I get many requests for certain styles, some quite rare. And my advice is almost always the same: stop looking for certain styles and train with the best teacher, regardless of style, in your area.
I really wish someone had told me that years ago. I would have earned multiple black belts in styles like judo and aikido under great teachers and my taijiquan would be easily twice as good as now.
Many people turn up their noses at “common” styles and that’s a huge mistake. We often go (ahem!) around the world to get what we could probably get around the corner.
Looking for a great shuai jiao teacher but can’t find one in your area? Why not check out that ex-judo champ in town that has trained dozens of black belts? Want to study baguazhang but can’t find it near you? Why not spend some time looking at your local aikido teacher?
While these styles aren’t exact duplicates of each other, they are usually similar enough that you’ll likely get most of what you wanted anyhow. And you’ll be miles ahead of others if you ever do find that exotic style.
Good teachers are rare to find, so NEVER pass up a good one just because he doesn’t teach the exact thing you want. To a large extent, martial skill is martial skill. If you can use it, that’s what matters. What the name is hardly matters at all.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Ben // Jun 8, 2008 at 2:49 am
But the question remains, how do you find the best teacher in the area? Is there a central resource where all the schools in a given region are reviewed, regardless of style?
2 wayne hansen // Jun 8, 2008 at 9:11 am
BEN
be lucky.
the student cant tell,organisations are political
and pupils are guided by how they are taught and are loyal to their teacher.
above all be lucky.
3 meow // Jun 8, 2008 at 2:57 pm
easy, ask yourself what youre looking for in martial arts, if you look enough, youll be able to notice what youre looking for in your teacher (also, if youre really clueless, just go in and ask your teacher for a fight, if he kicks your ass, hes got something to teach u)
4 Edward // Jun 8, 2008 at 7:32 pm
But - who couldn’t kick MY ass, anyway?
5 wayne hansen // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:43 am
if it was who could kick your arse,we would all be learning off haystacks calhoon or andre the giant.
if it was who looked best we would all be learning wu shu.
in these days where billing companies are running courses to teach their clients to be martial arts millionaires regardless of ability,it becomes a little harder for the student to find a good teacher.
i see how confused most people who post on this site are,many of them having years of expierence.
listen to how easily so many people use martial metephore to veil their lack or real understanding.
so please dont tell the neophite that the prise is so easy to grasp when most of you so obviously struggle with finding the correct path yourselves.
just let tyhe beginner know if he is lucky at the start the rewards are endless.
6 BL // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:29 am
(listen to how easily so many people use martial metaphor to veil their lack or real understanding.)
do you have this understanding?
7 B_Wutang // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:57 am
A FEW CONSIDERATIONS
A. Martial Arts Style and Personal Appeal - If a style appeals to you, why does it appeal to you? Is it because of its effectiveness on the ground, close fighting, long distance, throwing, philosophy/energy ideas? Perhaps, there are other styles that would similarly appeal to you.
B. Goals and Your Motivations- Similarly, why do you want to practice that martial art - to learn to relax, to get in shape and improve physical coordination and get strong, to learn to defend yourself, to improve your concentration, to lose weight, to spar, etc. Which are most important for you?
C. Shared Vision and Training Strategy - In choosing a teacher, does the teacher walk the talk and do you agree with the talk? If you’re going for good health - is he in his 70s and in great health or is he overweight and in his 40s? If you want to grow and develop as a person, does the teacher claim to be an internal martial arts expert- is he very mature in his dealing with others or does he think kung fu is just for kicking ass? Make sure you agree with his vision of what kung fu training is for - similar to goals, except this includes whether the teacher is qualified or can back up his/her claims. Also, do you agree with the training approach which is related to the teacher’s vision (breaking boards, punching bag, weights, standing chi kung, meditation, acupuncture, etc.)
D. Shared Culture/Structure - Fit and Learning Style - Are classes formal or informal, are things explained or shown explicitly or are they modeled, is it hierarchical/flat, is it open to all kinds of people or is it really attracting only a specific type people and do you fit in? Does the teacher teach in a style that works for you? You are less likely to succeed if you do not fit in and, conversely, more likely to learn if you do fit in.
E. Research by Word of Mouth/Network - If you can, talk to former students and current students and get their impressions of the school and the training. This is another way to find out which teachers have integrity and are honest in their dealing with students - honest about their lineage and claims, and also about their strengths and weaknesses as teachers, etc. Separate marketing hype from substance in the training by asking former and current students.
Ultimately, the best teacher is the one that works best for you, not what works best for someone else.
I am very lucky to have two teachers who are the real deal, teach really differently from each other, and are the best for me.
On a lighter note - check out KUNG FU PANDA with your kids if you have any - funny and good message that what you need is a kung fu teacher who believes in you, regardless of how you were when you first walked through the front door for training.
8 neijia // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:12 pm
My kids loved the kung fu panda, too. They are interested to “train” now. We’ll see if that lasts more than a few days, lol. I’ll certainly encourage it!
9 wayne hansen // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:57 pm
bl
you will have to lay a better trap to catch an old fox.
10 Hermann // Jun 9, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I concure with Mr. Hansen.
Even judo and aikido have a few common things, they also teach a lot of totally different stuff. And when I played (working as an interpreter) with Udo Quellmalz, 1989, 1990 world champion in 65 kg, I knew the same like with 2 6th dan aikido friends, that I never could learn with them what I learned in Taibei in ICMA.
If you need to kill a Hells Angels biker with his chain, you are in the wrong place, form the very beginning.
Lately, everybody talks about fighting, but I still wonder who ever really fought. I myself did competitions in forms and phs, painfulff free sparring in between, but in 25 years never needed to fight for god’s sake.
11 mantis // Jun 17, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Mr Thau please, create in CGI a rare Kung Fu style teacher in my hometown. Try to do it please.
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