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Thread: Average Life of a Kung Fu Student

  1. #1

    Average Life of a Kung Fu Student

    Hi Everyone,

    Just curious what instructors feel that average time training students stay with you.

    I have been working on about three years. Mainly becuase learning curves start to lessen with the need to continue leaning and practising the basics.

    Any one else have a view or opionion??

    P

  2. #2
    6 months.
    There are many who seem overly excited about thier art in the beggining............... they are the first ones to quit.
    The average student walks in get serious for a while then little by little their class time adsence gets longer and longer.

    The sad part is not many people take the thier arts long enough to be able to use them. This is part of the reason so many good arts gets a bap rap.

    I had a guy walk in and tell me every art he took sucked in real fighting....I said any art will teach you how to fight, perhaps its you.............

    He took 3 months of classes and quit.
    KUNG FU USA
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    Jin Gon Tzu Li Gung (Medical) Qigong
    Wu style Taiji Chuan



    Teacher always told his students, "You need to have Wude, patient, tolerance, humble, ..." When he died, his last words to his students was, "Remember that the true meaning of TCMA is fierce, poison, and kill."

  3. #3
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    there are specific times when a student is most likely to quit0usually within the first 100 days.
    Next is about the two-year mark, when he reaches an absorbtion level and feels he is plateauing. Any time you hit a plateau, it means you are on the verge of a breakthrough. The strong student (and wise Sifu) will be aware of this and push through and reap the rewards.
    Sometimes, at 15-16 they get "too cook for Kung-Fu" but they usually come to their senses about four years later.
    Another crucial time is around 17 yrs old-when they get a drivers liscence,a part time job, and discover what their cup has been protecting all these years, and then ...dare I say it...a girlfriend. This spells only one thing in a Kung-Fu career.
    DOOM!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by TenTigers View Post
    there are specific times when a student is most likely to quit0usually within the first 100 days.
    Next is about the two-year mark, when he reaches an absorbtion level and feels he is plateauing. Any time you hit a plateau, it means you are on the verge of a breakthrough. The strong student (and wise Sifu) will be aware of this and push through and reap the rewards.
    Sometimes, at 15-16 they get "too cook for Kung-Fu" but they usually come to their senses about four years later.
    Another crucial time is around 17 yrs old-when they get a drivers liscence,a part time job, and discover what their cup has been protecting all these years, and then ...dare I say it...a girlfriend. This spells only one thing in a Kung-Fu career.
    DOOM!
    uh, all my teachers drove cars and were licensed drivers and as well, they were all married. Having a life shouldn't affect your training or any career.
    If it does, well there is something else amiss methinks.

    As an aside I think it's just a thing that people try and many don't like. What they really don't like is the aspect of hard work. Many people don't like hard work and so kungfu is not for these people. It cannot be approached half heartedly, It cannot be done with any measure of skill when half measures are taken in training.

    You must practiec each day, everyday even if it's just a little and you should practice with full mindfulness of what you are doing and pay attention to even the smallest minutia of what you're doing. At least 3x a week, you must practice with great diligence and for at the very least 1 hour.

    If your giving any less, you will reap that reward which is not as much as if you really immerse.
    Last edited by David Jamieson; 08-18-2006 at 10:59 AM.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  5. #5
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    TenTigers is right on.

    At the school I was at for the longest (11 years) we would lose them within 3 months, then at blue sash - things got harder then, also about 2 years and then there was what we called 'black sash burnout' that happened right after someone would get their first black sash around the 5 year mark.

    10% of 10% of 10% is what I always say. only 1 in 10 will get past the first couple of months; 1 in 10 past 2 years and 1 in 10 past 5.
    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  6. #6
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    uh, all my teachers drove cars and were licensed drivers and as well, they were all married. Having a life shouldn't affect your training or any career.

    were they 17?

  7. #7
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    at our school, the instuctors have been there for anywhere from 9 years (me) to 30+ years. we've got lots of students who have been there for more than 5 years, which i think if you can get thru 5 years, you are likely to stay. but we have far more who only go less than a year, and then you call them to find out what happened, and they always say they'll be back, but of course you never see them...
    Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po
    You then walk backwards, forcing him off his feet and then drag him by the eye socket and lips. You can pull so hard that the lips tear away. You will never hear such screaming.

