Masters preference?

I know alot of you train under masters who know more than one style like Wing Lam, Yang Jwing Ming and others. My question is have you noticed if your Sifus tend to favor one style over the other in their own training and when they teach do you notice that aspects of their "favorite" art leak in? Just asking cause I think it would make interesting convo and would like to know what unique perspectives they may have on their arts having experience in others mainly how those other arts influence their long fist techs.

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All masters and sifus are human just like us. They specilized in their style and like anyone pick up sets or another style thru an exchange of knowledge process with another sifu, friend, etc. However, what makes them a master is because they are experts in one or rarely two styles. It is very unsual that someone can master three or more styles unless the styles are very closely related and share the same principles and concepts. When they perform different styles, the flavor will be of their own style and not of the true nature of the style.

Yes there are masters and there are many sifus. Sifus are teachers and are not necessary masters.

Usually a master will only teach within his expertist and will say 'Yes i have knowledge of that style but will not necessary teach it because he feels he is not an expert in that style,i.e., he does not know the complete system.

He will not willing teach it unless it is under very unual circumstances.

However, a Sifu will teach a varity of styles and it will be part of his curriculum and the styles flavor have very little differences in apperance because the final set will contain the flavor of his original style.

These are general statements but the point is that masters and sifus are humans and humans tend to stick what they are use to do. Or in other words, Leopards can't change their spots.

:) :cool:

I am not questioning their abilities but would like to know what unique insights that individual instructors may have gained by studing more than one style. I personaly only study one style and will probally remain to do so for the rest of my life but I like to learn about other systems.

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The essence is the same ......

Mastering martial arts is not simply I know my style well.....that is the beginning......Some of the best experts are those that can adapt to any style with the same power energics and mechanics(Etcc....) as their opponent or someone from another school....this is known as true Skill.

One of my teachers used to ask students of other schools to demonstrate and also to fight a little.....He used learn their style at an instant and better them with ease using their own style ....that is true martial skill.....

Master schaefer has always, to me, put a hsing-i flair to everything that he did, which is why i like the discipline. he would remain true to the style or form he was doing but there was this intense focus and power that hsingi has that was in every move he made. i think that the forms that are taught were meant to be utilized in your own unique way, no two forms done by different artists will look the same. to me thats good. i will do my crane differently than he does. his crane is more focused and powerful while mine is more expansive and evasive. of course master schaefer is a big guy so his movements are going to be powerfull looking.
i like the way masters that i have seen do thier forms and systems. all of these systems,in my opinion, are not etched in stone, so the true way or form is or has been evolved upon, rather than saying that it is modified or enhanced. it still rings true to the system.
many respects, willow sword

Whatever you think i am or want me to be,,, i am.
oh and,,,Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks you are an a$.

At least you understood what I was asking about. This is also the way I feel about kungfu. In my school (even though everyone is learning the same style) different people will have a different interpertation (or flavor) of the same style based on bodytype, mental attitude etc. I don't get WenJin if the essence is the same how can your master learn a "new" style. Anyway I am seeing eye to eye with Willow sword on this one.

Witness the Dynasty!!!
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