Cameron

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Might as well mention my BJJ teacher in Korea to. Amazing skill only aquired by decades of training combined with sick genetics.

That's something to take into account also. Like BJJ is great fun and all but who really lasts in it? Most people seem to get injured or quit after they reach a certain age.

Even aikido, as much fun as it is I have seen too many people with banged up bodies.

This is definetly an area the Chinese arts seem to really shine. When I look at the Xing yi dude I studied with in the States or the older Chinese Masters they still look in great shape into old age. A testament to their practice and methods.

 

How many Masters of Martial Arts have you known that haven't put in their life into their art? My Aikido sensei spent several decades in Aikido. My Tai Chi teacher spent decades in Tai Chi. Interestingly enough, they are both also highly accomplished artists (one is painter and the other a jazz musician)...I would venture to say either of them would not have reached their level of accomplishment without having "cultivated" their crop like a farmer would grow his crop?

Absolutely. My Aikido teachers(some direct live in students of O'Sensei) didn't train in their art it was their life.

The American lineage Xing Yi yeacher I am friends with dedicated his life to the practice and now in his 70's is still strong as a bull.

Anyone going to Winn's wedding on Hua Shan? I am still working but incedently my girlfriend just asked me if I want to marry her and thought this would be an awesome place to make our marriage vows if we are serious.

I made another thread about Hua Shan in the summer. Might turn into Cameron's Hua Shan wedding too! A bunch of Taoists, Iranians and Chinese people would be a trip

Cool, I already have a main practice that I am totally dedicated to. This is more just "supplemental" stuff.

Like, my teacher is very skilled in Chinese IMA but it's not really his thing to teach it martially. He does small classes now more as a health practice as his focus s entirely spiritual.

From the perspective of developing myself in his system. It's probably not too important if I do aikido, xing yi or just lift kettlebells. The only thing he specifically told me wouldn't me in harmony last time I saw him was MMA. He looked at me and motioned like he was doing "ground and pound" on somebody and just shook his head as if to say "no".

But all the other stuff is positive. And I still watch MMA occasionally for entertainment lol.

I think that was Ken Cohen and not Bruce.

If I wasn't essentially already "married" to another tradition I would not walk but run at the chance to study with Master Wang.

I made the effort while I was in the States to meet his top student their. Granted, it was pretty effortless as we were both living in the same city. She picked me up at the train station and bought me lunch.

I didn't go with the intention to learn anything new but just to meet her. The experience was helpful in many ways.

By the same token, if their was ever an opportunity to meet Master Wang I would do so. But I can't spend $5000 just to meet the man. Not because i don't want to waste my time-I don't want to waste his.

Yes, so we should be grateful and not squander what we have been given.

Pay it forward.

Like I have a couple American friends in Korea and China that are sort of "know it all's". They are highly intellectual and well read on all types of subjects. But their understanding is shallow and purely intellectual.

Like one friend of mine, an atheist, got me talking about my experiences one night. So I spoke about some of the things I experienced after learning Kunlun. For the most part he was very receptive but didn't have any interest to actually practice. When he mentioned his thoughts on Taoism later(probably after doing some reading) he said"Taoism is about experiencing emptiness".

Very good but totally intellectual. Like, ok I have that Taoism thing figured out if I ever need to discuss it with someone lol.

Another freind of mine in Beijing summed up Taoism as crazy because it's just about " never ejaculating so you can build your yang energy". Again, an extremely shallow understanding which doesn't take into account the actual purpouse and depth of the tradition(which the tradition, as you know has many aspects such as fire methods, water methods etc)

It points to an overall shallowness. I have studied and practiced Taoist stuff for over 10 years and feel I am barely scratching the surface. If you ever hear me sum up what Taoism is in a sentence from something I read without having any personal experience of what I am talking about please shoot me.

Westerners can be spoiled but I don't know that it's "all bad".

One thing that is certain though, most our teachers worked a hell of a lot harder to get the teachings then we have to.

I don't care which modern Taoist/Buddhist teacher you are following, look at their lives. Almost all of them(the real ones not intellectual scholarly boobs) dedicated their entire lives for decades to training and following their Master.

The nice part is most of them don't want the next generation(us) to have to go through what they went through. I don't know what all of your experience is but I really look at the top teachers of our generation as a bunch of Bodhisattvas. They trained blood, sweat and tears with really old school Masters and then come to us like Santa Claus saying ok guys..here is what I found..hope it is helpful to you.

