Must be my lucky day...

[jon]

Im gonna post my stupid story for the day while my friend watches Crouching Tiger [kinda getting sick of it].

I went into Sydney today with the intension of looking around for a uni course. After getting some lunch and doing my uni stuff i went for a walk with my friend though chinatown. I have been long wanting to find a good sifu that teachs Bagwa in a traditional way. Looking high and low and visiting several schools i had not found any i thought i would want to learn from.
Finaly on our way back i noticed a little accupunture shop, thinking to myself about how many kung fu masters are doctors i went up and had a look in the window. Inside was a tiny notice advertising Wushu. I decided to ask inside and just see what there idea of 'wushu' actualy was. We went up a set of stairs and found the clinic. Seated inside was a middle aged Chinese man who was obviously quite physicaly fit. I asked him about the martial arts and he quickly informed me it was 'just' Tai Chi. So i started to push him, do you teach it as a fighting art or just a health art? Is it the orginal deal? Do you teach any other arts as well?
He then tells me that he is not the sifu and informs me they train in the Chinese gardens [my favorite place] so why not just come take a look? He also tells me im better off speaking to the sifu. I thank him and turn to leave. On my way down the steps we passed an elderly chinese gentleman. I couldnt help but notice this guy was litteraly GLOWING. He was in his sixtys at least but his skin was perfect and he had a huge smile on his face, as i moved out the road we both exchanged glances and smiles. I kept on going for another flight of stairs before stopping dead and informing my friend i was going back. I knew darn well i had just passed that same master i had just been told about. I called Shelly my friend back to turn around and we started back. Half way back up we ran into the same guy again who was on his way down to catch us!
We went back inside and I got some more details, he teachs Bagwa and Tai Chi and is born into a Tai Chi family. His movements judging purely by his pictures looked perfect. He was also the most fit older person i had ever seen in my life. I told him a bit about my background and we had a really good chat. In the end he asked me to come and join him for training the next morning and tells me he teaches every day and would teach me Bagwa for practicaly no money privately!
I left him with my promise to join him the next day...

Im really spun out by all this it just seems to good to be true. He treated me VERY nicely and was really respectfull about my current training. He also took a likeing to my friend and offered to teach her as well, so were both going:D
Seems to me that this was all preplaned just to darn wierd!
Still im happy as a jumping bean.
Hung Ga and Bagwa muhahahah look out!

[JF Springer]

I hate to rain on your parade Jon but the body structures of Bagua are not a good match for Hung Gar. You might want to really think about it and choose a path to walk.

The 3 main "internal" arts of Hsing-I, Bagua, and Tai Chi Chuan are regarded as linked by some. A natural progression and refinement of elements unique to these methods.

It's possible to explore and possibly learn other methods once you have your base system firmly in place. Seems to me that 10-15 years of good, solid, consistent practice and training should provide a good foundation in the event you wanted to explore something else. Your choice, of course.

[Tae Li]

i AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DID YOU HEAR ME WELL? I AM SOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO JEALOUS!!!!!!!

[straight blast]

Dude, it doesn't get any sweeter than that!

[diego]

he's been into pakua for like 20 years,says it gave him really quick footwork in his hungga,and hes like 70 all-bouncy,so in my books,win-win situation.

[jon]

Thank you kindly for your advice, i have a lot of respect for your opinions.
Im not planning on compleatly shifting my focus but there are some elements from Bagwa i wish to add to my training. Mainly the circle walking and footwork.
Im still a bit weirded out by the whole sitution but i want to go and at least have a look at his level of skill.
There have been a few in my linage including my teacher, his teacher and his teachers teacher. Who have studied bagwa and most have focused on the footwork and energy building as opposed to trying to redefine there fighting technique.
Ive also been on Gung Gi Fuk Fu for so long im craving something slightly more internal to try my hand at.
I wont leave Hung Ga, i respect my sifu to much, if it becomes to hard to continue with both practices or if they conflict i will be forced to leave the Bagwa.
Thanks for your advice, i think i need to slow down a little im too swept up in it all at the moment. The way we met was just a bit too strange not to at least further investigate.

[rubthebuddha]

looks like you owe murphy a cookie, because he's obviously been really nice to you.

now back to my regularly scheduled wheat thins and mozzerella. mmmmmnnmn.

