The Economy and Kung Fu

[GeneChing]

Martial arts, particularly kung fu, tends to FLOURISH in hard economic times.

I'm curious what you base that on - do you have any stats? Any historical records? In modern America, martial arts is still discretionary and all discretionary practices tend to nosedive when the economy is bad except for entertainment. Recent indicators have shown an overall decline in the martial arts economy, with the exception of MMA, of course. Even that seems to be leveling off a bit now, but it's hard to tell.

[lkfmdc]

The economics of running a martial arts school have changed, adapt or perish! Since I track statistically my business, I can tell you there is no question there has been a "shift" and if you aren't compensating you are in for a very hard time

[Lucas]

being a banker i get to talk to a very very wide spectrum of business owners

those that are gym owners do seem to be having a harder time signing up members with the economic turn. people are focusing more on being thrifty, and cutting what costs they think that they can.

martial arts of course is different than your average gym. as you cant recieve instruction by yourself....so im not sure.

so far the people that seem to remain the most stable are those that provide needed services, or have nation wide or international sales.

[Kevin Huang]

I don't have stats or any "official" reports, unfortunately.

However, I do know people who are involved in both fulltime professional and part time professional (i.e. rec center) martial arts. Where I live, there's a lot of interest in both aspects. Gyms are full, enrollments are up, and people are training. It seems to be that way everywhere.

Historically in China, kung fu has survived EVERYTHING. It even survived Mao's killing fields in the mid 20th century. Wars, famine, and attrition have not been able to stamp out kung fu or those that teach it. I don't see that changing, though the paradigm of how kung fu is taught might change.

Maybe indeed there will be a big falling off of schools. I don't know. All I know is that I'm getting calls and teaching regularly, and so are a lot of my colleagues in kung fu. Until the calls and teaching stop, I'll keep on adapting to whatever the economy does.

One thing's for sure. There are going to be some martial arts teachers who experience huge booms in their enrollment BECAUSE of this economic downturn. Some of them will be kung fu teachers, including those of this website.

The best school owners (and I count anybody who teaches for $$$ a school owner, even if he only has one paying student) will create ways to adapt to any kind of situation.

[uki]

as a mason i can tell you that we have hade only one new home construction foundation job... usually we are banging out a foundation a week, but this year we've been taking chimneys, repointings, additions, and aesthetic masonry jobs... the housing market is busted... my boss has been in business for over 35 years and this is the worst one yet.

[GeneChing]

I thought I'd share it with you all here. Y'all seem like you'd appreciate it.

If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago, you would have $49 left. With Fannie Mae, you would have $2.50 left of the original $1,000. With AIG, you would have less than $15 left.

But if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drunk all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling refund, you would have $214 cash.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle!

[banditshaw]

I thought I'd share it with you all here. Y'all seem like you'd appreciate it.

I can definitely get down with that viewpoint.

[uki]

too bad i drink out of bottles only...

[cjurakpt]

to anyone interested in work that is usually the last to be "touched" by economic downturn I strongly suggest healthcare, OT or PT in particular, as it gives you a great deal of flexibility especially doing contract work; for me, on LI, doing almost entirely school-based PT, avg. hourly contract rate ~$60 - 70 and I am constantly turning down offers for work; I currently work ~20 hr. / week, and could easily double that in a day or two with 2 or 3 phone calls...

plus, in the event that there were to be some sort of extreme major economic meltdown, I could always work for barter, vis a vis doing manual therapy treatment (no equipment needed), especially acute care stuff (e.g. - spasmed necks, backs, etc.);

the quick route into the field would either OT / PT, or nursing (nurses are in huge demand, you can make your own hours, the pay is awesome and you can work in just about any field of medicine with relative autonomy, especially if you are LNP), or physician's assistant - 2 yrs. of school, can do pretty much everything an MD can do, work almost entirely autonomously (need "supervising" MD w/in certain distance of your practice), also in any branch you like; avg. pay 80 - 100K, maybe more (depending on where you practice);

age is apparently not much of an issue either, programs tend to like peeps with "life experience" in their classes

[GeneChing]

Last post on this thread: 2008
8 years later: FTW!

Watch: China’s Economy Explained Through Kung Fu
Remember the four principles
Charles Liu, April 20, 2016 12:05pm

In an effort to explain China’s economy to foreigners, the People’s Daily has published a video comparing Chinese economics to one of the country’s most ancient cultural hallmarks: kung fu.

