# Kungfu Hermit life in China?



## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

....anyone interested to join me? 

Hello, I am going to do my first steps towards a martial arts hermit life in China.
After my 1 year of experience in Chinese metropolises, suburbs and rural areas, rich times and stranded times, I decided the life of a poor martial arts hermit is just what I want.
I have spent several months on a rather low living standard and want to do the final steps now, in China.
Martial arts fulfill my life, like music does to some fanatic musicians. Yet I prefer to stay away from the brawling path.
I am hoping to find someone with the same passion as being a duo would make hermit life a little easier. 

I doubt I will find the right type of person on the internet, yet I'm here too, right? So I just give it a go before I'm off to China later this year and probably cut off from internet for a good while.

So if you are interested, contact me.


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## oaktree (Apr 4, 2011)

zhe zhen ta ma sha bi &#36825;&#30495;&#20182;&#22920;&#20667;&#36924;.(This is stupid)

You will need a sign that says this in front of your cave:
Bu yao li wo, wo shi feng zi &#19981;&#35201;&#29702;&#25105;&#65292;&#25105;&#26159;&#30127;&#23376;
(pay no attention to me, I am crazy.)


Best of luck to you and your dream of living in cave.


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

Never wondered why Wind and Crazy are the same oral words in Chinese?...


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## rlobrecht (Apr 4, 2011)

April 1st was Friday.


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

rlobrecht said:


> April 1st was Friday.


Just cause its beyond your narrow horizon it doesn't mean it is a joke or unrealistic. I'm not the first one either.


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## oaktree (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> Never wondered why Wind and Crazy are the same oral words in Chinese?...


 
Well the Hanzi is different: &#30127;=crazy  &#39118; =wind


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

And in Beijing it is fengle

soooooooo.... do you have a Visa?

Where you ever in China when they were not at all happy with Americans? 

But... I'm guessing the best response wouild be

Duì niú tán qìn


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

Haven't spent much time in Beijing but some weeks in Shijiazhuang. Not only the air was bad, our MA school was sharing the courtyard with trucks. Really old trucks.... huge things with black exhaust. Was nasty to train there...


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

dui shenme? budong ni de yisi...

I am not American&#65292;think I overlooked that time.
Will get the visa once I got the cash and some of the details set, hehe.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> dui shenme? budong ni de yisi...
> 
> I am not American&#65292;think I overlooked that time.
> Will get the visa once I got the cash and some of the details set, hehe.


 
Are you Chinese?

You don't understand Chinese idioms and you are going to live there and be a MA Hermit


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

My Chinese is rather bad, partially because I never had problems getting around China like that and partially because I forget a lot of things once I leave China. I always adapt really fast to the current place I'm in, but I admit i must work on my Chinese more.


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## oaktree (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> dui shenme? budong ni de yisi...
> 
> I am not American&#65292;think I overlooked that time.
> Will get the visa once I got the cash and some of the details set, hehe.


 
What don't you understand? :idunno:


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

nage dui shenme shenme

"Duì niú tán qìn"

wo zhidao niurou ^^


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> My Chinese is rather bad, partially because I never had problems getting around China like that and partially because I forget a lot of things once I leave China. I always adapt really fast to the current place I'm in, but I admit i must work on my Chinese more.


 
You know.... I was going to type a response but I thought...why bother

Duì niú tán qìn


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

oaktree said:


> What don't you understand? :idunno:


 
I'm guessing a lot


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## oaktree (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> nage dui shenme shenme
> 
> "Duì niú tán qìn"
> 
> wo zhidao niurou ^^


 

 Sorry I do not understand Nage dui shenme shenme(the sentence is strange)
   Why you put Shenme twice? Are you trying to say thats the correct what what?

Dui Niu tan qin means like playing a drum to a cow no matter how much you play the cow does not understand. 

Wo Zhidao Niurou means I know beef. 

I never heard this before 
maybe you mean:
wo zhidao wo zai shou shenme means I know what I am talking about.

This conversation is getting off topic and silly.

Maybe we can discuss why you think living in a cave is more productive then living in more favorable conditions.


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

oaktree said:


> Sorry I do not understand Nage dui shenme shenme(the sentence is strange)
> Why you put Shenme twice? Are you trying to say thats the correct what what?
> 
> Dui Niu tan qin means like playing a drum to a cow no matter how much you play the cow does not understand.
> ...



shenme shenme is a way of saying "etc." or "and so on"

nage dui shenme shenme = that dui ...etc...
was referring to the " Duì niú tán qìn 		"

something with niu, reminded me of niurou.

wo zhi kai wanxiao le...
was just kidding...