We are lucky and we shouldn't take it for granted.

Interesting. I haven't read it in years but something about that reminds me of some part of the Book of Five Rings by Musashi Miyamoto. I can't remember the passage or anything but something along the lines of studying many things improved his skill with swords.

Yes, I think it would be accurate to say half assing it doesn't lead to achievement. Just look at the high level practitiners of anything. Maybe Michael Jordan messed around with other sports but he spent most of his time on basketball.

So I think it's ok to dabble if you don't know what you want yet or it doesn't matter to you to achieve excellence. Or if your just in to things as a hobby or for fun, which is fine in and of itself but not really going to strike oil so to speak.

My hiking guru in Korea would jump into a cold river in the early morning. I wasn't up for it but a cold river dip out in nature surrounded by mountains, breathing fresh air after an intense hike looked awesome.

As mentioned O'Sensei the founder of aikido also did it. I recently watched a video of people going to the waterfall where he would practice.

Good points. To use myself as an example, I have already gone very deep into Aikido training. Years spent training with top teachers. And when I was in Korea I got very into kettlebell training. Here in China, I have been taking IMA classes and learning Xing Yi.

My teacher here is teaching me a system. They also teach Tai Chi and Bagua.But it's a little distracting when right in the middle of him showing me Xing Yi I want to do Aikido. He is sensitive to energy so can literally feel my intention to go into an Aikido move as he is showing me the energy of a Xing Yi move. It's like Aikido is already in my nervous system from training so much and my body is just like why even bother with this when you already have that.

But then I also could see the benefit of going deep, emptying my cup to learn Chinese IMA. But there is an American 5th dan Aikidoist in Bejing and am just thinking why not just go back?

Then I'll also just get the thought, why not just train with my kettlebell and hike alot like I did in Korea and drop MA. Just be strong and healthy.

Sure, I could do a little of each- just dabble. Or I could focus on one of them to actually "get somewhere". In any training system, wheether Xing Yi, aikido or even kettlebell training, you have to be somewhat focused and committed to see real results I think.

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Yes. The challenge is when you have access to top teachers but don't want to waste your-or their-time.

So I think the way most people seem to do it is dabble with many things until you find what really works well for you. Then go for it.

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In Korea I would alternate several times. Hot tub, cold tub several times.

I often would be hungover and surrounded by naked Korean dudes..some of who would be passed out naked on the floor. I can't say I missed that part so much

Now I just start hot and finish cold inthe shower. After a few weeks my body almost craves the cold water.

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I checked out his website it looks like it's a closed door lineage. Or atleast close door to study directly with Sifu Chris.

But maybe check out anyway if you are there. I certainly would.

http://dragongatesanctuary.com/

Hua Shan is no slouch either.

Try losing your awareness climbing up hundreds of feet on a sharp angle holding on to a chain for support. Not possible unless you are interested in death or serious injury.

Ahh good point. Once you have built a good foundation then it can be fun to dabble. But until that is accomplished get to work!

I would say hiking also.

Probably the hardest thing I did in my life was a 15 hour non stop intense hike of Seorak Mountain in Korea on my birthday. We started at 3 am and finished the next day at 6 pm. A huge Buddha statue sitting in lotus is waiting for you at the bottom.

Then you go drinking lol

I have heard good things about Sifu Chris Matsuo.

Their should also be some Kunlun teachers. Max used to live their but moved to the mainland. Check out primordialalchemist.com

Chris Matsuo is sort of in the same lineage but has his own system. I don't know if he is on the main island but if not would be worth the 30 minute plane flight to train with him lol

Exacty, but do you think it actually is a problem or that we are lucky? In a way, I see both sides of the coin. It's great to have choices but ultimately you don't want to be making choices forever.

Maybe it's sort of like dating lol. Modern people go on tons of dates and meet a wide variety of potential partners and make up their mind. Then if it doesn't work out they get a divorce lol.

In India, you get an arranged marriage to someone you don't know and supposedly the success of those marriages is very high!

We modern practitiners in the west seem to be like that too sometimes. But I think it is good to develop awareness about it so we can see our faults. I don't think their is neccissarily anything wrong with having alot of choices as long as you can be focused and discriminating. Otherwise you could just get lost.

Doh! Double post.