If you could build your dream school

[Lokhopkuen]

I ask;
If you had the opportunity build your dream school along the lines of a Traditional Chinese Style Gwoon, what would you include? What would you stay away from???
Thanks in advance,

K

[bawang]

beat them with a stick, lift weights. remove all acrobatics from forms.

[Lokhopkuen]

I'm taking notes, thanks for digging China deep on this one:cool:

[wenshu]

What would you stay away from???

Santa Monica Blvd

[kuniggety]

I would definitely include cute Chinese girls or is that just a given?

I would include lots of iron body training aids, focus on conditioning along with the techniques, and limit acrobatics. I wouldn't remove acrobatics as number one, they're fun to do, but also secondly, they are good strength/flexibility training. It just shouldn't be the focus of the training. This is martial arts after all and not gymnastics.

Some Avatar posters around the school would be pretty sweet too :cool:

[Orion Paximus]

I just want a place where I can live AND work out/train others at so i don't have two friggen rent payments.

[Lokhopkuen]

Santa Monica Blvd

Could you be any more silly:rolleyes:

[Lokhopkuen]

i would definitely include cute chinese girls or is that just a given?

done! It's me c'mon...

i would include lots of iron body training aids, focus on conditioning along with the techniques, and limit acrobatics. I wouldn't remove acrobatics as number one, they're fun to do, but also secondly, they are good strength/flexibility training. It just shouldn't be the focus of the training. This is martial arts after all and not gymnastics.

these are great suggestions, thank you

some avatar posters around the school would be pretty sweet too :cool:

we'll let the avatar take care it's self;)

[Lokhopkuen]

I just want a place where I can live AND work out/train others at so i don't have two friggen rent payments.


I FEEL YOU ON THIS BUT EVEN IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY TAX FOR BUSINESS HERE IS PROHIBITIVE:mad:

[mooyingmantis]

I own 5 acres of Ohio country land. I would love to put a summer training camp on it. Though I have already built the guan that I had always wanted here in the city.

[Brule]

I would suggest to stay away from installing slippery floors. I've been to a couple of places where hardwood or laminate was installed and it makes for a difficult time getting a grip, even with shoes on. Came close on a couple of occassion to injuring the groin because of them.

I would also make sure you have enough room to practise all you weapons without worrying about hitting the ceiling or another student, again been to places where you couldn't practise the kwan dao or long pole.

Lastly, like others have mentioned, equipment ie: heavy bag etc....

[sanjuro_ronin]

I ask;
If you had the opportunity build your dream school along the lines of a Traditional Chinese Style Gwoon, what would you include? What would you stay away from???
Thanks in advance,

K

Hmm, that's a tough one bro...
It would depend on the style of course.
Equipment is a given: Bags of all types and modern weights WITH a combination of tradtional strength equipment -
Barbell, dumbells and keetlebells, sure, but also steel staffs, stone blocks and such.
Wooden posts and dummies of course.
We never feel more traditional than when we are doing something that was done lifetimes ago, know what I mean?

[David Jamieson]

- A big training hall
- A smaller training hall
- A lei tai
- All modern gym equipment room
- Amenities (pool, showers, saunas)
- Exterior courtyard and gardens
- meditation chambers
- kitchen and dining hall
- living quarters

This would be the ultimate for me personally, but mostly, it needs room to train, space to work out solo, gym equipment, lockers and showers.

[GeneChing]

Check out the series we did with our resident Feng Shui master, Wilson Sun - Feng Shui for Kungfu Schools. It'll give you the basics of studio layout based on traditional feng shui principles derived from the cardinal direction of your front doorway. The series ran over several issues: 2000 March (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=111), 2000 April (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=113), 2000 May (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=115) & 2000 June (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=117).

Also, Master Piandao might want to take a peek at The Feng Shui of Sword Display (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=612) from our 2005 January/February The Sword Collector's Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=567). ;)

[mickey]

Greetings,

I think David Jamieson put forth the ideal settings.