I'm a very spiritual person, if I was dedicated to a certain religion, I would be the type of person who spends their life in a monastery.

I feel better getting rid of all material things, as far as possible, and living a dedicated spiritual life.
I may or may not stay in a cave, that is not the most important part.
What is most important to me is a life closer to nature, free of materialistic influence, as much as possible, and dedicated to kungfu and self-development. 
I picked China because I love living there, for many reasons.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Apr 4, 2011)

What ever floats your boat.  However, I think you should go it alone rather than drag someone else along and down so to speak.


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## oaktree (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> shenme shenme is a way of saying "etc." or "and so on"
> 
> nage dui shenme shenme = that dui ...etc...
> was referring to the " Duì niú tán qìn         "
> ...


 
I think its not Shenme Shenme for etc etc etc  but Deng Deng Deng &#31561;&#31561;  
Niu means cow Rou means meat so thats why Niu rou made you remember beef I guess.

Wo zhi kai wanxiao le should be wo zhi shi zai kai wan xiao.

If you are happy living out in the wild then best of luck with it.


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> What ever floats your boat.  However, I think you should go it alone rather than drag someone else along and down so to speak.



Yea, no way I would drag someone with me, and the ones really wanting to do it are most likely already there, but ya never know. =p


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

oaktree said:


> I think its not Shenme Shenme for etc etc etc  but Deng Deng Deng &#31561;&#31561;
> Niu means cow Rou means meat so thats why Niu rou made you remember beef I guess.
> 
> Wo zhi kai wanxiao le should be wo zhi shi zai kai wan xiao.
> ...



Well maybe it was slang or local phrase, my girlfriend from from Sichuan would often say it and you can often see Chinese saying "....something something", atleast the ones really new to English.

I use QQ so I got a lot of contact to Chinese, some of them speak no English at all.

Wo zhi shi kai wanxiao? Really? I need to fix my problems with grammar....
What about the "le"?


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## Bill Mattocks (Apr 4, 2011)

[yt]
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N-isGzfYUZ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
[/yt]


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

If you are serious about going to China to be a martial arts hermit here are 2 more idioms you might want to familiarize yourself with

hu&#257; quán xìu t&#468;i" 
xìu hu&#257; zh&#466;u tóu 

My Sanda Sifu loves saying these when my first and he are in the same room... he also likes calling him Da Shifu too


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> [yt]
> <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N-isGzfYUZ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
> [/yt]


 
This one too


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## fenglong (Apr 4, 2011)

I really can't keep up with this.... what do you guys smoke?


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> I really can't keep up with this.... what do you guys smoke?


 
Nothing... and maybe that's the problem


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## Steve (Apr 4, 2011)

fenglong said:


> shenme shenme is a way of saying "etc." or "and so on"
> 
> nage dui shenme shenme = that dui ...etc...
> was referring to the " Duì niú tán qìn 		"
> ...


I think that if you're really gung ho about this, then have at it.  But I would strongly recommend that you consider talking to a counselor before doing so.  I'm not trying to be funny or sarcastic or mean.  Seriously.  I'm sincere when I suggest to you that choosing to live the life of a hermit, a hobo or anything resembling homelessness when you have alternatives suggests that you would benefit from exploring WHY you want to do this.

I've worked with a lot of homeless people over the years, and regardless of what you might have heard it's not a romantic lifestyle.  Choosing to live the life of a hermit... in a foreign country, no less, is significant, and it's likely that you aren't doing this for the reasons you might think.  I would encourage you to talk to a professional counselor.


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## mograph (Apr 4, 2011)

Along those lines, there's the old proverb: 

_Before enlightenment, there is chopping wood and drawing water.
After enlightenment, there is chopping wood and drawing water._


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## Aiki Lee (Apr 4, 2011)

I agree with steve.

I am a social worker and I have seen the difficult lives led by the homeless. Your thinking seems delusional to a degree, but obviously a person cannot get a full assessment on the internet.

Coincidently, hermits are solitary by nature. If you had a friend with you, you would simply be poor and living in a cave, which I'm sure the Chinese would not like.

What are you going to do for food? What if you get sick or injured? If you want to experience life as a homeless person at least do it in your own country first as I assume you understand your nations laws at least a little better than China's laws. 

What exactly do you expect out of this lifestyle?


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## fenglong (Apr 5, 2011)

Himura Kenshin said:


> I agree with steve.
> 
> I am a social worker and I have seen the difficult lives led by the homeless. Your thinking seems delusional to a degree, but obviously a person cannot get a full assessment on the internet.
> 
> ...



