Wah Lum Kung fu in Orlando, FL

[Roc Doc]

yu shan,
i spent the entire three weeks reviewing and regaining forms i had learned when i was at the temple in the early 1980s
i still have several to go before the catch-up is complete.
i will be getting new material then.
Sifu Tu was is instructing me......
thanks for your interest,
ROC DOC

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

yu shan
I'm still here in Orlando. Vegas is out, working on a new plan now. Things around me that are out of my control keep changing so I guess I have to wait and see what happens. Until then I'll continue to show up at the Temple when I can and hopefully contribute something of value before I leave.

SaMantis
Hey, you don't invite me to Dim Sum.

[SaMantis]

Hey, you're always invited!!

[yu shan]

Dim Summmmmmm...

[9dragonshijin]

Well... I guess the cat's out of the bag...congratulations.

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

Who? What cat? What bag?

Thanks SaMantis. Guess we need to have an informal Temple lunch soon before you run off. I'm out of town again this weekend so maybe the following Saturday.

9dragon, vixie
Were you guys at the Tampa grand opening?

[Sum Sing Wong]

Well, I just got back form FL, and our last day (July 2nd) there we decided to check out the temple after all. It was nice to see something different, i enjoyed watching it I only wish I could have talked to the head honcho or just see him work out, I didn't think he was going to later so we left after the 6:30 class.

I have a question to those who study/teach there, my instructors and I were wondering how the ranking system works, we couldn't really tell who was who as far as level wise.

Hua Lin Laoshi,
I didn't see your offer until now sorry I didn't drop you a line.

Tampa guys,
Sorry, we couldn't stop by, at the end of the trip I was sick of riding in the car and I had to save my sanity for the ride back home.

[NorthernMantis]

If you refer to a belt ranking system we don't have it since it is of Japanese origin. We follow traditionally a family system i.e. older brother, youngersister. However we do offer certification to student's who want to know their progress.

IMHO I prefer having no certificates at all but people in the U.S. think that every martial art style must come with belts so I can see that some type of ranking system must be maintained.

Hope you had fun.

[yu shan]

Do not know what goes on any day at the Temple, these days. Wouldn`t question the hierarchy, it is there...They have a system. Spend a few days, you will see.

Belt/sash ranking system is a money making venture, an American way of gererating the all mighty dollar for the teacher and his/her school. Why do you need this? Traditionally taught KF should not have testing.

[Sum Sing Wong]

I would have to disagree with your ideas of belts/sash ranking system. It is a way of seeing what who knows what. It is a lot more organized and a lot easier for the instructor to automatically look at your belt and see what you need to know for your next level. Now in some systems it is a way to earn money fast, but yet again you people on KFO always start the stereotypes. The school I attend, the instructor only makes enough money from the school to pay the rent on the building that we use, simple as that, yet we have a belt system.

[brassmonkey]

I had the oppurtunity to visit a Wah Lum school and 1 of theyre selling points was we don't have a belt system but then when I watched the class everyone was wearing a black sash except for the instructor who had some other color and then the junior instructors had yet a different color. Someone tell them they have a belt system, personally I don't think it makes much difference in learning but admit you have a belt system!

[SaMantis]

OK, we have a belt system. Yellow for instructor, black for everyone else. There ya go.

I believe more firmly in the "shoe system" myself. Beginners have nice, clean black shoes. Experienced students have shoes that are torn up to various degrees -- usually blown out at the heels and on either side of the foot from doing sweeps. Plus the sweat stains on them depending on the time of year and the amount of practice they put in.

[yu shan]

Wrong answer SaM, WL does not have a belt ranking system, just a "level" advancement. A kempo or karate style has no idea to what your style offers, they have no solution, just consider the source...

[isol8d]

Sum Sing Wong:
The general feeling here is that belts make for McDojos. Unfortunate, yes, but it is sadly a justified stereotype. However, my Sifu knows what his students are learning, without belts. It may be a little different at the Wah Lum school you visited, as they have a number of advanced students, student-teachers, and their fair share of Sifu's, as well as beginning students.

SaMantis:
I know what you mean about the shoes and/or uniform. Whenever I have to buy a new pair of shoes, I always feel like I'm just starting out again. The rest of my uniform is more like piecemeal, either faded pants, or faded shirts, etc.

brassmonkey:
As a matter of semantics, Wah Lum wears sashes and not belts.

[NorthernMantis]

brassmonkey-


Sashes are simply just that, sashes. The only reason why the instructor has a yellow shash is so you know who the intsructor is, I was told this personally by sifu Mimi. You could have a blue sash and it wouldn't matter. I've even seen some sifu's wear a black sash once in a while. In fact if you have the opportunity to watch class that there some people wear different sashes. I've seen this weird sash that sort or looks like a really short belt that's just long enough to cover your waist. It's grey with a dark brown line through the middle and at the end there is a short string with a littel ball at the end.