Shi Decheng

[GeneChing]

I'm announcing this all over because it's coming together rather last minute. I'll merge this with our Tiger Claw Foundation seminar thread after it's over. Hope some of you locals can come out and support!

Shaolin Small Hong Fist by Shaolin Warrior Monk Shi Decheng
3rd Annual Shi Decheng Shaolin Seminar
February 10th, 2007 1:00-3:00 Milpitas, CA

Small Hong Fist is one of the most popular forms practiced at Shaolin Temple today. Known in Chinese as xiaohongquan, this is a root form known by all Shaolin practitioners. If you’re new to Shaolin Kung Fu, Small Hong Fist is the first step towards mastery. If you’re already familiar with Small Hong Fist, this is an excellent opportunity to refine your skills with direct coaching from Master Shi Decheng. Following the seminar, Shi Decheng will be available for returning students to review of any previously learned Shaolin material.

Tuition: $45 per person.
For more information and to reserve your place, contact Gene Ching at 510-656-5100 X137 or Gene@KungFuMagazine.com.

Location: USA O-Mei Kung Fu Academy, 451 Los Coches St, Milpitas, CA 95035 408-719-9288

In cooperation with www.russbo.com, www.usaomei.com, and www.sdcshaolin-kungfu.com and www.KungFuMagazine.com.
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[GeneChing]

Still promoting my master's visit. He's my master, after all.

Hope some of you local members can make it. Right now, it's a pretty intimate group, which is great for the attendees, but I'm hoping for more.

[LFJ]

shi decheng- xiaohongquan

the ending is a little different here...

[GeneChing]

It'll look exactly like that, just not as pixelated.

Actually, that looks like older footage. Decheng looks younger. Hard to tell. And I'm not sure if he'll teach the short xiaohong or the full length xiaohong (the one demonstrated above). That'll probably depend on who shows up and what their aptitude is. For a few of the attendees, this will surely be a review seminar.

[Ravenshaw]

Out of curiosity, how many people have signed up? Many you don't know?

[GeneChing]

...that's great for you, since you'll get more attention, Ravenshaw. That sucks for me, because the last thing I need is more attention. I was hoping to hide behind other guys, big tall dudes like you, so my master doesn't beat the stuffing out of me again. As a disciple, one with crappy skills now, I get more and more Shaolin spankings. See my write-ups on the 2004 Shi Decheng Workshop and the 2005 Shi Decheng workshop. But enough whining from me. I'm hoping for more people just because it supports Shi Decheng in his travels. With Tiger Claw Foundation events, we make no money whatsoever. That $45 goes directly to Decheng. Through an arrangement with my other master, Shifu Tony Chen, we get to use the O-Mei school floor for free too. It's a longstanding tradition to support monks and masters in their travels (well, traveling masters like the jianghu is a totally different deal than seminars, but the essence of the gesture is still present). Unfortunately, many of the regular TCF seminar supporters are out of town or out of money next weekend. So here's hoping a few more show. At the very least, it'll be fun to be on the floor with you again, Ravenshaw. You can carry my body out after.

[Ravenshaw]

Assuming your skills really were crappy, wouldn't more attention be exactly what you need? We all need our teachers to slap us into line every once in a while if we don't keep it up. My double bass teacher can tell you that. It couldn't be pride, could it? That wouldn't be very Shaolin.

Or is it that, if you do it wrong, he "shows" you how to do it right? Lai Hung does that to me... but we don't share a common language, so that's not too surprising. I've never complained, but then again maybe I just enjoy getting hit by old men. Makes the kung fu seem more "authentic," no? You, know, like the movies.