Well basically what I am planning to do is to make a big step away from modern life style and towards living with nature.
I do not plan to completely separate myself from civilization, I simply want a life way closer to nature, with as few material holdings as possible.
Means I will be more or less near the village, able to walk in for food or opportunities to earn a little money, but far away enough to be surrounded by nature I can enjoy while practicing MA.

As for the difficulties, I am mostly concerned about wildlife and possible infections or injuries, no health insurance and maybe no doctor near either. But for me, MA not only means self defense, art and health, but also overcoming my own fears and surviving challenges.

Accepting the possibility to die any second is part of my MA philosophy, and lets be honest, no matter where you life, it could happen just about anywhere.


I am very aware of the severe conditions, especially in China.
People may wonder why I seem to make things so difficult for myself but that is part of my philosophy.
I spent most time of my life with learning and experiencing different cultures, philosophies and religions, as well as a really rough childhood which nearly killed me.
I have experienced both, the convenient life as well as the kind of life you better avoid if you plan to stay on this world, and I found the only way to be deeply satisfied for me is with a certain amount of poverty and distance to modern, shallow life style.


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## newtothe dark (Apr 5, 2011)

But yet you are on here in a very Modern way talking to all of us seeking what????? Our approval, respect, what? Most of us are most likely wondering if you shouldn't be getting some help for making a choice to be what most avoid. Just my 2c knock yourself out if this is what you really want to do.


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## mograph (Apr 5, 2011)

Do you have wilderness survival experience?


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## fenglong (Apr 5, 2011)

mograph said:


> Do you have wilderness survival experience?



No, and I do plan to stay next to some village as well.


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## Aiki Lee (Apr 5, 2011)

At least leave yourself an emergency fund to get the hell out of there if you change your mind.

Overcoming the fear of death is one thing, but to intentionally put yourself into a situation that you know is dangerous does not sound like a good idea to me.

Do you have some kind of goal you plan to accomplish while pursuing this lifestyle?


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 5, 2011)

Here is something to think about....water. Or just about any other foods you will get in a Chinese Village... you were not raised in China so you do not have any resistance to the little nasties that you will find in food and water as well as just crawling around, depending on what part of China you choose..... Sickness... it&#8217;s a given based on what you are talking about doing. Also depending on location it can get very VERY cold in parts of China in the winter.

Law and order...here is a bit of info for you... unlike many western countries where the countryside is safer that the city....China is the exact opposite. The countryside is by far less safe than the cities for foreigners. Getting any work...good luck with that one. No work visa, no work, picking up odd jobs to survive...good luck there too. You are a foreigner and yup they may have you do some stuff but getting paid is a whole other story. Getting paid anything that will support you is not going to happen if you have any plans on training MA since you will need to work close to 12 or more hours a day just to survive.

Now to this bit



fenglong said:


> But for me, MA not only means self defense, art and health, but also overcoming my own fears and surviving challenges.


 
My Taiji sifu and I have talked about this at great length. He is born and raised in China and was a high level student of Tung Ying Chieh. We were talking about why it seemed that a lot of these internal MAist died young if ICMA, especially Taijiquan was suppose to be for health...after much discussion and drawing on his rather extensive knowledge of Taiji history he came to the conclusion that a lot of these guys (see Yang Chengfu) did not believe they needed doctors because their CMA would keep them healthy...they all died young.

You want to live closer to nature&#8230; I suggest you start by trying it closer to home and learning a bit about survival before traipsing off to a foreign country and trying it

*Now* here is something you should read very carefully&#8230; StevenBJJ hit the nail directly, dead center, on the head here. You really need to talk to a counselor before doing any of this because at this point, based on what you are saying, your plan is very close to (if not completely) suicidal.


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## fenglong (Apr 5, 2011)

Himura Kenshin said:


> At least leave yourself an emergency fund to get the hell out of there if you change your mind.
> 
> Overcoming the fear of death is one thing, but to intentionally put yourself into a situation that you know is dangerous does not sound like a good idea to me.
> 
> Do you have some kind of goal you plan to accomplish while pursuing this lifestyle?



Getting back to the essence of life and things around me. Getting a meal made of ingredients that grew somewhere around me in the traditional way after 1 or 2 days without food is far more satisfaction for me than anything in the modern life style I live most of the time. No wonder people take drugs and get addicted to shallow internet games and a sex society.
Going as far as I plan to isn't something I'd recommend either but it is where I want to start over from.