[friday]

hmmm fate? destiny?
reminds me of one of my own experiences....
not sure u want to hear about it tho'

[jon]

Please feel free to tell if you wish.
Heck i forced you all to sit though my story;)

[Ka]

Hey Jon, I'm a Sydney boy too.Wondering if you can devulge a name,when and where?I live petty close to Chinatown and like finding people interested in BGZ.How's the training?
Friday did you get down and chat to Conn,I'm interested in your thoughts about him.
Jon,Would you be talking about William Ho?

[Johnny Hot Shot]

You have found the sweet juice!

[ji way lung]

does william ho teach bagua? i have met him once, he is a very nice man. my wallet got knicked and dumped in the park he teaches at, and he was nice enough to return it to me! luckily i had my training receipts from years ago in there, and he called up my sifu (who he coincidentally knew) telling him he had my wallet. so lucky me got all my cards back, but no money. **** thief who stole my wallet! :mad: :D

and whilst we're on the subject of tai chi, the same day i went to pick up my wallet, and i saw a group of people practicing their forms in the park. but they were also doing some application work, and it was the first time i saw tai chi application. must say it doesn't look anything like the forms, alot more viscious and fast.

[friday]

this is the story of how i became the student of one of my sifus:

one day i received an email from an Italian person who i didn't know. apparently he had seen my email address at one of the Pak Hok Pai kung fu sites where i had signed on.
as it turns out he practiced the same style but in Italy under a gentleman that would in the future become my sihing. we got into discussion about the style, what forms we knew how it had worked for us different kung styles etc lol u know how it is between kung fu enthusiasts :) anyway, being kung fu practitioners in the same style i asked about his lineage and so found out about a master of pak hok pai who lived in asia. his praise of his sifu and sigong led me to ask him whether i could get that masters details so that i could visit him if i happeneed to be in that location or thereabouts in the future. anyway i was refused politely, due to the fact that my friend and his sifu didnt' know me , did not wish to introduce me to their teacher (for that reason which sounded reasonable to me)
anyway, i found that persons address and phone number which was posted on a pak hok pai kung fu website. it so happened that i made a trip to that area that the master resided in and paid him a visit after a short phone call.

what can i say? i received a sort of interview like thing, where he asked me what style i practiced who i was learning from etc. i originally was thinking it would just be a martial arts class and any additional students would be accepted without any thought to it, i would pay a some of money and be taught like the rest of the students. how wrong was i, after he decided to accept me (after having done appropriate checks - on my lineage), he showed me some videos etc and was i amazed. i had never seen such depth of knowledge....

what followed was an amazing three months of kung fu training. one - to -one. i was so enthusiastic i spent 5 days a week training 4-6 hrs a day. i ate meals at my new sifu's home, accompanied him to help teach at a school, helped out with lion dancing, festivals, watever...the knowledge i acquired i did not imagine could hve taken place in such a short space of time. the great thing about my sifu was that knowing i didn't have much money he refused any payment.

something else i learnt from my sihings there was that my sifu had pretty much decided to stop accepting students due to his age etc. so how **** lucky was i???

for me too it felt like fate...destiny type of thing. when i think back about the improbability of it all....if that italian man who i know consider my dear friend hadn't emailed me, if i hadn't been able to find those details, visited my sifu, if he had refused me etc...
anyway :) thats my rather long story my apolgies.

[friday]

hey ka

lol sorry i don't know where belmore park is
ummm...dun tell me....the answer is...Belmore???
haha
anyway i would like to meet up with u b4 and then go together how does that sound?

i live near china town too probably not as close as u do tho'

[ji way lung]

sorry i know this was addressed to ka, but belmore park is opposite central, on eddy ave. :D hehe. i though the same too initially, that's why i was thinking, waht the hell is my wallet doing in belmore when it got stolen at central! ;)

[scotty1]

Wy don't things like that happen to me? :(

Good for you though Jon.

Lucky *******!! :D

[Xebsball]

Lucky son of a *****!!!!!!!

If hes teaching for free, train real hard, i mean realy realy hard in respect for him.

[JF Springer]

Jon - It's not strange at all. It appears to be yuan fen. Ask your Sifu if this thing is unknown to you.

[Felipe Bido]

Wow, man you're LUCKY!.

