study kungfu in China...what a novel idea

[Natureboy]

as the new kid in town [beijing, then...who knows?] I wonder if anyone knows where a good kungfu instructor/school/kwoon can be found in China? I have studied Wing Chun, aka 咏春拳 for some years in Canada. Really want to find Internal style qigong or something that reflects the spiritual side of gongfu but has value in fighting. Have fists, will travel...thanks for any insights or info. btw,I have heard a lot of masters went to Taiwan.

[guest1234]

Hi

PM me and I will assist you .

[moondog]

send me a pm with what you're looking for specifically

[roddy]

Hmmm, secretive people - kung-fu disciples in training who want to protect the anonymity of their masters, or dodgy martial arts schools trying to make a quick buck

More seriously, if you have info that might help others out, post it in public - that way it'll turn up on search engines and help many more people than a pm will.

Roddy

[moondog]

unfortunately that's exactly what it is, protecting our teacher's anonymity. if it were up to me i'd tell as many people as i could about him but he values his privacy.

[roddy]

Fair enough - I never disagree with a master

[Nordoff]

Couldn't recommend anyone as I'm not from china but I would recommend searching for wudang style tai chi chuan.

I'm learning that in england, I couldn't compare it to other styles as I don't have the experience but I do know that it works.

[Long Zhiren]

I studied Mandarin in Taiwan at Tamkang University in Tamsui in 1988. Yes. I took 功夫 there too while at it. Even if I could remember the instructor's information, I don't think it would help anybody in Beijing.

This thread reminds me though. I'd really like some new pairs of black Kung-fu dojo pants. I'd love to figure out where to get some new ones in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, etc...anywhere. They're especially cool when they've got the dojo name or club name embroidered on the back. I never did learn the technical term for dojo or dojo pants but kept calling the pants 功夫的褲子.

They're absolutely great for pajamas and coveralls over biking shorts when one dismounts and goes into town, etc... I'm still using my 17 year old pair now but they won't last forever...

In 功夫, I learned 八卦刀 (bagua saber). I highly recommend it because I thought it was particularly cool. I still think so. I still sometimes carry folded umbrellas in public with the neutral stance... :-) practical applications! The fun daydreams of whacking somebody with the umbrella occur occasionally.

[self-taught-mba]

Wing Chun Wing Chung Ving Tsung Yong Chun 永春 --Yeah it rocks. (Sorry want this to be searchable adding common variants)

It took me 2 mo.s to find one here--WC is popular in the south but not so much here.

His name is Wang Zhi Ping(I think) and he is from Guang Zhou. Recentlyt came here. School just moved to Chao Yang District but impossible to find (little shack town).

Also studied b4 in the US. His style still has some Shaolin-ness to it, yet still explosive/combat focused.

He's been posting ads on thatsbj recently with our help. I'll post his # later.

I am the english speaking contact for him (he barely speaks).

I can't believe I'm doing this (putting # in public) but here goes: call me 135 8156 0242.

1 Month tuition is 400 RMB = 2X a week 2+hours each time.

[Harvey]

How hardcore would it be studying Kung-fu in China? Is it "not" something for just the casual, want to see what it's like person? Will your fists be bleeding and your chest pounded every lesson? Best not to get started if you're not serious kinda thing?

[skylee]

Shouldn't it be 詠春 instead of 永春?

And isn't dojo 道場 a japanese term?

[speedmonk]

Hi, I can't speak for any of the schools here, but most WC schools I have been to seem to far less dogmatic than many other martial arts schools. I think it might have to do with the sort of antenuated simple and direct style of the art.

I have certainly heard of some crazy schools where people kill each other, but these people are nuts and can be found anywhere. I don't think you have worry about bloody knuckles ect or crazy hardcore stuff. It's the people that matter more than any martial art you learn, check them out and see if you get along.

I would like to have studied WC here, but since I am only here for a few months, I don't want to waste any instructors time, allthough it would be nice to meet some people interested in the same thing.

