Recommendation for school san francisco

[odyssic]

Hello,

I'm in San Francisco, CA and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for kung fu schools here? I was thinking about the school related this this style... (listed on the site)... http://www.8step.com/mantis/history.html. 8 step mantis?

I took Tai Chi in college and now I'm hooked, but I would like to take more Tai Chi/ soft martial arts that can actually be used for combat as well as health.

The mantis looks beautiful to me but I know little about this 8 step, except what I've read on the site. Also, I know nothing about these teachers.

Any advice on this or any other school in San Francisco would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Steven

[Iman01]

I am an 8 step Sifu. I love the material.

I have met those instructors very briefly. Their material looked good and they were quite likeable.

That specific school also has it's own site. On it they state your first class is free. Just like buying a car, stop in and check it out yourself.

http://www.8stepmantis.com/

[kejia nu ren]

Steven,

Not sure if South Bay is too far for you to travel (a good 30 min SE of downtown SF) but Adam Hsu teaches in Palo Alto/Sunnyvale/Cupertino. He's got a good reputation from what I've heard and has lineages to 7* and Plum Flower (Lee Kun Shan), 8 Step (Wei Xiao Tang), as well as more internal styles like Bagua and Hsing-Yi.

www.adamhsu.com

Definitely worth checking out (I would if I were to move to the Bay Area)

Best of Luck and let us know what you find

Regards,

~annibelle~

[odyssic]

Im a little far from Adam Hsu. If I had to drive an hour to each class I'd probably never go!

Anyway, thanks for the help everyone. What should I generally expect to pay for classes and what would be too expensive?

Thanks!

Steven

[TRAVIS WHITMAN]

I am an 8 step sifu and I also love the material.

I have trained with both Daniel and Eduardo extensively and I have no problem saying that their tai chi is first rate. They teach an older form of Yang taichi passed down thru the Wu family. You might see flashier forms around the bay area but not higher qualaity, the orginial tai chi was just a few forms taught over and over and over. Their forms reflect that earlier approach.

The main focus there is 8 step mantis and they will tell you exactly what they can and/or will do for you reguarding both 8 step and tai chi.

Go talk to them they are very approachable and much more personable to their students many teachers (especially me).

[EarthDragon]

Andy, and Travis,
Are you seriuosly recommending students of eve less qualified students compared to the mecca of true martial artsits in San Fransico??????

Steven check out John Chang, in san Jose he is teaching in his garage. A "TRUE" student of 30 years from the late Grand master Wei Xiao Tung.

Adam Hsu is also a great Shrfu, as is Doc fei wong tat ma Wong ....be careful of the cults and the deciving embelished teachers, there a dime a dozen in SF I know I lived there. good luck in your search

[Iman01]

Is EarthDragon a guy that is so smart he tattoos someone else’s name on himself, making a recommendation? Should we listen?

[EarthDragon]

Oh Andy are we still attmepting to use personal attacks to make ourselves feel better? I feel so bad for you I truley do.

lets just stay on the topic. I suggested that out of all the great martial artists in SF that one might not want to learn form sifu's who have less then 5 or even 8 years experience in teaching.

But if you still feel you must try to put me down to make yourself sleep at night then just PM me or beter yet call me at home 716-635-9901.

I dont want another thread spoiled. I thought after all this time you would have matured a little.

[EarthDragon]

odysicc,
I spoke with dean economos and he is learning from john cheng in his garage , he only has a handful of students and it would be very worth our while to inquire about it... good luck

[TRAVIS WHITMAN]

Sorry I'm late replying, and for what it's worth:
Earth Dragon - Please do not include me in your posts, you have no idea who I am and therefore have no opinion on me or my comments whatsoever.

Andy - pearls before swine, quit wasting your time.

My previous assesments of Eduardo and Daniel stand, now its time for me to log off here and go to war instead of playing at mantis, good bye.

[EarthDragon]

travis, funny how things come full circle. You ask me not to mention you in my posts becuse I dont know who you are, Yet when I was away you constantly spread rumors about me, talked about me, laughed behind my back etc etc
YOU were the one who mentioned my name first. So please take heed to your own advice.
Now back to recommending a school for this young man. And NO i would not recomend the SF Shyun school for a multitude of reasons, one of many is
Andy Miles and Travis whitman.
You are representitves of that school and the new system should I say more?. Should I go back an paste the crap , rumors and slander you both said?

You wonder why the "shyun's" 8 step is not taken seriously in the mantis community.....
Now shut up and go pratice your sets....

[BeiTangLang]

Email each other silly with this stuff...Back on topic guys.

[Iman01]

You wonder why the "shyun's" 8 step is not taken seriously in the mantis community.....

The mantis community? You mean this collective group of partial taught mixed martial artists? How can you really believe you get worth while information if you show no loyalty to those that teach you?

Commit yourself to something, follow through, stick with your instructor, through the hard times, be a good upstanding person, and your instructor may just give you some prized information.

And an aside directed at ED:
You may have been taught garbage due to your circumstances.
Don't misslead others due to you going down the wrong path.

[EarthDragon]

Iman,
I devoted 16 of my 27 years in martial arts to my teacher shyun kwan long. I quit my job sold my car and moved to SF and lived at my teachers house and his school in 95 96.
I washed his car did his errands and many other chores for him.

I was the NY HQ I hosted the national Tapei tawian taiji team and UFC fighter yoshiki Takahashi from the world pancrase in Japan. I also raised money for charity and did other various things in my federations name. as well as being a lineage holder check the mantis cave.

So i would like to think I put my time in.

I dont want to air out dirty laundry on a public forum of why me and 6 other shifu's have left the federation but I can garuntee its not just me or my personal views. you must realize i knew him bett er than anyone else in the federation with the acception of Dean economos his only 5th generation shifu, and he is not even part of the ACMAF either, however he and i still talk.

So please know the whole situation befoe you make assumtions and walk a mile
before you judge.... be well

[Pilot]

I have taken several martials over the years. I am currently an 8 Step student. I have had a good bit of email contact with a few 8 Step Sifu's. I have met briefly most of the Sifu's when they had their Sifu camp in Alabama. As for the caliber of people that are Sifu's in 8 Step, I think very highly of them from my 4 or 5 years of contact with them. They have all been stand-up people. The style of 8 Step is a very good system compared to all of the styles I've had in the past including the Tai Chi which in itself makes a good fighting system. I do not know the past history of the people who hold hate in their heart and spread it each chance they get, but I do know the people that I know are good people not worthy of the hate speak from the few that spout off now and then.