If I were you I would start simple and then build:

High ceilings, a place to train on your own, a few bags, strength training equipment, mirrors, locker room with showers,mats, ballet bar, office. You are good to go. That is just for training area. The actual school is really you and what you are bringing forth. KEEP YOUR COSTS LOW.

mickey

[Shaolin]

I ask;
If you had the opportunity build your dream school along the lines of a Traditional Chinese Style Gwoon, what would you include? What would you stay away from???
Thanks in advance,

K

How traditional are we talking? Classically most "traditional" Chinese martial arts were trained in rural areas so if you want a truly traditional school any open field will do.

If you are asking because you're thinking of opening a school I highly recommend you build your school from the outside in. Where most new school owner make a huge mistake is they build the school from the inside out. They fill their school with all of their dream training equipment and then have no students to pay the bills. Really there's not much training equipment an instructor needs to open a school. Focus first on marketing materials. Then once you have all your bills under control start saving to buy all the fancy equipment you want. And for the love of Pete don't get yourself in credit card debt buying everything, use cash.

[Lokhopkuen]

I'm opening a new place here in Los Angeles in an amazing facility.

For myself I'd want big wide open training areas (with no support beams), high ceilings and good natural light through windows and or sky lights. I much rather have a Lei Tai platform than a boxing ring or octagon.
I'd like to include some specialized apparatus. A giant (5 foot diameter) sphere made of granite:D, a 500 lbs hanging "wrecking ball", plum flower stakes, but really all I need is a big open training space.

I'll keep you all posted on our progress:D

[No_Know]

Since you mention...

I designed a dchool decades ago for Squirrel practitioners. There's the front office where parents might come in and guests can walk into the School. Then beside the frontoffice desk is the sliding door drop below the floor where there's a tunnel with the floor feet below--students enter the School through here; alternating hand and feet pressures between walls.

There is open area for forms to the right-hand side. towards the back is poles for Walking the circle. beside that are the slide down poles for exit from the second floor.

****her back is a section through a door to rails and poles and low walls for leg strikes and middle leve contact--arm and leg and moves conditioning.

Five lanes of conglomerate walls to climb between to get to the upper level. A place for candle practice striking.

That's about all I'd come-up with at some point, for my designed Squirrel School.

No_Know

[tattooedmonk]

I'm opening a new place here in Los Angeles in an amazing facility.

For myself I'd want big wide open training areas (with no support beams), high ceilings and good natural light through windows and or sky lights. I much rather have a Lei Tai platform than a boxing ring or octagon.
I'd like to include some specialized apparatus. A giant (5 foot diameter) sphere made of granite:D, a 500 lbs hanging "wrecking ball", plum flower stakes, but really all I need is a big open training space.

I'll keep you all posted on our progress:DI like some of your ideas. I am getting ready to open a facility here in Ventura County.

Granite sphere and wrecking ball, who are your training with Winston Omega? :D

There needs to balance between old school/ new school .

You can teach ancient / traditional arts with modern training equipment, systemized and scientically proven training methods, a strong backround in the field and the facts/data to back it all up.:):cool:

[pazman]

If you are asking because you're thinking of opening a school I highly recommend you build your school from the outside in. Where most new school owner make a huge mistake is they build the school from the inside out. They fill their school with all of their dream training equipment and then have no students to pay the bills. Really there's not much training equipment an instructor needs to open a school. Focus first on marketing materials. Then once you have all your bills under control start saving to buy all the fancy equipment you want. And for the love of Pete don't get yourself in credit card debt buying everything, use cash.

Some of this is good advice. I've seen a lot of schools with all sorts of "traditional" decorations and all kinds unique and interesting training devices, yet lacking even the most basic items like heavy bags, weight bench, and squat rack. These items, compared to the overall cost of the school, are rather small investments. Without them....not real gongfu.:(