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Hello!
Does anyone have any websites to any schools that they RECENTLY visited in the past year and trained/toured their? What was the quality? how was it? learned a lot? were they strict on basics/foundation? If so, please respond and provide website address also!
Does anyone know if Shi De Yang still have/run a school in china and teaches? anyone got the website?
What about Shi De Cheng? Anyone got a website for him also?
Thank You in advance!
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I've been going every year to study with Shi Deyang, and will be back there in less than a month once again. He has several websites.
His official international website listing branch schools and international collaborators is here: www.shideyang.com
His specific school websites are here: Chinese | English
As for the quality of his school- due to the recent influx of foreign students in the past few summers, the school has been able to afford updates.
The pipes froze one winter and burst, leaving the school with no working western toilets or showers. You'd have to use the nasty outdoor trough, and take a real shower once a week at a place down the street for 20 Yuan. Now that has all been repaired, plus new Air Conditioning in the rooms.
The exterior of the building was completely painted over, cleaning up all the dirty grime on the walls that used to make the atmosphere kind of depressing. It is now brightly colored. You should see contrasting pictures! The driveway was paved basically by hand in just a few days.
The dining hall also had a makeover. It used to be like eating in a cold dark cave. It now has a real floor and is cleaned up. And the best part about it is that the new cooks are amazing!
Now what really matters- the training:
Shi Deyang at one point had all the students of the school gather on the courtyard as he lectured them on the basics. He said it was his goal to have the best basics in all of Shaolin. I think by looking at his stances, he pretty much achieved his goal. That same stress on the basics is evident in the quality of the students and coaches at his school.
The senior coach Shi Xingbin is probably the best coach I've ever trained with anywhere in the world. Last year all I did was have him iron out one or two forms I already knew. I didn't learn anything "new" but in just 10 minutes with him I felt my ability and knowledge improve drastically. Unlike many coaches over there (I've trained with several) who just say "good, good", he actually tells you how to improve in great detail with every posture and sequence, and pushes you very hard to get the speed, power, and spirit to show. Best learning experience ever!
It has been about a year since then, so I'm not just speaking from the excitement of having just done it. I've been training all my life, and also with Shi Deyang and many coaches. This is certainly the best coach I've ever had. Without that experience, all of my Gongfu would have just stayed at the same level. I would have never been able to break through to the level he brought me up to.
Banned
I lived, worked, trained (and loved!) in China about 20 years ago, so "recent" is right out the window.
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Even "2 years ago" is no longer recent, for China! You'll go back and not recognize a thing.
Banned
Originally Posted by LFJ
Last time I was back was about 6-7 years ago and it was a different world (though I didn't get out of a couple of hotels and conference halls in Beijing, so...)
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http://www.shaolinwugulun.com/
This school is run by Master Wu Nanfang. His school teaches very traditional Shaolin gongfu and comes highly recommended. If you are willing to practice your Chinese, train hard, withstand the peculiarities of rural China, and stay away from beer during your stay, I think you will get an excellent foundation in Shaolin gongfu.
I would also recommend training under Shi Decheng, but I know he primarily teaches overseas these days. He has a school in Dengfeng but I was only able to visit for a few hours last year. I've trained under him several times before, personally receiving lessons from him, and he is a joy to train with. His workouts are incredibly demanding but he is very skilled in coaching foreign students.
If you are interested in studying Sanda, I would recommend the various sports universities, as they will give you the best value for your money.
Though this has been the case in the past, many of the private martial arts schools in China highly overestimate their worth in terms of tuition fees and negotiating your fees will be necessary.
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LFJ: Thanks, perfect response. I really want to get with Shi De Yang, I seen him produce fine students. I plan to go for maybe a week and bring maybe like 10-15 friends along and we all want to train. I really looking for more basic training, and just doing line drills over and over. Don't really care about learning a form. Just want to drill basics and learn how to improve and stuff. (I know some places all they will do it just teach you 1 or 2 forms and bam that it, and dont even really correct you or teach you how to make it better or anything, i am certainly not looking for that)
Does Shi De Yang still teach at Fa Wang temple? or was fa wang temple taught by someone else? I forgot, its been a while.
I understand if i do sign up at shi de yang school, it will be most likely one of his coaches teaching us anyways, but if shi de yang approves it, then that good enough for me!
pazman: I will look into that website also! Thanks!
everyone else: anyone else got any more websites for me to look into and personal experience to share?
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This sounds like a very good approach if you only have a week. But if it's at all possible to stay longer I think you'd really benefit. I believe it takes a week just to get over the jet-lag and get used to the lifestyle and daily routine of the school. It's really good to get the feeling of calming down and having all the time in the world: even for just doing basics.
Just my 2 cents, ymmv
Publisher
We have a thread devoted to My Master Shi Decheng. Unfortunately, his school website is offline at the moment. He's coming to visit America soon. When I get more details, I'll post it on the thread above.
Gene Ching
Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
Author of Shaolin Trips
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Rett: I would love to stay longer, but work won;t allow it.
I will probably be in china for 2 weeks. 5 day tour, 5 day training, 4 days for travel time. Thanks for the advice though! Really wish I could do a 3 month program.....
Gene: thanks! I was wondering what happened to his website!
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This month there are about that many in a group from Italy at the school.
At some places you have to make your intentions clear, otherwise they'll assume you're just coming to learn something neat to take home.I really looking for more basic training, and just doing line drills over and over. Don't really care about learning a form. Just want to drill basics and learn how to improve and stuff. (I know some places all they will do it just teach you 1 or 2 forms and bam that it, and dont even really correct you or teach you how to make it better or anything, i am certainly not looking for that)
As mentioned, last time I didn't even learn anything "new". Just drilled the basics and improved what I already knew. They really emphasize basics there, as you would expect from Shi Deyang.
That was Shi Hengjun mostly, but Shi Deyang still has a great connection to this temple.Does Shi De Yang still teach at Fa Wang temple? or was fa wang temple taught by someone else? I forgot, its been a while.
All of his coaches are also his personal disciples and have been training with him directly for years. So in their own right, they are world class instructors who have also been invited to various countries for teaching, just like Shi Deyang.I understand if i do sign up at shi de yang school, it will be most likely one of his coaches teaching us anyways, but if shi de yang approves it, then that good enough for me!
I don't know when you're planning to go, but I will be there in a few weeks. If you need help arriving and getting settled for whenever you're going, feel free to pm me!
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Plan to go in the summer on 2012.
Your replies are really helpful, yeah I just wish I spoke mandarin a little better so I can tell them what I exactly want. I have trained shaolin before, so I know the terms and stuff, but my accent is not that great. Does Shifu Shi De Yang have an english translator?
I will be sure to send you a PM when I am ready to actually plan.
How long will you be there for?
Thanks again for the reply!
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I go there every year, and usually take new people over or help them get there. Due to teaching obligations at home, I'm only going for the month of September this time.
Shi Deyang has an English translator, but the coaches have been learning English, and although it is broken still, you can communicate your desires to them just fine.
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