According to the video, titled The Kung Fu of the Chinese Economy, there is an explanation rooted in Kung Fu for each and every recent economic policy introduced in China.



First, here’s the video The Kung Fu of the Chinese Economy:



Now, let’s take a look at the video’s four lessons:

Retreat to Move Forward 退为进 静制动



Borrowing from the final chapter of Sun Tzu’s The 36 Strategems (usually seen as 走为上), “retreat to move forward” describes the current sluggish state of the Chinese economy. As the video states, “Slower growth is needed to allow time for restructuring before pushing to the next level.”

“Retreat to move forward” also involves a “reactive” element adopting a “wait and see” posture, an element integral to certain martial arts like tai chi or wing chun emphasizing slower movements to “harness the power of your surroundings”.

Perseverance Ensures Success 徐疾有序 久久为功



“Don’t give up and you will eventually succeed” emphasizes the second principle. The second part of the principle speaks to the importance of “enduring small setbacks”. In kung fu it is important to train and learn to endure both the hottest and coldest days of the year to reach your full potential. According to the video, in economic terms, it is important to persevere and ride the hot highs as well as the cold lows.

Do as Nature Does! Learn from Nature! 天人合一 道法自然



According to the video, China’s massive economic growth must finally be reined in because “The Chinese economy can no longer afford to ignore the role of nature and the environment.” As the text above tells us, there must be “harmony between humans and nature; the Way of the Tao is to obey nature.”

Share Widely for Mutual Benefit 惠己达人 精进共享



In the video, the Chinese martial monk is seen giving a hand to different martial artists from different countries. We’re told that “Above all, Kung Fu strives to cultivate the mind by encouraging different styles and promoting integration and sharing,” and that “Sharing is also essential to the future of the Chinese economy.”

As nice as that sentiment is, sharing has never been an integral part of Kung Fu’s heritage in China, where competing sects and disciplines have historically battled one another for supremacy and secrecy, particularly in its cinematic depiction referred to in the video. To provide one recent example, this spring’s latest Ip Man sequel features a plot based upon one kung fu master trying to win martial dominance in a city through a hostile and brutal takeover where sharing is not allowed.



Kung fu is a culture that can provide enormous benefits to its practitioners. Likewise, the Chinese economy has made tremendous strides over the past decades. And yet, despite Westerners looking for answers, comparing martial arts to the slowing state of the Chinese economy seems a bit of a stretch.



Source: People's Daily Online
Photos: People's Daily Online

Charles Liu
The Nanfang's Senior Editor

[GeneChing]

Congrats to Pedro for getting on Forbes!

APR 20, 2016 @ 08:39 AM 3,319 VIEWS
3 Lessons For Entrepreneurs From The Ancient Art Of Kung Fu
David K. Williams , CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

The skills of entrepreneurship have been compared to many endeavors. Warfare. Games of strategy (“Let’s go chessboard it”). Athletic contests. And how about… Kung Fu? During the past year I’ve had the chance to spend time with a world master of the ancient Martial Art of Kung Fu, Pedro Cepero Yee (a Sifu Level, 8th Dan). Now 52, Yee has been inducted into both the World Martial Arts and United International Kung Fu Hall of Fame.

Yee was introduced to Kung Fu at the age of 6 by a Filipino family who lived nearby. At 10, he began formal studies in the arts of Karate, Shuai Jiao, Wing Chun and his chosen art, Hung Ga Kung Fu. In addition to his accomplishments in Kung Fu, he is a life coach, a mentor, an expert in Chinese bodywork and, most recently, a writer and author, working to help people at all levels break through their self-imposed limitations to attain the highest possible accomplishments in their chosen work and their personal lives.

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Entrepreneurship requires long and deliberate practice according to Pedro Cepero Yee (Image courtesy of Pedro Yee)

Kung Fu, as a category, is much more than a Martial Art. It includes any practice that requires patience, energy and time to master. Beyond a sport or a form of defense, it is a process of slow and deliberate practice over a long period of time that strengthens body and spirit and, most importantly of all, the mind.

Yee was not a child of privilege. He learned perseverance and a strong work ethic from his mother, Yolanda Rivera, and the power of keeping his word and always aiming higher from his adoptive father, Master Frank Yee, who is one of the most recognized martial artists in the world. Pedro credits his achievements to the support of his family, friends and wife Magdalena, “who breathes life into any endeavor I choose.” (In a similar way, my great friend, photographer and life coach, Damira Maricic, has been responsible for helping me see a way through a transformational period in my own life and business as well.)

