Went to visit a Hsing-Yi school

[Yung Apprentice]

Was pretty dissapointed. I had heard so much about this art, but the school I went to looked like an McKwoon. I got to see a very obese woman test. I had seen some Hsing-Yi forms, and her's looked awfull, very sloppy. She was testing for a brown sash, which is up there I guess, with their sash rankings. She got the belt,btw. For two hours, they did two man sets, using the same Chin Na lock for those two hours. It was nothing like what little I had seen, or what many have described on here. It wasn't at all agressive. And it seemed to fit the generalizations of "CHI HIPPIES". It was a bit pricey. I was dissapointed to say the least.

[Muppet]

Those are the breaks with CMA and especially the three internals.

Very few instructors are the real deal.

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah, I know it sux. I figured since Hsing-Yi has such a good rep, that it wouldn't be like this. It's considered such a hardcore art, but I guess even Hsing-Yi has a couple McKwoons.

[chen zhen]

.....SASHES?!

:(

[Samurai Jack]

Mike Patterson, James McNeal, and Vince Black's North American Tang Shou Tao all do sashes. Don't know how "good" these folks are, but they are the biggest guys taking Hsing-i to the public eye with video's, big organizations, books, and magazine articles. I don't train in this style, but I know who they are.

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah, this guy was the Kung Fu brother of Mike Patterson, they trained under the same guy in Taiwan. He is a good martial artist, but his teaching isn't.

[Le nOObi]

Mike Patterson is the real deal maybe you should ask this guy why he teaches the way he does.

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah, I know Mike Patterson is. And this guy is a kick @ss martial artist, but his teaching methods were very soft.

[chen zhen]

Commercialization is the worst thing that can happen to a Martial arts-style.

[yuanfen]

No Chen Zen- incompetence can.

[chen zhen]

Uh, right:D

There ARE worst things than comm.

[GeneChing]

Because Xingyi is new to the US, a lot of people know the external form but don't have the applications, then pawn themselves off as masters. It's easy to do, since not so many know about Xingyi. Actually, when I first dabbled in Xingyi, that master was just experimenting with it and didn't really know it. I never got hooked. But later, I sort of fell into it, unwillingly, and my current master is really skilled in it. In just a short period of time, I feel I have already surpassed many U.S. teachers, but still barely have a grasp on this art. Now I'm really hooked.

So like any style, don't judge it on one bad master. And there are a lot - A LOT - of bad xingyi masters, especially now.

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah, I know Gene, I was just extremely dissapointed. I wanted so much to study Hsing-Yi, and then I found out there was a Hsing-Yi school, in my town where there aren't too many KF schools. Out here, there is Shaolin, and then there is Wing Chun, and thats pretty much it. Then I found out about this school, and the guy is supposed to be pretty high up in the Tang Shou Tao organization. And then it turns out, he waters it down. Most of the ppl there couldn't fight there way out of a wet paper bag.

I won't let it change my opinion of Hsing-Yi. (that would be a big mistake) But it was dissapointing. Anywho, there are some really good WC schools here, and I remember a while back Jaguar Wong telling me of Hung Gar being taught at this studio. And then I found my school, which is JKD and am pretty happy with it. Although currently I'm not training do to a money situation.:(

[GeneChing]

You'll find a good xingyi teacher faster than he (or she) will find you. Keep searching. They are out there. Good luck. Meanwhile, there's always videos (http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/prtc006.html) & books (http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/b-ym084.html). I would guess that it would be really hard to learn this style from these resources alone, but it could do much to prep you for when you do find that teacher.

[Yung Apprentice]

I wish there were more here, but as I was saying before, there aren't too many Kung Fu schools here. There is a Shaolin school here, but it's mostly a form school. There are a couple WC schools here, my JKD, and the at a dance studio Hung Gar is being taught.


My town mostly has Karate, TKD, Kenpo, and Bjj. There is also some boxing, Krav Maga, and Hapkido, but unfortunately, the Kung Fu community isn't that strong out here.

[Samurai Jack]

Gene, just curious, who do you train Hsing i with? I attended a few seminars with George Xu who's got a great rep and some REAL internal skill. I didn't follow through with any long term training with him though because I found it pretty difficult to put into practice what he was trying to show me (language barrier, etc.). I always wanted to learn good Hsing i. :D

[GeneChing]

ya - I hear your story so often, but as CMA spreads, less and less. I guess it's up to you to be the pioneer in your neighborhood.

sj - I study with Tony Chen currently. See www.usaomei.com. I've heard good things about George Xu, but have never met him yet.

[Mojo]

Gene
that link isn't correct. It takes me to 'Indevor Consulting'.