  8. #8
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    A teenager shouldn't have to not have a life anymore than his teacher is what I'm saying tt.

    Growing up has it's parts and they should not be discluded and rather should be encouraged to integrate into ones training schedule so that all of it can be accomodated.

    age shouldn't matter. peoples lives change daily, the thing is when you have kungfu as a constant and you enjoy it, you find a way to make it all play nice together as opposed to just denying it outright.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  9. #9
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    That's why if you own a school you should recruit hot women to be in your classes--strippers, cheerleaders etc. Eye candy keeps the adolescent male in your school!
    Quote Originally Posted by Oso View Post
    AND, yea, a good bit of it is about whether you can fight with what you know...kinda all of it is about that.

  10. #10
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    you will indeed catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  11. #11
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    Every strip club I go to, I wrap a business card in a dollar bill.
    Quote Originally Posted by Oso View Post
    AND, yea, a good bit of it is about whether you can fight with what you know...kinda all of it is about that.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Judge Pen View Post
    That's why if you own a school you should recruit hot women to be in your classes--strippers, cheerleaders etc. Eye candy keeps the adolescent male in your school!
    that's always been my plan.


    and, again, my experience is like 10T's. I lost a good one when he started driving and dating....all because of the girls.

    And, another place you can lose teens is when they get old enough for sports at school. getting ready to lose another one to that. FTR, i'm not knocking sports in school but if you get a kid in martial arts, most likely it's a one off...as in you don't have his buddies from school and when they are all going out for soccer or whatever you could lose one to peer pressure. I've definitely got mixed feelings about losing this kid though. He was a soft little kid getting picked on in 5th grade because he had 'boobs' and now he's a much more aggressive 7th grader that I'll take some credit for.
    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  13. #13
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    i'm all for recruitng strippers to join our school. prostitues, too. we could have special after hours training sessions just for them
    Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po
    You then walk backwards, forcing him off his feet and then drag him by the eye socket and lips. You can pull so hard that the lips tear away. You will never hear such screaming.

  14. #14
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    I started karate when I was 4 .... quit when I was 12.

    Went to the college club a few times, didn;t like it, never went back but it motivated me to go back to my original dojo. Went back two or three times. Just wasn't ready.

    Moved to NY. Trained for 4 or 5 years with two different teachers. The last year was the best, fighting with gear. Motivated me. Found my master.

    First year and a half stoked on new material. Second year and a half disapointed that we didn't spar (internal school ) and started missing when the waves were good.

    Started doing more sets with boxing gloves. Got into it more. Lost my first San Da fight. Got mad about no sparring. Then got over it. Got more relaxed and casual about training.

    Had a few big leaps after learning from the fight, master fixed specific areas for me. Started fighting out. Won. Felt good.

    Went back into the ring. Lost again, broke my nose. Learned some more lessons.

    Now training harder than ever and getting ready to cage match for first time.


    It's like life. Up and down but it keeps going and you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.

    Sometimes a little break is good. It's good to get away. But train more than you don't.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ray Pina View Post
    But train more than you don't.
    That quote pretty much sums it up.

    I've seen people go from three months to a year or a bit more before they stop coming. Or the sloths that continue to come to class despite never practicing on their own time!

    I've only been here for five years so I have not seen a lot of people but I have seen a decent amount.

    Some things that discourage people:

    -Sifu doesn't teach for money so you don't get what you pay for. You get what you work for and earn.

    -Kung Fu is very difficult both mentally and physically.

    -You won't learn it all after six months or five years. Doesn't matter how good and how dedicated you are.

    -If you don't get the lesson you don't get the next one.

    -Sifu isn't going to feed your ego.

    -Humility: If you know it all then why not start your own school?

    -Effort and time can be difficult when MTV and CNN bring you all you need to know if 15 Sec blurbs.

    -Every level has lessons and tests that get harder and harder.

    -It is not easy.
    A unique snowflake

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