There is a guy who teaches WC at the Workers Stadium. A freind of mine knows him and says he is a nice guy who loves WC. PM me if you like. I just won't post his contact information in a public forum, no secrecy.

[self-taught-mba]

"Shouldn't it be 詠春 instead of 永春?"

No. 永春 is correct. It means "everlasting spring" and was named after a girl. "詠春" means "chant spring" which doesn't seem to make much sense. Good other point tho.

[skylee]

No. 永春 is correct.

I don't agree. Actually I have never seen/heard it called 永春. It is 詠春 in Hong Kong.

This is a webpage of the Chinese Wushu Association (sounds very official but I'm not sure how official it is) -> 咏春拳简介及技法

此拳初传于福建咏春县，为该县严三娘所创，以地名为拳名，故明(should be 名)"咏春拳"，亦有以严氏名咏春，称之为"咏春拳"者。

咏 is the simplified version of 詠.

[self-taught-mba]

Thank you both for correcting me!! You are right; it is definitely 咏[詠] and NOT 永.

This is one of those cases where you learn something wrong initially and it just sticks with you.

Long before I started studying Chinese, I originally was told that the translation was "everlasting spring(time)". There are even some web sites that proclaim that this is the meaning.

So of course, later when I'm typing Chinese, a pick the character that means what I was told the name is. I didn't think it would be 咏, because to me, " everlasting Spring" sounds much more like a real girl's name than "chanting/proclaiming Spring". So intuitively it seemed it had to have been 永, which also matched what I was originally told three or four years ago when I knew absolutely no Chinese.

But thank you for setting me straight. Learn something new every day (and something that was right in front of my face ) Now, I have to spread that knowledge to some of the web sites and people that originally taught me. A great example of how a simple translation error by someone in the past can be propagated and continued forward. I will try to go back and inform my old instructors and classmates.

[snow98]

Both 永春 and 詠春 / 咏春are still in current use depending on the lineage.

In Hong Kong 詠春 / 咏春 are mainly used as Yip Man traced his lineage back to the nun Ng Mui and her student Yim Wing Chun.

Other systems use 永春as some of them trace their lineage back to the monk Jee Shim and the Shaolin Temple and others have always historically used that character.

[self-taught-mba]

Wow thank you, so I guess we are both right.

Thank you for clearing up the confusion!

But I guess that can be suspected since the english has so many variants that I have seen: Wing Chun/Chung, Ving Tsung/Tsun, Yong Chun/Chung

Are you also a student of Wing Chung?

[snow98]

self-taught-mba said "Are you also a student of Wing Chung?"

I used to be - I haven't trained in a classroom enviroment since early 2004, now I'm just a Wing Chun internet surfer

Happy training!

[deezy]

Yip Man traced his lineage back to the nun Ng Mui and her student Yim Wing Chun.

Yip Man may have been a great master, but not necessarily a great historian...

Ng Mui played no role in the creation or development of Wing Chun Kung Fu, if she ever existed at all

"Wing Chun" itself means "Everlasting Spring" symbolizes its founders' focus on the "rebirth" of the Ming Dynasty.

So, these men were underground Han rebels who wished to overthrow the foreign Manchurian Qing dynasty and restore the native Ming. Hence, their martial focus and need to keep things on the DL, while still under Manchurian rule. Ng Mui was basically an urban legend cover story to hide the real members' involvement.

[timkunming]

hello!

I was wondering if anyone knew of any martial arts schools in Kunming - - I've lived here nearly two years, and the only places I know of teach Tai Kwon Do.

I'm really looking for a style rooted in China, in order to improve my Chinese and get the experience. I'm not hardcore or anything - - I've only studied Karate before and enjoyed it a lot, but any kind of gong fu styles would be really fascinating.

So, any Kunmingers know of any good places? Private teachers or schools? Thanks!

Tim

P.S. I'm not interested in learning Tai Ji. I already know plenty of places to study this, and wasn't very interested at this point in my life. Maybe later!