Shi De Yang's Wushuguan?

[ZhuiQuan]

Does Shi De Yang still have a school? Does he still accept foreign students? I tried to go to the website that was written at the end of the article about him in Kung Fu Magazine... but I think it's too old.

[wall]

Yes to both questions, however his school is in pretty poor conditions even by DengFeng standards and I'm not sure most foreigners could handle staying there.

Shi De Yang is very famous yet chooses to be very non-commercial, which is most admirable and very Chan, however it does translate to little $$$ and little political support for his school, which is consequently in a very bad state.

Also remember that the teaching is mostly done by his appointed instructors, he is the head Master.

A better option if your teacher has some contacts and credibility is to stay elsewhere but get in touch with Shi De Yang and ask him to teach you, say one session every morning or afternoon during yor stay in DengFeng: if he has time, likes you, you have a little luck, and you offer a suitable fee / donation to his school, it can be done.

Wall

UPDATE 2011: following various projects developed by Shi De Yang's two foreign disciples the school has been somewhat improved over the last 5 years, and today has much better lodgings to cater for foreign visitors ... still very "spartan" but a little less then before (hot water, shower, western toilet, etc).

Shi De Yang however is today very busy writing books and managing various things at the Temple, so the teaching in the school is now entirely done by three of his local disciples; Shi De Yang occasionally supervises the classes but only teaches his disciples or most senior students.

[GeneChing]

ZhuiQuan, do you mean my article Shaolin Here and Now: Senior Monk Shi Deyang Contemplates the Mystery of Shaolin Zen (2004 Shaolin Special - July/August)? I did that interview at Deyang's school. It's not uncommon for Chinese websites to go belly up, but I beleive his school is still there. It's a large school - Deyang has quite a following. I have seen foreigners training there, but according to Deyang, he offers foreigners no special privileges. They are just thrown in with the rest of the PRC students. If you don't know the language, that might not be so fun. In fact, it would be rather harsh. You wouldn't get to work with Deyang. You'd work with one of his many instructors. Wall is right. If I sought instruction from Deyang, I'd try to secure private lessons. Although I wouldn't say Deyang's school isn't 'commercial' or in that poor condition. There are plenty of schools that are much lower on the Dengfeng feeding chain. In fact, I'd rate Deyang's school as one of the top twenty or so, at least for foreigners, mostly due to his reputation.

[GeneChing]

True, compared to Epo or the Wushuguan, Deyang's place looks like a prison yard. But some are much worse. You got to figure with 80 registered schools - if you've seen ten, that's only 12.5%. That being said, it's a lot more than most people have seen, most foreigners at least. But there are some unbelievably spartan schools, and some really rundown ones too. Such is China. Still, Deyang is a well known master so his school is actually on the upper end as Dengfeng schools go. Perhaps on the lower side of the upper end, but still much better than some of the real bottom end schools. Plus, as you know, there's a lot of unregistered schools. Those are ridiculously nasty. There used to be more of those before the big relocation.

I've always admired Deyang too. I was very pleased to be able to showcase his demo in my Shaolin Trips: The First World Traditional Wushu Festival DVD.

[richard sloan]

Wow Wall, good for you, that is awesome work you have done.

Shi De Yang is quite the man. I have fond memories of him chewing up crabs, shells and all, the last time he visited with us, lol...

I was at his school a few years back when they first had to move to a new location because of the purge. With a little green chi, he was able to get into an abandoned public school I think it was. It was very touching, most of us were rendered utterly speechless, if not outright sobbing wrecks, by his humility and profound sense of being in the face of extreme adversity...it may sound strange but the simple gestures of a bottle of water for each of us, the planted flowers...this is hard for me to describe actually so I will stop before it comes out as rambling and exceptionally foolish.

[wall]

Wow Wall, good for you, that is awesome work you have done.

Shi De Yang is quite the man. I have fond memories of him chewing up crabs, shells and all, the last time he visited with us, lol...

I was at his school a few years back when they first had to move to a new location because of the purge. With a little green chi, he was able to get into an abandoned public school I think it was. It was very touching, most of us were rendered utterly speechless, if not outright sobbing wrecks, by his humility and profound sense of being in the face of extreme adversity...it may sound strange but the simple gestures of a bottle of water for each of us, the planted flowers...this is hard for me to describe actually so I will stop before it comes out as rambling and exceptionally foolish.

I know what you mean, last time I was there, last year, the school was in a really poor state and yet he would always be such grateful host, sharing the little they had.
Also, chatting with one of the instructors, it came out that their income is very low because almost no foreigners stay there (the place is just too poor for most) and quite a few of the local kids are actually not paying tuition because they come from poor peasant families, and De Yang does not kick them out if they skip payments ... He's really a great guy, the sort of guy a Shaolin Monk is in our imagination (but rarely today in reality).

We are doing what we can by launching this project which I think will be really good for him. Now we are just stuck with the visas ... 6 weeks to go and the embassy is causing us all sort of anxiety by constantly delaying the visa issue: flights are being booked, events are planned, advertising has started, sponsors have written the big donation cheques ... fingers crossed!

Wall

[silentstorm]

I know what you mean, last time I was there, last year, the school was in a really poor state and yet he would always be such grateful host, sharing the little they had.
Also, chatting with one of the instructors, it came out that their income is very low because almost no foreigners stay there (the place is just too poor for most) and quite a few of the local kids are actually not paying tuition because they come from poor peasant families, and De Yang does not kick them out if they skip payments ... He's really a great guy, the sort of guy a Shaolin Monk is in our imagination (but rarely today in reality).

We are doing what we can by launching this project which I think will be really good for him. Now we are just stuck with the visas ... 6 weeks to go and the embassy is causing us all sort of anxiety by constantly delaying the visa issue: flights are being booked, events are planned, advertising has started, sponsors have written the big donation cheques ... fingers crossed!

Wall

My intuition was right! Although it is just one year, that I have been learning Kung Fu, (well, the modern Wu Shu as that is what I have access to), my intention was to go t a school, that followed the ancient tradition or kept as close to it as possible. Interestingly, this was the school, that I clicked first and felt, that i where I need to. A call may be. Your comments prove my conviction. being spartan or in poor shape is not a criterion. It is the essence, that counts. Your comments are like a beacon. Thank you. I shall keep these in mind.
Regards