[LFJ]

Actually, that looks like older footage. Decheng looks younger. Hard to tell.

yes, it must be at least 10-15 years old! lol

from the same program: this video is of shi yanfeng from houston, very young. or as he's called here- shi "xiao" feng. ha!

shi yanfeng- tongzigong

[GeneChing]

Ravenshaw: Nevermind me, I'm just stressing his visit. It's really bad timing for me personally. One of my dear friends passed away recently. I was at his bedside when he left. His memorial is the same time as our seminar, so I have to miss it. Also, my wife and I have previously scheduled something for that night so I have to hand my master off to Jeff for the evening. Plus we've just undertaken this massive project, so my work is really behind. Shaolin has this way of slapping me at the worst times. Perhaps that's the burden of being a disciple. Or maybe it's being a professional.

BTW, there's some talk of trying to have a little dinner thing after the seminar with Decheng. The timing is a little funny since there's a long break, but it still might come together.

I'm not going to get into your fetish for liking to be hit by old men. Must be a Sabbath thing. Remember, I used to work on Folsom, where people paid good money to get hit by scantily-clad women. We'd see them having cig breaks in the alleys a lot.

LFJ: I remember Yanfeng at that age. He was phenomenal. Technically, you can't take Shaolin monk vows until your eighteen, so Yanfeng couldn't adopt the generation name Yan until he came of age. He was what is known as a shami - a child disciple - back then, so xiao was a more fitting moniker.

[jason.]

Gene,

If it is any consolation I would love to attened if I lived out in your area,

I hope the seminar goes well!

[hasayfu]

Just wanted to let you know that I would love to join this seminar but I have a lion dance show for the elementary school during that time.

On a side note, we will be doing a show on the Sunday after the seminar at the grand opening of one of Chen Fei's sister schools in Mountain View. Lion dance and kung fu demo. I'll post more info in another thread once I get it.

Not sure if you guys want to come around.

[LFJ]

LFJ: I remember Yanfeng at that age. He was phenomenal. Technically, you can't take Shaolin monk vows until your eighteen, so Yanfeng couldn't adopt the generation name Yan until he came of age. He was what is known as a shami - a child disciple - back then, so xiao was a more fitting moniker.

right on. this xiao shami was definitely impressive. and look at him now.

btw, since everyone else is mentioning how much they'd like to attend the siminar- i too would love it, however i live in north dakota now and am making my next trip to shaolin soon.

[Ravenshaw]

Gene, very sorry to hear about the loss.

I probably won't be able to make it to the dinner if it happens since I need to be at work here in Davis at 9pm.

If old men beatings were a "fetish" as you put it, I'd give more credit to Priest than Sabbath. Zep was of course too stoned and "genius" to be violent.

Old Chinese men hitting you is just a part of the art, isn't it? Or maybe I'm just a prime target for demonstrations 'cause I'm the big, young, white guy. So they expect me to (a) take it when they beat up on me and (b) demonstrate the more athletic moves. That second part put a lot of pressure on me when it came time to learn #9. Lam Sifu said "watch Thomas do this part. He's young, he'll do it perfectly." Then he admonished me when I used my hands to pop up from the splits. And I didn't pop up high enough from the praying position.

You mentioned Jeff... from WLKF? If so, I haven't seen him in a long time. I doubt he'd even know me. Will he be attending?

hasayfu, pass me the info anyway. Like I mentioned, I'll have to be back here in Davis for the night, but if I can get out of it, I'd be interested.

[GeneChing]

In '99, Jeff, Justin and I spent some time together at Shaolin training under Shi Decheng. That's when Justin took his vows (I took mine in '96 which makes me Justin's double shixiong and I'll never, ever let him forget that ). Jeff never discipled under Decheng, but he's still a devoted student of him.

And you're totally right. Not about Sabbath/Zep mind you, but about being a big young white guy so ideal to take the fall in the mind of any Chinese master. I'll have to point that out to Decheng.

The Japanese call the fall guy role 'uke' which I believe to be onomatopoeia for the sound you make when your ass hits the floor. I'm glad you take it so well. That shows good character. We must have done something right at WLKF. Ah, it'll be good to see you, bro.

[GeneChing]

Ok, this is the last week I'll be pushing this thread, then I'll let it go until Decheng's next visit. They are predicting rain now, which is bumming me out more because it makes it tough to take Decheng sightseeing over the weekend.