any 8step sifu students out there?

[8stepsifu]

If there are 8 Step sifu Students on this sight or anywhere, you guys should get in contact. It might just reduce the 90% drop out rate and boost morale. Besides who else goes through that kind of training? WHo else could understand what your going through?

[baji-fist]

Hello,

I am a practioner of traditional wushu in the Wu-Tan kuo shu lineage. One of the style we teach is the eight step system, although in our branch, we specialize in the seven star method. My teacher is sifu Kurt Wong and his mantis instructor is Sifu Su Yu Chang of New York. I have only learned one eight step form, Da Fan Che. I really enjoy that form and found the eight step system a very interesting one.

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You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet.

[8stepsifu]

Da Fan Che(big rolling wheel) is a fun set. Are you one of Adam Hsu's students? Do you learn the applications to your sets?

[8stepmantis]

8stepsifu, if you know why we are dropping like flies then what can you do about it???

I have been in the system for a couple of years and love it but moral is down and not enough is being done in class for sifu students. We need to add more classes just for us and take what we are being tought to a higher level. We must beable to work more on our levels. Not jut begiven a piece of paper and go study. If that where the case, then I would have just bought a book and studied off that. I love the system and really want to work more not just teach to others. I know it is part of our duty but "we" need to train ourselves. I really wish something can be done so that we can get serious and go beyond the papers and learn like The Wu style Tai Chi or combat. Why should I stay in a system that has no trust in no one and too afraid to teach anything. It is getting very boring......

[baji-fist]

8stepsifu,

Yeah, Da Fan Che is a very fun form. It is one of my favorite forms so far in the preying mantis lineage.

To answer your question, no I am not a student of Sifu Adam Hsu. I am a student of Sifu Kurt Wong of Wu-Tan Martial Arts Center of Alaska. His principle teacher was sifu Su Yu Chang. From master Su, he learned seven star, eight step, six harmony, long fist mantis styles and Bajiquan / Piquazhang. Sifu Wong became a disciple of the late GM Liu Yun Qiao. From GM Liu, sifu Wong's baji and piqua were refined. Later sifu Wong was referred to sifu Adam Hsu to refine his Chen Taijiquan, and Jiao Men Changquan. Sifu has also been dabbling in Yin Ssu Bagua with sifu He Jian Bao and Dr Xie Pei Qi.

Sifu has taught us the applications of the form. Usually he has us do the form for 2-3 months then we work on applications. I have noticed that a lot of our mantis forms are a bit heavier than those of other lineages. A lot of the elements of Baji were included in our forms. Currently I have been working on Bajiquan. I am hoping that sifu will teach some more mantis forms. They are really fun to do.

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You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet.

[8stepsifu]

Yo 8stepmantis,

WHo is your teacher? You shouldn't be getting a sheet of paper to study off of, you should be going through throws in your class, then in your free time(you make time) you go through throws and apps w/ the other sifu students. Remember most of the training is on your own. During the Sifu Program I was working out a lot on my own. Sometimes it felt very lonely, but I did lots of long forms and practiced things I could do by myself, when I had another body it was strictly two man material. As for dropping like flies. I know its hard. Navy Seal recruits are dropping like flies too, but look at the end product. I have no idea why you aren't learning tai chi, but you are certainly learning combat. Not everything is handed on a nice silver platter, you have to do the physical training or else the apps are will be useless to you. Try your apps fighting. See why or why not they are working for you. Start fighting. Try to see the big picture. If your not practicing the material you see, you are not learning it and making it yours. I typed a term paper in a Horse Stance and I have talked to other sifu's that have kept as much weight on their legs while sitting at a desk to even practice in school. Many sifu students have taken what they learned to tournaments and done well. Some sifu students are bouncers that use what they learn on a regular basis. To booste morale I believe that Sifu Students across the country should talk about their training and they can adapt to it and make their lives efficient. How about sharing mnumonic devices? Thats the only way to remember all the throws in 3rd grade. Just tell what changes you want to see or ideas that you have. We all feel low at one point or another during our training, we go through our peaks and valleys.
"Too afraid to teach anything"? Im still trying to swallow all the information that was crammed into me in the last two years. What haven't you learned? Im willing to bet money that your not doing the endurances or the training that makes your body have kung fu. I think its only going into you head. The Sifu program was a lot of things, but it was never boring. For some reason you not getting the whole traing. E-Mail Sifu Kevin Loftus ( kloftus@usd.edu) and tell him what things you would like to see done. He is currently U.S. representative and it's his job to make sure things are running smoothly.