Yee teaches entrepreneurs and others The Breathing Mind Perspective, developed through years of his own study, work and personal experiences. In a world where time is of the essence, he notes that many people are pulling themselves backwards as they devote their time and energy to correcting the mistakes of the past. Whether it is a relationship, a life trauma or a work experience, the focus on correcting the past becomes a drawn-out process that may never end.

“Unless the past is corrected, how can the future be good?” people tend to believe. In contrast, Yee advises those he instructs to make the best of the present moment. Here are Yee’s three greatest teachings that can influence today’s entrepreneurs:

Lost time cannot be recovered. Once an experience has passed, it is finished, not to be touched again. “People become immobilized if they believe what they’ve done in the past will always define who they are,” he maintains. “This is an illusionary concept created by the mind. It is called judgmental thinking. It is harmful, like a ball and chain, to present and future endeavors.” Any mistake a person makes, whether it is by poor choice or direct malice, cannot be erased. The most effective way to move forward is to recognize that you cannot change the past. Instead, you may choose to begin from today a new way of living, a new way of being, a new way of doing. This concept frees us to make amends, accept accountability and continue on the pathway of learning and discovery. For example, many entrepreneurs saddle their current businesses with shame or embarrassment over failures they’ve had in the past. Or they may attempt to overcompensate for past mistakes by going overboard in the present, as if the acts of atonement must happen again and again. Don’t waste your time and life living in the past,” Yee suggests. “To think that we must correct the past by revisiting it over and over again is old, outdated and ingrained societal teaching. Ultimately, it leaves us stranded on the carousel of life simply moving around and around. Over time we fall further behind.” To be clear, Yee doesn’t consider the past to be useless. He is simply reminding all who are around that we don’t live there anymore. The value of the past is in providing us with guidelines for what we do and do not wish to repeat. But the past does not and should not rule who we are and what we are doing in our lives and businesses now.

Trust is built over time. Once you give your word, do your best to keep it. This is where deep trust begins. From consistency of action, society at large becomes accustomed to the changes you make and it establishes trust in you. In business, consistency in a new direction allows organizations to move toward greater success by establishing trust in what they are doing with reliability now. Over time, the mistakes of the past become simply the early chapters of a book we can choose not to read again. Change is always within our grasp, Yee explains. “If change begins with a decision made in the mind, and the mind controls your actions, why are you not on track to be where you want to be at this very moment?”

The future is now. How many entrepreneurs fall victim to living and working within the perspective of the perpetual “five-year plan”? It is a condition of entrepreneurship so typical it is even humorous, as when pressed, most entrepreneurs must admit they are continually living in the hope of a distant future. For most, the time is never elapsing. As an entrepreneur, you must recognize that there’s no better time than the present to build a stronger future for your business by adopting a new perspective on all you are doing today.

The term “Kung Fu” refers to “work” and “achievement.” Take it from a Kung Fu Master: get to work and see what you can achieve right now and every day to ensure your success both now and into the future as well.

[SteveLau]

When the economy is prospering, people tend to spend more on non-essential things. When in hard time, they tend to cut down on their activities including Kung Fu training. It is that simple.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[David Jamieson]

When the economy is prospering, people tend to spend more on non-essential things. When in hard time, they tend to cut down on their activities including Kung Fu training. It is that simple.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

Well, you don't have to stop training because money is tight and times are hard.
But you likely won't be forking out cash hand over fist to a club or school.

I find that when times are prosperous, people train less and pursue pleasure more.
Eating, entertainment, having a good time seems to have more value in good times.

Hard core people. People who live and breath, eat and sleep their passion, those people don't care what time it is. They will find a way.

[Jimbo]

When the economy is prospering, people tend to spend more on non-essential things. When in hard time, they tend to cut down on their activities including Kung Fu training. It is that simple.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

True, but if someone knows what they're doing, he/she can still train their Kung Fu on their own for free. Any serious practitioner should be doing that anyway, even if they're also attending a school. If someone only practices/trains when their sifu is there and skips it when he's not, they're not really serious about the art. Since 2009, my MA training hasn't cost me a cent, but I still do it because it's one of my true passions, and it's an indispensable part of my life. I've actually improved in some aspects. It's not always optimal but you do what you can. If someone is serious and passionate about it, they will MAKE the time for it.