Looking to train shaolin kung fu and wing chun in china...

I'm planning to go to china for at least a year to train in shaolin kung fu and wing chun, and whatever internal and slow martial arts they also offer. I found difficulty in finding schools, the only one that seemed like it would be good to me was this
http://www.shaolinkft.com/flash/index.html


I want it pretty cheap around 4-500 a month in cluding sleeping. I dont really care about the conditions of living, as long as they have running water.

Any suggestions?


Also are there any camps in the United States you can stay at?

 

Perhaps you would be interested in this school.

http://chinawudangacademy.com/

Training video from the school

If you are set on Shaolin, then your best bet is to look in Dengfeng. But I must warn you that 99.9999% of what you will find will range between complete BS and modern wushu. Finding real shaolin gong fu is not easy, if not impossible. As for wing chun, I think that is mostly a southern Chinese thing.

 

I dont know a whole lot about kung fu, except the major styles, is there one that doesnt rely on forms as much? And which Form would not be bs, more of a combative martial art. I am not interested in doing it for exhibition.

thx for info

 

if you don't know much about it what makes you want to go to another country just to try it if you don't mind me asking

 

im also going to backpack around and i want to experience the culture, i thought it would be good to train there as compared to here they might have different philosophies it being more of a collectivist culture i thought the training might be different than what i am used to.

 

WHich martial arts have you studied before?

 

If you want to train Wing Chun then really you want to look for schools in Foshan, Guangzhou or Gulao village.

 

I think you'll find your Romantic notions pretty well demolished in about a day. They'll take your money and give you as much crap as you'll find in any strip mall dojo.

The Bear.

 

Even when I was in china 20+ years ago you found all sorts of scams present. I got taken on more than one occasion although when someone steals £2.50 off you its nothing to get excited about... China is a CAPITALIST country .....cowboy capitalism at its worst!!

powchoy

 

If you want to learn good kung fu check out these links:

http://www.kungfuretreat.com

http://www.fujianbaihe.com/fujianbaihe/main.html


As for China....a friend of mine was visiting China, right out in the wilds up a mountain. He saw this kid practicing punching. He asked the kid where he trained and was lead up a narrow mountain path to a tumbled down training hall. Inside was an old Chinese man with a long white beard and a handful of students, it was literally like something from a kung fu film and my friend was thrilled. Here was proper kung fu, he could live in the hall for months and learn the old man's secrets....

...however....what was actually taught was absolute rubbish - badly taught TKD forms and awful kicks and punches. Thats a true story and pretty much sums up most of the kung fu in China.

 

jiu jitsu, tae kwon do, muay thai, kook sool won, aikido, hapkido, judo, a little boxing and wrestling, systema, kendo, jkd

systema aikido and jiu jitsu the most probably

 

are there no good schools there left for foreigners?

because if it is like ATA id leave immediately.

 

Oh I very much doubt you've studied all that at 19.

The Bear.

 

lol i study 5 hours every day besides this summer
if i had more money id study the physical part of martial arts 5-8 hours a day, internal 1 hour a day, and than philosophy and health 4-5 hours a day

and just because someone does different martial arts does not mean they are masters in them.

 

I doubt anyone's studied all those at 119.

 

Journey... you're going to have to let go of any mystical or romantic notions you might have about how China is or how martial arts is taught here. Chinese people have a very different concept of time and of money and business.

One more tourist who wants to study Kung Fu makes them either shake their head or start to scheme on how to separate you from your money. For them someone who comes to China to study for a few months is just seen for what it is... a western dilettante with more money than common sense.

There are still places that train it hard... but chances of them speaking English.. very little. You'd probably have better luck for some styles in Taiwan than in the mainland.

If you're going to China to backpack around... just go and soak it up. It will change you and open your eyes to how China is. A country of contradictions... sometimes maddeningly so. Sometimes I can't figure out how I managed to stay on here for 15 years. Go figure.

Go with an open mind... and be shrewd. Keep your ******** meter on and try not to get burned.

edit:
As for the different arts you studied... how could you possibly have learned anything about any of them? Seriously... you can't really blame people for sounding shocked. Any one of those takes ages just to scratch the surface. Be forewarned... the whole salad-bar ethos of martial arts is poorly looked upon here and usually becomes a Mongolian BBQ at the end of a flamethrower if you're not careful.

 

So you do 7 hours a week ACTUAL study of martial arts. So not really alot. Certainly not enough to even have a basic knowledge of the list you claim.

The Bear.

 

To me it doesnt matter what styles I do. In the physical sense i look at the different techniques and see how they would be applicable in a real fight.

I have not fought in any wars nor dueled masters of martial arts, but I have been in fights and have a pretty good Idea what can be used. I believe more of the fight is in the mind. To be able to completely relax your mind AND body in a real fight is very very difficult, because there are no rules. They could easily pull out a knife, bite, do whatever it takes to get out of the situation on top.

I have never encountered someone that could do it yet, idk it might take a lifetime or it could be complete lack of fear of death. Pain is the easy part to get over.

I want to be able to fight in the moment, to be able to counter an attack as it comes and flow. I don't want have to use prememorized combos. I always hated those, but to punch and as they block with the opening they create from that strike, you strike, very different than a "combo"

I do not fight in martial art tournaments. The rules really get to me. I have friends who have won a lot of those tournaments that I will fight with (not the ATA tournaments lol) and they are not much better from it combatively. It boosts their esteem is the only real benefit i see if you call that one. Maybe its just me I don't have any psychological evidence on it, but I like to spar with no gloves or wrist wraps on. When I get hit in the head with a boxing glove it feels like my brain is being jostled around. When I am hit witha bare knuckle I dont feel that quite so bad, its just pain which you can easily overcome. I feel without wraps you have to have better technique so you dont harm your wrist. I value the health and flow of my body just as much if not more than being a expert combative.


As for not understanding the martial arts because of so little time, I have yet to find someone that trains hard every day and keeps it up in the long term. And I mean to train every day. I know there are many people like that, all those masters I read about, just not where I am at location wise. Everyone I know trains like 5 hours a week maybe. I feel it is also important to train smart, what i mean to say is to not just do all your techniques and throw the punches 1000 times, but to really think about what you are doing. To feel all the parts of your body and work on what part of the body is not creating oneness with the rest. To work on anxieties, maybe a tense side that is slowing down your kicks. To find out why your whole core is not moving your leg and practice those moves with an intent to figure out the correct form for maximum velocity and damage.
And other things, maybe ego based thoughts like hitting a bag and when there are other people around thinking why you try to make the bag go farther, when how far it goes doesnt necessarily mean you are creating more damage.

maybe these thoughts are all wrong to you guys, but right now where im at these are my thoughts. No doubt they will change as I develop internally and externally.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3X90RLW3A"]YouTube- Storybook International - Intro[/ame]

The Bear.

 

what do you mean by how martial arts are taught? how is it different

i still need to try it, and experience it but i dont want to be caught in a tourist trap. Is it possible to train with someone who doesnt speak the same language effectively? by showing you what to do? I have never done that.

i dont know if its true but i read chinese make on average 1000 rmb a month and if they speak english 3-5k with is around like 750 dollars max for the average worker in china. If this is the case do you think its possible to find an old martial art competition champion or master and pay them 5000 dollars to teach you like 6 hours every day and you find your own place and meals. I don't have much money and I dont mind sleeping outside in a tent either. (id teach someone 6 hours a day for 5k, more chance to train and thats more than enough money to live on)

Im just asking since you live/d there

thx