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## fenglong (Apr 5, 2011)

Xue Sheng said:


> Here is something to think about....water. Or just about any other foods you will get in a Chinese Village... you were not raised in China so you do not have any resistance to the little nasties that you will find in food and water as well as just crawling around, depending on what part of China you choose..... Sickness... its a given based on what you are talking about doing. Also depending on location it can get very VERY cold in parts of China in the winter.
> 
> Law and order...here is a bit of info for you... unlike many western countries where the countryside is safer that the city....China is the exact opposite. The countryside is by far less safe than the cities for foreigners. Getting any work...good luck with that one. No work visa, no work, picking up odd jobs to survive...good luck there too. You are a foreigner and yup they may have you do some stuff but getting paid is a whole other story. Getting paid anything that will support you is not going to happen if you have any plans on training MA since you will need to work close to 12 or more hours a day just to survive.
> 
> ...




Well I got some experience with different kinds of life in China, I know how to find my way around and I know how to get some cash/food/bed.

Why do some people feel the need to do certain things that seem unnecessarily dangerous?
I believe because it is part of a certain life style and perception of reality. I guess certain people put goals and life style above safety, and so do I.

I do hope you understand that I only answer all these questions on a forum to understand myself better as well, not to satisfy anyone else.
Maybe I have simply been through things in life that opened my eyes for the really important things in life, or maybe I just am suicidal, who knows.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 5, 2011)

fenglong said:


> Getting back to the essence of life and things around me. Getting a meal made of ingredients that grew somewhere around me in the traditional way after 1 or 2 days without food is far more satisfaction for me than anything in the modern life style I live most of the time. No wonder people take drugs and get addicted to shallow internet games and a sex society.
> Going as far as I plan to isn't something I'd recommend either but it is where I want to start over from.


 
oh for crying out loud... you do miss the point a lot don't you

First read this its free

Then read this

Then this

And start over from where you are and stop looking for excuses outside yourself because all you are doing is going someplace else for a change of scenery to do exactly what you are already doing

And if you want to be closer to nature and looking for spirituality in China, after talking to a counselor maybe you should look to the Taoist temples there to see if they would allow you to go there to study, and I'm not talking Wudang.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 5, 2011)

fenglong said:


> Well I got some experience with different kinds of life in China, I know how to find my way around and I know how to get some cash/food/bed.
> 
> Why do some people feel the need to do certain things that seem unnecessarily dangerous?
> I believe because it is part of a certain life style and perception of reality. I guess certain people put goals and life style above safety, and so do I.
> ...


 
Well I see I was right with my first response and therefore shall use it again here and respond no more other than to say 

Duì niú tán qìn


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## Flying Crane (Apr 5, 2011)

fenglong said:


> Well basically what I am planning to do is to make a big step away from modern life style and towards living with nature.
> I do not plan to completely separate myself from civilization, I simply want a life way closer to nature, with as few material holdings as possible.


 
give it a try whereever it is that you currently live.  Get a tiny studio apartment.  Sell the bed and buy an old surplus army cot.  Cancel the cable television, throw away the TV and DVD player.  Cancel the internet and throw away the computer.  Cancel the electricity and use battery lamps or candles if it's safe.  Throw away all of your clothes except for two sets.  Keep one bowl, one plate, one cup, one set of utensils and use only those.  Cancel the phone line, throw away your cell phone.  Sell the car, sell the bike, throw away your shoes and wear only sandals.  Sell all the furniture, keep one stool to sit on, sell all of your worldly possessions.  Cancel the gasline.  Wash your clothes by hand in a wash basin.  Hire yourself out for odd jobs and minor day labor.  

See how that works for you in an otherwise safe environment.  You can do this at home, you don't need to go to China to do this but you are too myopic to see it.  

I personally suspect you are in love with the romantic notion of this and you want to blather on the internet about it, but you are too chicken to try it for real.  You are all just talk and no action.


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## Aiki Lee (Apr 5, 2011)

fenglong said:


> Getting back to the essence of life and things around me.


 
You do not need to become a poor person in China to do this. Meditate, go to church, be with your family, sleep on the ground in your own country. Do what you want to be spiritual but the "essence of life" as you put it can only be discovered from within. You are having an exestential deilema. Going to a new place will not solve it. Only prayer, meditation, and counseling will.



fenglong said:


> Getting a meal made of ingredients that grew somewhere around me in the traditional way after 1 or 2 days without food is far more satisfaction for me than anything in the modern life style I live most of the time.


 
Why not start your own garden? Grow your own food, it could be theraputic. 



fenglong said:


> No wonder people take drugs and get addicted to shallow internet games and a sex society.


 
You said you are not american, so I don't know what you culture is, but the modern world is no greater or worse in an objective sense than the ancient world. Circumstances are different and you may feel that the values you have are not reflected in society, but that is not necessarily the case. It is more likely that you simply do not _see_ your values in society.





fenglong said:


> Going as far as I plan to isn't something I'd recommend either but it is where I want to start over from.