You must LOVE the feeling of new things to learn


Congrats! :D

[jon]

Im to excited to sleep and i need to get up to go and see him, ive done a little more research on him his name is William Ho and he is quite well known and respected.
He is not exactly teaching me for free so dont be to jelous;) On the other hand as i say his prices for a private lesson are rediculous i dont want to list how much, but for the time and his experience it is just plain silly. Less than the price of a drink in some places...
Plus he is there in chinese gardens every morning.
Im just hoping the two styles dont colide to sharply though as diego said its been studied by several in my linage including my sifu and they all found it very benificial.
Im just still tripping over the whole way we met, some things just happen to strangly to ignore.

Tae Li
You should come along some time, im going tommorow to check it all out and get a lesson. He teachs classes as well as privates.

Anyway ill let you all know how it went tommorow:)

[Ray Pina]

Awesome! Good for you. What's the saying, "WHen the student is ready ..."

My prediction: In five months your picture of the tiger monk will be changed to some old guy who looks like he's not doing much, but you'll know better.

Congrats again. Sounds like this man could be the one for you.

[jon]

JF Springer
"It appears to be yuan fen."
I understand what your saying. Im not to sure on all the facts yet so im trying to research such things right now. Yuan Fen is someone i dont yet fully comprehend but desperately want to. Im not sure my current sifu would know or not i will have to ask him. Some things i prefer to research on my own though and this is one of them. Thank you though, i was having the exact same feeling and kind of hoping someone might mention that name.

friday
Thats a great story as well. The story of how i met my current sifu is actualy quite interesting as well but ill leave that for next time. Right now i need to sleep so i can actualy meet him tommorow.

ji way lung
Yes it is William Ho:D Im glad to hear you have had a good experience with him also. LOL did you know he has actualy caught red handed several robbers in that park;)

Ka
His name is William Ho and he trains in the Chinese gardens basicaly every mourning. Im going hopefully tommorow morning so ill fill you all in properly then.

Anyway thanks for everyones posts its great to see so many dedicated Sydney practioners around. If only the rest of the world realised half the best kung fu masters are to be found in Sydney Australia.

P.S I almost forgot... He teachs lion dancing as well:D :cool: ;)

[shaolinboxer]

Don't let the romance of the situation draw you away from the reality of training, but do enjoy :)!

[jon]

"My prediction: In five months your picture of the tiger monk will be changed to some old guy who looks like he's not doing much, but you'll know better. "
Hey that guy in my avatar is Lam Sai Wing, he is not to be messed with and i would never do him the injustice of replacing him:D
Seriously though thanks for your kind words, i understand your background and know you are an internal martial artist for a reason.
Still i plan on keeping on with my Hung Ga and letting the two skills help each other. Or at least ill have two very different sets of skills and ill have an idea of how both internal and external arts work. The footwork and circles of Bagwa with the five animals and iron thread of hung, that is my ulitimate aim.
I couldnt leave my current sifu totaly, that would be way to disrespectfull in the position im in. I have made certain promices i plan to keep:)

[guohuen]

Wow Jon! Sounds like you found the real deal!

[JAZA]

that's true

[Ray Pina]

Keep your options open for now. Don't rule anthing out. I was in a similiar situation. I was learning Hun Gar from one of Frank Yees old students from the 70's, then got into S. Mantis with one of Milton Chin's disciples. I was very pleased. Then the door to my master was opened. I am still close to my old teacher and his small group of students, there were only 5 of us, but sometimes its just time to move on.

As for two sets of skills, I don't know. There is your skill. You once roade a big wheel I'm sure, then a bike with training wheels, and then a bike with no training wheels. YOu take each of those with you, but in the end, you have a NEW skill, built upon work in the past.

If this man is knowledgable in internal, you will see, your view of combat will change. I'm all about reality, training for what can happen on the streets-- always have been. The way I view an altercation has changed much, the emphasis has changed. Just keep an open mind. My sifu leaves an empty bucket at his door, for all uf us who have been training a while to drop our ego's and knowledge in, so we come fresh and empty -- this way he can fill us.

Hey, I love Hung Gar too, great heritage. I love s. mantis also. I like bait fishing, I like lure bass fishing, but in the end, I'm a fly fisherman. It's all fishing though.

[Budokan]

I'm willing to bet this guy doesn't advertise either, does he? It's like we've said all along: 'You have to search for a good instructor.' Sweet. I envy you, too.

[DelicateSound]

Jammy. F*cking. B*stard.

Understand?

[Qi dup]

That's really cool jon, you the man!

