# Xingyiquan addict returns - Blog Post



## Xue Sheng (Oct 20, 2022)

Addictions are hard to beat..... did XIngyiquan for several years, until arthritis and knee issues stopped it...and now this

Doubling Down - Blog Entry


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 20, 2022)

Good thing surgery is better now than it was 20 years ago.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 20, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> Good thing surgery is better now than it was 20 years ago.


Sometimes…


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 20, 2022)

Wing Woo Gar said:


> Sometimes…


Well that's a human issue aka bad doctor.  Stay away from those.


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## _Simon_ (Oct 21, 2022)

YESSSSSSSSS

You have my permission. Just tell the docs that.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 21, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> Well that's a human issue aka bad doctor.  Stay away from those.


True, but It’s not always easy to tell.


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 21, 2022)

Wing Woo Gar said:


> True, but It’s not always easy to tell.






hmmmm.  Maybe.  lol


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 21, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> View attachment 29186
> 
> hmmmm.  Maybe.  lol


They only look like that in the O.R. When they take off the gown and gloves they SEEM like normal folks.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 21, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> View attachment 29186
> 
> hmmmm.  Maybe.  lol


😇


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 21, 2022)

No joke, once knew a surgeon named....Doctor Slaughter....Slaughter was actually his family name...... I was told that he was a pretty good surgeon too....


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 24, 2022)

Well, the local Xingyiquan class will not be happening. Not enough people interested....so far, only one.... me... so.... that is not happening


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 24, 2022)

Xue Sheng said:


> Well, the local Xingyiquan class will not be happening. Not enough people interested....so far, only one.... me... so.... that is not happening


They should still hold the class.  The problem that kung fu has, is that it takes some time to gain interest.   Give me Jow Ga and one student to day and I'll have 20 solid students within a year.


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 25, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> They should still hold the class.  The problem that kung fu has, is that it takes some time to gain interest.   Give me Jow Ga and one student to day and I'll have 20 solid students within a year.



I wish he would, but I don't blame him for not doing that.

Xingyiquan is always a hard sell. It is not well known like most IMA styles, It is not pretty like many IMA styles, it is very aggressive unlike most IMA styles, you WILL get hit, unlike many IMA styles, and the training hurts, and that hurting bit is required..unlike most IMA styles (See santi shi). You have to be a little nuts to want to train it....Probably why it appeals to me so much 

Back when I was training it more and studying with a teacher in Boston I tried to get a training group going. Had multiple people I knew, from other martial arts styles, all say they were interested and they would be there. When the day came, one guy showed up, trained and when he was done told me he loved it, and if he was 10 years younger he'd train it more. But at 70 he did not want to get into it. I gave him props for showing up and giving it a try. I tried one more time, got a lot saying they'd be there, but when the day came...no one showed up.... and to be honest, I did not think they would


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 25, 2022)

Xue Sheng said:


> Well, the local Xingyiquan class will not be happening. Not enough people interested....so far, only one.... me... so.... that is not happening


That’s a bummer. Most folks don’t know what it is I bet.


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 25, 2022)

Wing Woo Gar said:


> That’s a bummer. Most folks don’t know what it is I bet.


most folks have no idea what Xingyiquan is


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## Kung Fu Wang (Oct 25, 2022)

Xue Sheng said:


> But at 70 he did not want to get into it.


I trulty don't understand his reason.

At my age, I prefer to drill XingYi than to drill long fist. One day if I feel great, I will drill long fist. If I feel tired, I'll drill XingYi. For the amount of energy that I spend on 30 moves long fist form, I can spend the same amount of energy to repeat that 30 moves XingYi form 3 times. To me, to train XingYi is 3 times easier than to train long fist. I believe the main reason is the XingYi doesn't have that many kicks and jumps.

The only concern that I have toward XingYi is the leg skill training. If I can repeat foot sweep 20 times, I can feel my single leg balance is good (this is extreme important for people in their old age). I don't get that kind of feeling when I train XingYi.


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 25, 2022)

Xue Sheng said:


> Xingyiquan is always a hard sell.


I think this is true for a lot of kung fu systems. It's difficult and depressing to just teach one person.  But that one person may have the answers to how to get more students.  Kung fu teachers are really bad with marketing.


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 25, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> I trulty don't understand his reason.
> 
> At my age, I prefer to drill XingYi than to drill long fist. One day if I feel great, I will drill long fist. If I feel tired, I'll drill XingYi. For the amount of energy that I spend on 30 moves long fist form, I can spend the same amount of energy to repeat that 30 moves XingYi form 3 times. To me, to train XingYi is 3 times easier than to train long fist. I believe the main reason is the XingYi doesn't have that many kicks and jumps.
> 
> The only concern that I have toward XingYi is the leg skill training. If I can repeat foot sweep 20 times, I can feel my single leg balance is good (this is extreme important for people in their old age). I don't get that kind of feeling when I train XingYi.


People just like to train in a group and go through the same learning experience.