 
The fact that you wouldn't recomend this life style to others suggests that at least part of you knows how bad of an idea it really is. 

Seeing as how I always screw up the quote feature when trying to quote multiple posts I will just copy and paste what Fenglong wrote and shade it in purple.

Well I got some experience with different kinds of life in China, I know how to find my way around and I know how to get some cash/food/bed.

How do you know these methods of providing yourself are still available or will be permanently available to you?

Why do some people feel the need to do certain things that seem unnecessarily dangerous?

It's common in young people as they often seek adventure. In older people it is usually the result of an unfullfilled life or they could be manic, depressed, or delusional.

I believe because it is part of a certain life style and perception of reality. I guess certain people put goals and life style above safety, and so do I.

A certain lifestyle that is dangerous and has a different perception of reality? That to me is exactly what my clients with bipolar, schizophrenia, or are addicted to drugs say. I'm not saying you have any of those conditions, but your mindset seems similar to that.

I'm all for living for something meaningful. Life is precious, only put it at risk when absolutely necessary and for a greater cause. 

I do hope you understand that I only answer all these questions on a forum to understand myself better as well, not to satisfy anyone else.

Go to a counselor, that is what they are for. Seeing a counselor does not mean you are crazy or that you are "broken" or any other of the sterotypes people put on being in the mental health field. They will help you understand yourself better than an internet forum.

Maybe I have simply been through things in life that opened my eyes for the really important things in life, or maybe I just am suicidal, who knows. 

What are the important things in life to you? For me it is the 3 fs: faith, family, friends. Do you not have these things, or do they simply not matter to you?

Your idea is incredibly dangerous and unrealistic. I am not trying to be mean or discourage you from your dreams. If you want to go to China, then go, but make it a vacation and not your whole life!


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## clfsean (Apr 5, 2011)

Jeez... I go to the beach for a week & the places looses all sense of reality in a board member... 

Oh well... mun jai...


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## blackdiamondcobra (Apr 5, 2011)

This is an interesting book on the topic which i liked:

Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits by Bill Porter

Also a doc i saw a while back ago, Amongst White Clouds, which might be of interest.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5902279151658995270#


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## ggg214 (Apr 5, 2011)

Welcome to China! 
i just wonder that how will you improve your CMA without instructors and partners?


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## fenglong (Apr 6, 2011)

ggg214 said:


> Welcome to China!
> i just wonder that how will you improve your CMA without instructors and partners?


 
en, xiexie...

Well with all the immature trolls in here spamming their personal narrow-minded opinion over and over again, whether someone cares or not, not able to actually read and thus constantly responding with their meaningless opinion to threads saying "if you are interested to join me, please contact me" it is rather difficult to find pure information here.

As I posted in another thread I am working on my own MA concepts and it is all I want to practice really.
I am also considering to get Chinese citizenship although I am concerned there might be a property requirement.
Do you know anything more about that?
Thanks in advance.

!I do not feel like replying to trolls and arrogant numbnuts anymore, if you only btch and whine like a little baby because I won't adapt to your personal opinion, I will simply ignore you. I am not a babysitter, so please do us all a favor and give up the attempt to teach me lessons, thanks!


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## Bruno@MT (Apr 6, 2011)

Flying Crane said:


> See how that works for you in an otherwise safe environment.  You can do this at home, you don't need to go to China to do this but you are too myopic to see it.
> 
> I personally suspect you are in love with the romantic notion of this and you want to blather on the internet about it, but you are too chicken to try it for real.  You are all just talk and no action.




I suspect this is where the heart of the matter is.
Everything you described so far, there is not a single reasons to go to a country where westerners have very slim survival conditions for the context you described. If you don't train with a CMA teacher, there is zero reason for you to go to China. If you are serious about trying this, go to idaho, buy a plot of land, and go and be one with nature while training.

Alternatively, admit that this is just a fantasy that you are never going to actually go through with. Being here on the internet talking to us is the opposite of what you are talking about so as long as you are still here, you're all talk and no substance.


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## Bruno@MT (Apr 6, 2011)

fenglong said:


> en, xiexie...
> 
> Well with all the immature trolls in here spamming their personal narrow-minded opinion over and over again, whether someone cares or not, not able to actually read and thus constantly responding with their meaningless opinion to threads saying "if you are interested to join me, please contact me" it is rather difficult to find pure information here.
> 
> ...



I think it is fair to say that productive discussion is killed at this point so I am closing it pending administrative review.


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