[brucelee2]

That is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Good on you, man. Just out of curiosity, for the internal martial artists out there, how many of you think it would be conflicting or counter productive to learn hung gar and bagua simultaneously, unless you had 'mastered' one first? Aren't they supposed to be pretty opposite?

[brucelee2]

What is 'yuan fen'???

[friday]

ohhhh....so thats where it is, thanks ji way lung

[joedoe]

So many masters, so little time :)

[Ka]

Hey people,So now everyone knows where Belmore pk is.If you speak guangdonghua it's worth going down there on a weekday morning at about 8/9am there are several different groups doing there thing,Still keen to meet up Friday,am little busy moving House at the moment(still in Ultimo).
Jon I used to train under William about 2 years ago,I will post my email in my profile,I can give you a few other names that you might want to check out in the Sydney area.
Yeah William's certianly one of the nicest teachers I have meet,and check out his old photos of his body building days in Taiwan.
Anyway happy to chat about your local MA experiences,I'm nothing special but I know a few different stlyes of BGZ and there teachers around here and what each one focuses on.
So drop us a line:)

[jon]

Ive still got my friend down from Newcastle but i just wanted to fill everyone in quickly.
I couldnt sleep typicaly last night but managed to drag my tired a$$ out of bed in just enough time to get there for the last hour of the lesson. In the typical fashion i was to late and he had already gone home:eek: Still i had a nice train in the chinese gardens and gave him a call on his mobile.
I now have a more concreate arangement to meet him at 9.30 at the same place.
Its the most ammazing place ive ever seen!
Looks just like a traditional kung school. Its just a room in the gardens but it looks out onto the pond full of fish and its covered in awesome calligraphy and art. They even have a full on school sign accross the top on the joint. Was just to much i had to sit down and just BE there for a while. I spent over an hour just sitting there quitely before going home. I also found out he teaches a three year course so ill look into that too.
Anyway untill tommorow :D

Ka
Thanks for the kind offer, ill definately get in contact with you very soon i would appreciate a bit of imput into the Sydney internal schools. Im just flat out atm so it may take me a few days.

Thanks everyone for your support and kind words:)

[Serpent]

Jon, what's your e-mail address - I'd like to have a word, if I may.

[Sow Choy]

Hey Australian Kung Fu brothers,

Off topic question, where in Australia is the zoo that the famous Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin owns? He is always on TV here in the United States, Discovery Channel. Do you know who I refering to? I am hoping to visit out there this year or maybe next year and would love to see his zoo.

Thank you,

Joe Keit

[diego]

is the crocodile hunter that guy is nutty in a calm way,before i learnt his dad was a crochunter,raised him in the trade,i would see his show,and just be like who's this fruit,now i have great respect for him,i couldnt see myself doing those things,unless i grew up around it,i still get edgy on spiders.....
yakno he has his own line of dolls now,is he big in OZ.

[iron_silk]

everyone probably knows what this means already but what the hey...yuan fen means "fate"

[Ka]

His farms up in Queensland,and apparently he talks like that even when the camera is off him.

[jon]

jgoodall@bigpond.net.au

That sounded kinda ominous, i hope im not in trouble:(

[CannonFist]

I see you want to find something more internal than your Gung Ji Fook Fu. I gathered that you learn from sifu Joseph from your previous posts. Mind you I visited your sifu a few years ago and I think his Hung Gar is more internal than many of the so called internal arts out there. I noticed that he was quite adept at the "Peng jing" of taiji but of course Hung Gar would not call it that.

[JF Springer]

Iron-Silk: "yuan fen"
everyone probably knows what this means already but what the hey...yuan fen means "fate"

Wrong.

[friday]

Stevie is well-known in Australia i think more for making it in the states. but u know stuff he does...most ppl in Australia could do anyway so he isn't as famous here
its like watching myself clean out my garden...been there done that lol...

Friday
p.s. ummm...and if u couldn't tell by now? that was just a joke...Stevies a great guy. u wouldn't catch me doing any thing half as crazy as what he does.

[Sow Choy]

Thnaks guys,

Maybe he can create Crocodile style Kung Fu, I bet he could fight no problem! Is Queensland far from Sydney and Melbourne. Just wanted to get an idea of how realistic it will be when I visit to see those places.

Thank you,

JOe

[joedoe]

Queensland is the state north of NSW (the stae Sydney is in). The capital of Queensland (Brisbane) is about 1000 km (650 miles?) north of Sydney.

