# Thinking of retiring



## Xue Sheng (Jul 29, 2016)

Thinking of retiring - from the blog


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## Tony Dismukes (Jul 29, 2016)

Too bad I'm not in your neck of the woods. I'd love to study Tai Chi with a focus on the martial application.

Then again, I don't know that I have time to take on a new martial art at the moment. I started studying Wing Tsun back in January and I started learning Capoeira two weeks ago. If I added anything else I wouldn't have time for my jiu-jitsu. Since I'm not going to give up on BJJ any time soon, I'm probably at my limit for the time being.

I hope you can find some form of training locally that you enjoy, can find training partners for, and doesn't aggravate your arthritis too much.


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## Buka (Jul 30, 2016)

Good luck with that retiring thing, bro. You would so be back so soon.


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## Xue Sheng (Jul 31, 2016)

Should clarify, not stopping taiji, just not going to teach


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## BooBoo (Aug 4, 2016)

*Edit:  When I wrote the post below, I thought you were going to 'retire' from posting on this blog, then I read your linked post.  I'm sorry about what you're going through, but I think it would be a shame if you retired from teaching, just because of your amazing knowledge and experience.  I'm sure there are people out there that would be interested in learning Taiji as it's meant to be trained, it's just a matter of finding them, or them finding you.  I think if I ever reach your level of expertise and knowledge at some future date, I hope I have the ability to pass on what I've learned from my sifu to others in order to help do my part in preserving these arts.  You're right that it's hard to find students who have the patience and long-term outlook to learn Taiji as it's meant to be learnt.

In any case, my original post is below, thought you'd be interested in reading it:*
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You mean you're not going to post anymore ?

I haven't been very active on this forum since I joined about 8 years ago.  But since that time I've benefitted immensely from your knowledge on Internal CMA.  Your old posts on Santi Shi in particular I've read and re-read over the years countless times.  I even ordered (from Amazon) about a week ago one of the books you referenced in an old post, the Xingyiquan book by Dan Miller, in addition to Sun Lutang's book.

In a way you're like a second, virtual sifu to me.  My sifu's knowledge is great, and often is consistent with what you post here, but since he's a native Chinese speaker, who speaks heavily accented Arabic, at times there's a bit of a slight language barrier when we communicate.  He doesn't speak English, which is my primary language, and I've found your posts to be an invaluable component of my training.

Thanks to your posts (in addition to my sifu's advice) I've forced myself in the past two years to focus intensely on Santi Shi and Zhan Zhuang training - which are admittedly the toughest aspects of training imo - in which I feel I've made immense progress.

You once advised me to be patient when it comes to Internal CMA.  Despite the past two years of progress, I've finally realized, after 10 years of training, that I'm still a beginner!  And you know what, oddly enough this realization has made me quite happy!  My 20-year old self, conversely, was always impatient and would think I'm crazy!

You will be missed for sure if you stop posting. .  Good luck with everything though!


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## mograph (Aug 4, 2016)

Perhaps the occasional cross-border small-scale workshop ...?


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 7, 2016)

Just back from







Did some thinking there and I decided that I am going to take some time and simply find more training for me...then go from there


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## blindsage (Aug 9, 2016)

If only I was nearby.  You definitely wouldn't be stop teaching.  [emoji16]  Oh, and 'Hi'.  Miss me?

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 9, 2016)

blindsage said:


> If only I was nearby.  You definitely wouldn't be stop teaching.  [emoji16]  Oh, and 'Hi'.  Miss me?
> 
> Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk



Hello, and I was wondering where you were, how have you been?


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## blindsage (Aug 9, 2016)

Good.  You?

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 9, 2016)

a few bumps in the road, but otherwise ok


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## oaktree (Aug 12, 2016)

You went to Sweden? All I got is my wife pregnant  the other one just turned 3.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 13, 2016)

oaktree said:


> You went to Sweden? All I got is my wife pregnant  the other one just turned 3.



No, I went to Norway and I got a detached retina


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## mograph (Aug 13, 2016)

Xue Sheng said:


> No, I went to Norway and I got a detached retina


Holy crap! That's awful! Where do you stand with it now?


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 13, 2016)

mograph said:


> Holy crap! That's awful! Where do you stand with it now?



I am currently recovering from a laser reattachment procedure I had last Monday. I will see the MD on the upcoming Monday to see if it worked, or if I need to go to a hospital for surgery


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## mograph (Aug 13, 2016)

Hope it goes smoothly, bro.


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## oaktree (Aug 15, 2016)

Ya get better xue.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 15, 2016)

mograph said:


> Hope it goes smoothly, bro.





oaktree said:


> Ya get better xue.



MD saw me today and said everything looks good and I can return to work next week and back to 100% normal activity in 1 month


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## mograph (Aug 15, 2016)

Hah! Excellent! Xingyiquan _is_ good for the eyes!


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 15, 2016)

mograph said:


> Hah! Excellent! Xingyiquan _is_ good for the eyes!



At this point, at least for now, I think I will focus on training various aspects of Taijiquan. There is something coming up the end of October and there are a couple guys in the Boston area that have some push hands training that interests me. Going to bug my shifu for Qinna too in an attempt to start working on it to attempt to come close to his level. And there is another push hands training he knows that he showed me once, years ago, that I want a refresher on. There is also a bit of Shuaijiao in the forms that he knows that I will bug him for as well. So far, as all this applies to my Shifu, it all comes down to being patient, staying relaxed, and letting the other guy lock and/or throw himself.


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