what makes a sifu?

[Si-Je]

Well, There was this one Sifu who supposely didn't complete the entire system.
Another thing the guy did was challenge other schools. They would challenge and Win. He defeated top sifus and his lower ranking students beat upper level students from other schools.

I think I'm familiar with this story. I identify with this fellow, I've had to leave federations because of, well, just moral reasons, arrogance, and corruption.

I think your hubbie could get his top students to great fighting stature, Then challenge other Wing Chun schools as well as other Martial art schools to sparring matches. After he and his students start to win these bouts. Then his name will ring out among the people. He will respected for his title. An those who dare say well he aint really a sifu will always have to cowtow and say he great fighter. "I can't beat him." "But I still say he aint no sifu even though I cant beat him fighting.".

Unfortunately, for me, his top student is I. We've moved alot due to work issues, and teaching at recreation centers is sketchy. When we had the building open for the school he had 20 students in 6 months. (then the entire street flooded three times in two months!) His two top male students both moved to the Phillipines, and got married. (the first one when I first started learning, the second one whom we both taught for 2-3 years! ack!)
Being at a new rec. center with no advertising, he's got about three students right now. We figure the best way to make some noise is to get in a cage match, video it, and slap it on the web.

 

[Si-Je]

Did they say you guys were like a seventies kung fu movie?

lol! No, that was just a little insight into the mind of Si-Je.

 

[Si-Je]

so i guess from what you're both saying, it's skill,experience and having the knowledge to teach students..

Si-Je, sounds like your hubbie has that along with knowing the whole system.

That's what I seem to understand once you strip away the politics. But for Hubbie to keep on remembering the whole system, Si-je's got to get back into training and manage to keep it up so he can continue to remember the advanced stuff. I'm a long way off from the dummy, weapons, and a bit closer to bui gee. Give it another 2-3 years.
My training hasn't been very traditional at all, got to let him play and remeber the cool stuff even if I'm nowhere near ready for it.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Yes, I think the one Sifu Master's started getting jealousy or something. An he wanted more students I suppose. He was living with his student. An I guess his student got so good that his name started ringing out ever where that the grand master wanted to fame for himself. In fact it work. It got alot of credit at being a great fighter. Because he challenged another one his students top students. The fight had to be broken up because the grand master started attacking nerves. Lack of self control or maybe he something to prove. But when sparring with Friends there is no reason to hurt your sparring partner. But ne way The two of them haven't talked in a while. The Grandmaster wanted to fight his student. But his student reclined because he felt that was disrespectful to fight his Sifu. So he cowtow.

But it so sad all the arrogance.


What city are you guys in now? In my city they have free advertisment in News papers. I think if you post like three sentences or less you can post it free.

So something like

Wing Chun Kung Fu training at Rec Center
Contact John Doe at Phone (555)555-8626
Blah Blah Blah etc etc,

I think I'm familiar with this story. I identify with this fellow, I've had to leave federations because of, well, just moral reasons, arrogance, and corruption.



Unfortunately, for me, his top student is I. We've moved alot due to work issues, and teaching at recreation centers is sketchy. When we had the building open for the school he had 20 students in 6 months. (then the entire street flooded three times in two months!) His two top male students both moved to the Phillipines, and got married. (the first one when I first started learning, the second one whom we both taught for 2-3 years! ack!)
Being at a new rec. center with no advertising, he's got about three students right now. We figure the best way to make some noise is to get in a cage match, video it, and slap it on the web.

 

[Si-Je]

Dallas. The first time I've ever lived out here. (born and raised in Texas).
The newspaper ads are pretty expensive. (the phone book is worse!) The city won't even allow you to post flyers up on the phone poles and stuff like that. It takes way longer, but he's gotten pretty good at word of mouth.
But, hubbies got a couple of Marine kids now, one's a collegiate wrestler. They just started, so, he's hoping to get more from their squad (whatever it's called) in the near future.

I hate teaching rec. centers. You never get the time slots you really need, and they usually only give you an hour for class time. And lots of nearby competition for students (they have a tai chi teacher, muy tai, and karate)

When we get a rent house or something like that, he'll just teach in the yard, or garage.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

What hubbie can do is make personal Videos. Get a camcorder. An start videotaping himself. First video tape himself Doing all the forms.Second All the basic drills. Third All the Techniques . That fourth video tape possible applications.

That's what I seem to understand once you strip away the politics. But for Hubbie to keep on remembering the whole system, Si-je's got to get back into training and manage to keep it up so he can continue to remember the advanced stuff. I'm a long way off from the dummy, weapons, and a bit closer to bui gee. Give it another 2-3 years.
My training hasn't been very traditional at all, got to let him play and remeber the cool stuff even if I'm nowhere near ready for it.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Find some public parks thats not to busy. Since you just move there I guess you don't know whats what yet. But asked people about different parks in the areas. Search around at local newspapers an see if they offer a free post?

Dallas. The first time I've ever lived out here. (born and raised in Texas).
The newspaper ads are pretty expensive. (the phone book is worse!) The city won't even allow you to post flyers up on the phone poles and stuff like that. It takes way longer, but he's gotten pretty good at word of mouth.
But, hubbies got a couple of Marine kids now, one's a collegiate wrestler. They just started, so, he's hoping to get more from their squad (whatever it's called) in the near future.

I hate teaching rec. centers. You never get the time slots you really need, and they usually only give you an hour for class time. And lots of nearby competition for students (they have a tai chi teacher, muy tai, and karate)

When we get a rent house or something like that, he'll just teach in the yard, or garage.

 

[Si-Je]

Those are great ideas! We will do asap. We've got a couple of parks nearby we could go to train at. This spring will be good for that.
Before with the video stuff he wanted to focus more on me doing little demos. To show his skill as a teacher.