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## Oily Dragon (Oct 25, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> I think this is true for a lot of kung fu systems. It's difficult and depressing to just teach one person.  But that one person may have the answers to how to get more students.  Kung fu teachers are really bad with marketing.


Well people are generally lazy, and kung Fu isn't fast food.

We live in an age where superpowers come with random mutation, radiation, super serum, spider bites, you were bitten by a vampire, blessed or cursed by a god, born a god, whatever.

Kung Fu?  Talk about an antique idea.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Oct 25, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> Kung fu teachers are really bad with marketing.


- What's the most important thing for old people? A good balance that you won't fall down during old age.
- How to develop a good balance? You will need to drill leg skill with single leg balance.

If I teach old people for health, this is one drill that I will teach them.






If one can do this, that's even better for balance.


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 25, 2022)

Oily Dragon said:


> Well people are generally lazy, and kung Fu isn't fast food.
> 
> We live in an age where superpowers come with random mutation, radiation, super serum, spider bites, you were bitten by a vampire, blessed or cursed by a god, born a god, whatever.
> 
> Kung Fu?  Talk about an antique idea.


Ii think it's a marketing issue.  There are a lot of things that take hard work that are more popular than Kung fu.


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## JowGaWolf (Oct 25, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> - What's the most important thing for old people? A good balance that you won't fall down during old age.
> - How to develop a good balance? You will need to drill leg skill with single leg balance.
> 
> If I teach old people for health, this is one drill that I will teach them.


Marketing is more important.  If you can't communicate that importance to the public then now ones is going to know that nor will they believe you.

Sometimes they just need to try to see things how others see it and then tell why the martial arts fits their need.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 25, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> I think this is true for a lot of kung fu systems. It's difficult and depressing to just teach one person.  But that one person may have the answers to how to get more students.  Kung fu teachers are really bad with marketing.


Man, that is the truth. Neither Sifu Gale nor Sifu Woo ever did any advertisements beyond an ad in the paper occaisionally and flyers we students put up.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 25, 2022)

Oily Dragon said:


> Well people are generally lazy, and kung Fu isn't fast food.
> 
> We live in an age where superpowers come with random mutation, radiation, super serum, spider bites, you were bitten by a vampire, blessed or cursed by a god, born a god, whatever.
> 
> Kung Fu?  Talk about an antique idea.


It was always this way. For every 100 new students, 95 never come more than three times.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 25, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> Ii think it's a marketing issue.  There are a lot of things that take hard work that are more popular than Kung fu.


He is right though, people are lazy. You are right too, my marketing isn’t any better than my teachers, except I have no excuse.


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## Oily Dragon (Oct 25, 2022)

Wing Woo Gar said:


> It was always this way. For every 100 new students, 95 never come more than three times.


I don't know.  It might be a 1960's thing.

Even in the comic books the Iron Fist just kind of chances on it.  Find a Luck Dragon, etc, you're set up, superpowerwise.

In the older days, you had to work for it.


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## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 26, 2022)

Oily Dragon said:


> I don't know.  It might be a 1960's thing.
> 
> Even in the comic books the Iron Fist just kind of chances on it.  Find a Luck Dragon, etc, you're set up, superpowerwise.
> 
> In the older days, you had to work for it.


I still am working for it. No luck dragons over here, just moving a mountain with a spoon and spilling a bit with each scoop.


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## Darksoul (Nov 6, 2022)

Tai Chi, Bagua, and Xing Yi have all held an interest for me, Xing Yi being number one, but there is no one in my area, as far as I can tell, that teaches it.


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## JowGaWolf (Nov 6, 2022)

When my son was training with me, everyone was interested in what I was doing.  When I train by myself, no one asks, no one cares. It's sort of like the girlfriend effect.  When you have a girlfriend other women want you.  When you don't have a girlfriend other women don't want to know you.  So as long as you have at least one student others will want to be a student too. My son and wife were excellent at attracting new students.  My biggest wish was to have a very attractive female and male as a student. That's gold lol.  If I can get more than one then I can open up a chain of schools lol.


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## JowGaWolf (Nov 6, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> When my son was training with me, everyone was interested in what I was doing.  When I train by myself, no one asks, no one cares. It's sort of like the girlfriend effect.  When you have a girlfriend other women want you.  When you don't have a girlfriend other women don't want to know you.  So as long as you have at least one student others will want to be a student too. My son and wife were excellent at attracting new students.  My biggest wish was to have a very attractive female and male as a student. That's gold lol.  If I can get more than one then I can open up a chain of schools lol.


Another good marketing is to give free membership. First 5 students to stay for a year and meets attendance requirements will be eligible for a free membership that is good as long as that attendance requirement is met.  Students attract students. A teacher with good teaching skills and personality retains students.


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## tkdroamer (Nov 7, 2022)

JowGaWolf said:


> Another good marketing is to give free membership. First 5 students to stay for a year and meets attendance requirements will be eligible for a free membership that is good as long as that attendance requirement is met.  Students attract students. A teacher with good teaching skills and personality retains students.


I do something similar, but I use more of a monthly format. Perfect attendance for one month equals a reduced rate for the next month.


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