The place where Steve Irwin works? Not sure exactly where in Queensland that is.

[fiercest tiger]

We all dont talk like the croc hunter, i think he is a d!ck.

but still the guy has some BALLS to go and wrestle so of our crocs here. **** crocs walk the streets here, like roos...:D

[jon]

Well i finaly managed to meet up with him and watch him teach a few students. This guy is GOOD... One of his students was on his second lesson, the sifu explained the same movement for over and hour and never repeated himself. His expression of power and movement are excerlent as well as his knowledge, he is also very practical and was teching the fighting applications strait away.
Im going to start properly pretty much every day next week, he certainly has something i want to learn. The other thing that hit me was the same thing as when i first saw him. He is just so full of life. I cant properly judge his age but he must be in his sixtys yet his balance and fluidity put me to shame. He is always smiling and jumping about like a small child, he reminded me of an old lady i used to learn Tai Chi weapons from who was also very skilled. All up i was very impressed, he had another student doing some Bagua who looked quite proficent as well.

CannonFist
Thank you for your words on my sifu, his kung fu is MUCH more internal than a lot of Hung. He has studied Bagua and Tai Chi himself. I would never leave him as my foremost sifu, he has taken me to the level im at now and i want to complete my training under him. Im learning the bagua as a balance and to get an insite into the internal arts. The times dont conflict at all and im pretty adept at learning different sets of skills ive done it before. Im hoping the bagua will simply lossen me up and build my internal force. Plus i know it has excerlent health benifits which transfer directly to the martial aspects of any kung fu system.

[Serpent]

Hey Jon - nothing ominous! ;) Check your mail.

[iron_silk]

sorry if I didn't get your meaning of "yuan fen" but from the way the thread was flowing and all...that was the idea I was given. Now the sound is similar or "fate" in Cantonese but it can easily mean something else.

gee...sorry...but if you don't mind, might you enlighten me on what you meant instead of stern "Wrong"? I mean we all make mistakes.

[Ka]

Hey Jon,,be cautious around William,just give us an email if you have time.:)

[JF Springer]

sorry if I didn't get your meaning of "yuan fen" but from the way the thread was flowing and all...that was the idea I was given.

*The idea you were 'given' is an example of one aspect of yuan fen.

Now the sound is similar or "fate" in Cantonese but it can easily mean something else.

*Not 'something' but many things, a whole universe of things.

gee...sorry...but if you don't mind, might you enlighten me on what you meant instead of stern "Wrong"?

*A person cannot 'enlighten' another. A person cannot even teach another. A 'teacher' helps a person see the truth of a matter as it is all ready held within that person; more along the lines of redirecting focus, rediscovery.

I mean we all make mistakes.

*There are no 'mistakes' in yuan fen. Ask your Si-Hing or Sifu about this thing. I don't know you and it's not my place to provide you with such information. Your Sifu determines when you are ready for such things.

**But** I'll not leave you empty handed: I stopped by this thread on my way to permanently leaving this $hithole of a forum. 'Something' told me to post this to you. I always listen to this 'something' though often times I can only 'see' in retrospect the significance of what 'something' was saying at a time in the past.

The best most can hope for is being aware that it is happening in the moment and then tracing back the event at some point in the future to reveal the pattern. Whether anyone can do more with it than that with any degree of regularity is a question.

Everything I've written after **But** is yuan fen.

[jon]

Ka
I cant access your email from the site. Can you post me one on the address i listed for serpent?
I would certainly like to hear your comments.


JF Springer
I liked your [Yuenfens] comments... Your understanding is always one step[usualy more] ahead of me.
Like a hard slap in the face, not always pleasent but sometimes what you need to wake you up;)
That last paragraph im going to have to write down:D
Will be a shame when you go Jack, some of us will miss you and your wisdom.

[Ka]

Hey Jon,my email is next to Sydney in the Post box,or douground@yahoo.com .I will be up in QLD for the next week and a half so I may (currently surfing the net in Coffs)not answer straight away.
Be back soon

[iron_silk]

First off, thanks for your response!

It is true you don't know me, but your decision to leave a little hint of something is much appreciated. Now chances are you won't be reading this...but I thought that I would respond anyway.

Now I had to re-read what you wrote a couple of times to understand it...and even then I don't think I have. (maybe it's the concept, maybe it's in the way it was communicated)

Undoubtedly you seem to know "yuan fen" more than I, then again you don't know me nor what I know...that's the limitation with online forum.