Hope your training picks up
Andy

Hello Everyone
are u guys learning 8 step mantis or shyun style 8 step mantis? I heard from my one of my sifus here in SF that most schools out there teach the plain 8 step while the students in the sufu program here boast that they learn Shyun style which is more effective. Is this true? Does anyone know any of the sifus out here in sf?

[PeteB]

The only grandmaster of 8 Step Mantis is Grandmaster Shyun. If you are learning pure 8 Step you are learning Shyun Style 8 Step.

[PeteB]

By the way, just wanted to say thanx to all my 8 Step brothers who wished me good luck in Baltimore. I took 3rd place in forms competition in the northern mantis division. I'm ****ed though. When I went to compete in Shuai Jiao they said I needed a traditional Shuai Jiao uniform (I didn't have one). It's okay though. I'm thinkin bout goin to the Wong Fei Hung tournament (Hope they have shuai jiao divisions there). Again thanks for all the encouragement.

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When man is born he is soft and weak; When man dies he becomes stiff and hard. Thus, the stiff and unyielding follow death; The soft and yielding follow life.

[8stepsifu]

Yo Pete,
Congrats on placing in forms. What sets did you do? Anyway Master Wei had park students in Taiwan that he told all the trivia like the twelve characters etc. Then he told them that they knew it all. Only problem was that you can know that "grab" is a character. So what? I can grab a pencil. That doesn't teach them how it fits in to the context of the whole system. They didn't have anything compared to what a disciple of Master Wei recieved. Master Wei's intentions were to pass the system on to one person as it had been for the last 200 years. Park students=pocket change. Su Yu Tsiang is the only one that got anything worthwhile and he still got scraps(tasty scraps) compared to Master Sun. Sets were public, the whole picture was not. If your learning from Shyun Style 8 Step your on the road to getting the whole picture, otherwise your getting some 8 Step sets and chop suey. Master Sun is not against any 8 Step Sifu teaching as long as they present the material as it has been standardized for public teaching. Of course that would involve the Sifu Program....
lots of love,


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8Step Sifu

[molum_jr]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PeteB:
The only grandmaster of 8 Step Mantis is Grandmaster Shyun. If you are learning pure 8 Step you are learning Shyun Style 8 Step. [/quote]

Elaborate please. What is "pure 8 step?"

[8stepsifu]

I didn't post this thread for people to knit pick over nonsense. I posted it so that people could get in contact with other people that understand the kind of training neccisary to become a sifu of 8 Step. If you learned the old way then talk about your training otherwise your not sharing anything, but resentment.

Now for the real question. What is your most dreaded kung fu endurance. Mine is leg lifting. Second would be three buddahs. Oh and falling stance for ten minutes. (I cried like a baby after that one) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[PeteB]

Don't forget about those single leg squats.

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When man is born he is soft and weak; When man dies he becomes stiff and hard. Thus, the stiff and unyielding follow death; The soft and yielding follow life.

[8stepsifu]

No kidding it's like injecting lactic acid into your ass every time you dip down. The most I could get without falling over was 50 and I had to do 150 per leg for 5th grade testing [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] My legs were huge though [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] Name some of your favorite applications. One of mine is low side kick. It reminds me of a spin move in football. WHat grade are you working on Pete?

[PeteB]

Actually I'm getting ready to take the upcoming sifu test being held in Iowa.
As for my favorite application. I really like monkey holding the sceptor from the joint lock level. Those leg locks are effective and easy to get as long as you know where to apply them.

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When man is born he is soft and weak; When man dies he becomes stiff and hard. Thus, the stiff and unyielding follow death; The soft and yielding follow life.

[This message has been edited by PeteB (edited 08-10-2000).]