always nice to see. I would also like to point out that its very important to have a realistic rather than a romanticised view on a place before you consider moving there. I mean consider where your knowledge of China's culture comes from- is it books, movies, friends, relatives etc. and if it is any of these things rather than first hand experience its a seriously good idea to go get some first hand experience before making any life altering decisions. The reality of life in Communist China is rarely the China portrayed here in the West.

Im not trying to be peccimistic just suggesting that if you are serious about living somewhere its a good idea to go visit first and maybe make a stab at learning the language and so on.

[Andy Murray]

Hey CKava, that was the 5,000th post on the Kung Fu forum.

Makes KF the most discussed TMA on the site. ;)

[moondog]

hey kat i just checked out the yiquan site... sounds great and i'd love to do that since it sounds like it could complement my taiji though i have a few questions.
being a skeptic i don't see how one can learn any internal martial art in 6 months... that's the length of the professional course they're teaching.. now i don't mean this in a bad way, just wanted to know if you could clarify this part... i mean 6 months does seem a bit short... could you clarify this part a bit?

[Kat]

What they want to say with that, is that you will be able to use it effectively in a short period of time.Not that you will master it,like all MA you will continue learning all your life.No ranks no forms just practical application,conditioning(Qigongs) and movement drills.
Within training you can find yourself gloved up and sparing within a couple of weeks depending on the person and his abilities.General Perception is that "Internal Arts" take a long period before you can effectively use them.Depending on the school and the traininng I have found this not to be the case.

[shunyadragon]

Originally posted by moondog
shunyadragon would you be able to refer/recommend any temples/monasteries/schools in singapore or taiwan?

Sorry, I can't. You have to go and check it out yourself. The internet is good starting place.

[moondog]

i have this feeling that the best places aren't advertised on the net.. is this usually the case? i recently sent an inquiry to chen xiaowang's brother who runs a taiji school in chen village... they charge $9600 a year! i understand that these guys are the descendants of chen wangting but isn't that a bit too much? i get the feeling that schools advertised on the net are a bit too commercialized.. any thoughts?
kat are you going to china to study at the yiquan school?

[goltrain]

Hello, everyone. I am a natural Chinese living in Shanghai now. Though I have not been abroad, I have learned Engish for several yrs.I am not a Kung Fu practicer, but I am very glad to answer you guys' questions on China issues. I have read all the above posts and want to say something.

I quite agree with Jimmytofu on the following remarks. Don't let your judgement be clouded by romance. China is a very culturally rich country with severe disparity of wealth.

Some worries about the comercialism in China. It is true that the temple schools are state run and highly comercial. No doubt there are some fake Kung Fu artist in China, who are only interested in earning money. My advice is that you should visit some physical excercise university or local government. At every level of Chinese local government there is a sport committee. Both university and sport committee know the real Kung Fu training school. With their suggestion you'll not waste your money and time. For the issue of tuition fee, as I am not a Kung Fu practicer I don't know it. But I do search it on the Google Chinese. I used the index of 'Wushu School tuition fee' and found the following link(To a common Chinese like me, Wushu and Kung Fu are the same thing.). A national famous school called "Songjiang Wushu School", which is located in Shangdong province, quoted fees like the below.
Freshman Admission fee: RMB 4000yuan. Annual tuition fee: RMB 2600yuan.
(Hint: The above mentioned 2 fees are only appliable for natural Chinese. They have not mention the foreign student's case.Though the school also provides dorm at only RMB 300 for half year, according to my knowledge on the foreign culture, I am sure western ppl can not tolerate the bad dorm conditions.) As to the RMB's current exchange ratio, China government has pegged 8.3 yuan to 1 U.S dollar.

Some has considered making a living by teaching English in China. In my opinion, it is a perfect idea. I have to admit that the Chinese society has a special favor for foreigners, which is on the contrary to what's happening in the western society. For a common guy with an European looking, only if that guy is not a totally goddamned foolish guy, to earn a salary 3 or 4 times than his Chinese counterparts is a easy dish. For a foreign man with European looking at the age of about 20, the reasonable expectation on annual income is 10K US dollars.

Shunyadragon said "The temples in mainland China are state owned and controled. The monks are state employees." He was right. But he also made a tiny mistake by saying "The leader is appointed by the state and must be communist party member. " Chinese communists boast themselves atheists. All the monks believe in Buddhism so that their leader can't be the communist party member. Anyway, the leader should support the party's administration.

As to the cultural gap between western and Chinese, I think we Chinese respect our family or our organization more than westners do. On the issue of sex, Chinese ppl are much more self-restrictive than the westners. Westners may find their privacy invaded a littlle. Fortunately, the globe becomes smaller and smaller. Both cultures has been melt to each other. In big Chinese cities, ppl has already learnt to care about one's privacy and freedom.

As I am busy and can not log on this site often, if any body have question on China, just ask me by email. I am available by zhangguochun@sina.com. By the way, pls don't send me spam. Ha Ha Ha

[Kat]

MD
Already have and will continue to do so.
Your right the best places you won't find advertised on the net,more reason to learn the language and culture.
G
good to have the PRC represented on the forum

[shunyadragon]

Originally posted by goltrain
Hello, everyone. I am a natural Chinese living in Shanghai now. Though I have not been abroad, I have learned Engish for several yrs.I am not a Kung Fu practicer, but I am very glad to answer you guys' questions on China issues. I have read all the above posts and want to say something.

Shunyadragon said "The temples in mainland China are state owned and controled. The monks are state employees." He was right. But he also made a tiny mistake by saying "The leader is appointed by the state and must be communist party member. " Chinese communists boast themselves atheists. All the monks believe in Buddhism so that their leader can't be the communist party member. Anyway, the leader should support the party's administration.

I disagree, but it is splitting frog hairs. The major state owned temples in china are 'mostly but not all really Buddhist or Taoist'. The leader is either a party member or closely a afiliated and he must go through the state indoctrination courses at a college or university. I met the head guy at the bigest temple in Kunming. He was out front drinking beer and eating beef barbecue on the street when I talked to him. He dressed Buddhist, but he was no more Buddhist than the man in the moon. His main job was management and tourism. The devotion to the religion or the Arts of the Way becomes more commercial and highly pragmatic, which is easy in China. I have friends who are party members and they are very superstitious and their atheism is sometimes questionable and pragamtic. In China you are Chinese first and then you are a communist, Taoist, Christian, Moslem, Buddist, etc. Buddhism can at times be interpreted as atheist if convenient.

There are temples and monastaries in some of the minority areas apparently have more self control and some I visited appear to be more genuine. Apparently among some of the lesser known temples the 'believers' form sort of a structure within a structure. Being at the forefront of the tourist market like Shaolin and other famous temples make state control a priority.

[shaolintintin]

do it do it do it...

don't go to the temple because i have been told many times that it is too comercial etc but there are plenty of other schools in that area. in zhengzhou and dengfeng some are very good and cheaper than the prices quoted above others look like pretty bad rip-offs. BUT in my humble opinion you should look into it and try it. only then will you know if it is RIGHT FOR YOU which is really the most important point here.

try to find testimonials of other peoples experiences.

be wary and have fun - good luck :)

[Su lin]

You certainly like resurrecting old threads to talk about training in China don't you! :D He probably been and went and did it agggges ago now :p

[Su lin]

As the OP has moved on and this has been resurrected I'm going to close the thread.There are plenty of other threads about this elsewhere,including Chimps China forum :D