Perhaps wrong place wrong time, but goodluck with where ever you are going...ie now that you are leaving this "_hit" site!

Yet I can't help but feel you might have taken "something" too lightly when I wrote...for it was "something" that encouraged you to write? ha ha hajk

[fgxpanzerz]

Sure, this guy is teaching u something. It may be Bagua, it may be bull$hit. Dont be suprised if one day he says, "For all the training I have given u, I would like something in return. You came to me with a woman that day in my shop. I would like to bang her in all the different postures of the kama sutra. If u refuse, I'll discontinue yor training and cut yor throat."

Sifus have been known to do this in the past. They still probably do this today! Beware.

[jon]

Thats ok... ive got five years of Hung training to back me up, if he ever pulls such a stunt ill use my claws against him. Then take over his linage and name and continue his school in his absence.
Somehow though i cant see any of this happening as he is really a great guy:D Plus im really not that great:(


Been there a few times now and my training is well underway already. He has a great understanding of internal power mechanics and ive been hit hard with the smacker of totaly different power generation. The power in his Bagua movement comes from the spine, in my Hung it comes from the floor. Large difference. I still want to continue both, they each have seperate skills and i cant pick a clear winner between the two. I only have a weird desire to understand both.
Ill be running five animal rings around people in no time:p

[diego]

The power in his Bagua movement comes from the spine, in my Hung it comes from the floor.

could you please break that down, im pretty sure my style has pakua elemnts in it and i know for fact thiers hungga similaritys, but i have not had the blessing to be explained to the power development of issuing from the spine, and strentgh issued from the floor, could you help me on this.:D

[diego]

:D

[jon]

If you check though the Southern Mantis- Why so secret thread you will see i gave quite a detailed discription of the powerchain in Hung Ga in that.
Im afraid i simply dont understand the powerchain for Bagua as of yet surfice to say it uses the back and kidneys much more. You may have to ask me that in a few years time im afraid.

[bean curd]

i will explain a little.

what jon is saying, although is true from a perspective, it is a little out of wack.

ba gua does use the whole body and follows the same principles as the chut sing, which is all martial arts, nothing new in that, the variation to some extent comes from the use of the yeuh ( waist ).

the kidneys are followed within the ba gua because of the waist usage which is very significant in ba gua as more loose. not to go into too much detail, it follows the lung ( dragon ) principles, although from a taoist perspective ( another story hahah ).

in hung kuen the waist is employed with firmness more gung chi than yau chi, although this is not purley the case but ba gua is certainly more " flexable" than hung kuen in the principles of their respective styles.

to compare the two, further would be to go into far to much detail

as to ma and bo, hung is designed for hung, and actually if you follow the step use in hung , it has everything ba gua has except it is used more subtley and to the untrained eye, hung kuen bo is not that mixed, a falsehood !!!

regarding the power chain, i assume stated here means power generation or principles of connection and usage to the joints/muscles/meridians etc, the variation comes form again the principles used in both styles.

in some bagua for example it is known that some use pure bagua on the outside yet when they strke xing yi is employed or baji to name two known ones.

in hung kuen this is also used except it stays within its own boundaries and employs animal principle/element principle/ bridge principle.

the variation pure and simply is generation variance perceived comes from the intent that the two styles adopt for the fighting skills

[WenJin]

http://www.ancestraltaichi.50megs.com/

:D

[hasayfu]

Yuan Fen is a favorite topic of mine so I'll chime in.

Yuan Fen has no english equivalent. Many people translate it as fate but as JF said, it's much more then that.

I like to say it's lady luck meets hard work. Or to butcher another famous saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear... maybe!"

Yuen Fen is neither good or bad. It is what it is. Someone can work extremely hard and never achieve his goal. Yuan Fen.

Someone can work a little and just always be in the right place at the right time to achieve something they never even dreamed of. Yuan Fen.

Someone can be in all the right places at all the right times with all the right circumstances and never realize anything of substance. Yuan Fen.

It's a very eastern concept that is a part of life. Fate is such a bad translation because it implies you have no control. Taking your fate in your own hands is an even worse description because it implies you have control :-)

Now given that, read what JF wrote and you'll find that he gave an excellent example of Yuan Fen. Your Yuan Fen is determined by what you do with the message and then maybe not :-)