But, I want him to focus on showing off himself and his skill. He's just found a partner that are tall enough to look approproiate for him to show defense on.
But, being that there aren't alot of female WC/WT running around he still wants me to do videos. (but, I'm gonna still try to weasle out of that! lol!)
The one women's self defense demo's video clips that I put together are 1-3 years old.
But, I'm gonna get more of him soon. Hopefully a fight/match clip too.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

That sounds great. May Yahweh bless you in all you do in getting the Wing Chun out there to the people..


What I meant by recording videos. Was for his own personal library. You made mention of him forgetting the advance stuff. One thing to do is video tape yourself doing forms, drills, and basics as well as advance stuff. That way as you age you can always go back to video notes. As well as notes he takes on paper.

Those are great ideas! We will do asap. We've got a couple of parks nearby we could go to train at. This spring will be good for that.
Before with the video stuff he wanted to focus more on me doing little demos. To show his skill as a teacher.

But, I want him to focus on showing off himself and his skill. He's just found a partner that are tall enough to look approproiate for him to show defense on.
But, being that there aren't alot of female WC/WT running around he still wants me to do videos. (but, I'm gonna still try to weasle out of that! lol!)
The one women's self defense demo's video clips that I put together are 1-3 years old.
But, I'm gonna get more of him soon. Hopefully a fight/match clip too.

 

[Si-Je]

I just told him that on the phone, he's going to pick up a cheapie video camera this week and we'll start doing that. (that, I'm sure will be a work in progress for awhile, he knows alot)
That's a great idea!

 

[Yoshiyahu]

That would be great, for him too. He gets a chance to look at what he learn an critique it. When He sits back an watches the videos over time. This will be great tool for when he gets older. Plus it gives him something to leave your kids!

I just told him that on the phone, he's going to pick up a cheapie video camera this week and we'll start doing that. (that, I'm sure will be a work in progress for awhile, he knows alot)
That's a great idea!

 

[Si-Je]

We had some old videos of him that got lost on my last computer. This time I'll burn them on CD.
Baby girl would love to see videos of him.

She loves Emin videos, just facinated with them.
We probably shouldn't have let her watch the anti-grappling stuff so early, she's already picked that stuff up and uses it on mommy when dressing her and diaper changes. Thinks it's funny as heck! lol!
I've got to do chi sau to get the diaper done!

He used to train with her as a baby, in the crook of his arm, showing students technique one handed. She laughed her head off!

 

[Yoshiyahu]

all thats great, Not too many women like gung fu. I try to get my wife into it. She comes to Tai Chi class sometimes. The Wing Chun was too hard for her especially when we started down punches. But the other day she was watching Gung Fu panda. She saw the panther do some pressure point strikes she was like I wanna learn how to do that.

I told her it would take alot conditioning of your hands and fingers and hard practice. I didn't tell her about horse stance and chi cultivation. Lol.

But maybe if I get enough of kung fu comedies she will get interested. But No jackie chan she doesn't like his movies.

 

[Si-Je]

Show her Iron Monkey by Quentin Tarantino. Cute show. (not an anime though)
And Kung Fu Hustle is a really good one.

 

[Si-Je]

The Wing Chun was too hard for her especially when we started down punches.

If they are the same down punches I'm thinking of,... tell her it's a great workout for her glutes, and theighs. Us ladies love to work out those target areas!
Might help give her another reason to do the drill, and make it seem more worth while to her even though it's hard. (That's worked with several women in our classes, motivates, and pulls them through the harder training so they don't get so discouraged)

 

[mook jong man]

I'm starting to teach my wife again as well , this time it looks like she might stick with it .
She used to do it years ago at the school I was at but only got up to grade two .
In fact that is where we first met ( instructors always get first choice of the ladyeees lol) . My wife is Japanese and has this very soft skin that bruises easily , I mean you only have to look at her and she bruises .

So she's been going to work with all these bruises up her arm and the other women have been looking at her like wtf happened to you ?

So for my sake I hope her arms start to get a bit conditioned and stop bruising up so easily otherwise people in her office are going to start to think she's married to a wife beater .

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Nah, Getting in shape don't motivate her she is small or petite already. So she don't need to lose weight. She is very thin. Alot of women in her family can't believe how small she is. Because her other relatives her age have gotten big except for one.

If they are the same down punches I'm thinking of,... tell her it's a great workout for her glutes, and theighs. Us ladies love to work out those target areas!
Might help give her another reason to do the drill, and make it seem more worth while to her even though it's hard. (That's worked with several women in our classes, motivates, and pulls them through the harder training so they don't get so discouraged)

 

[Si-Je]

In fact that is where we first met ( instructors always get first choice of the ladyeees lol) . .

Ain't that the truth?! lol! That's how I met hubbie.

My wife is Japanese and has this very soft skin that bruises easily , I mean you only have to look at her and she bruises .

So she's been going to work with all these bruises up her arm and the other women have been looking at her like wtf happened to you ?

So for my sake I hope her arms start to get a bit conditioned and stop bruising up so easily otherwise people in her office are going to start to think she's married to a wife beater .

I used to bruise like that too, especially doing lap sau (or is it called lat sau? Chain punching eachother)
The only thing that stopped the bruising and aches, is relaxing. That only came after a loooog time for me, I'm a high strung kid. lol!

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Very interesting. Si-Je could it be your arms also started to get condition over time from the constant contact. Maybe thats another reason why you can relax now.

 

[Si-Je]

I don't think so, because I've been out of training regulaly for the past year (since the school went out of business and we moved to Dallas) and if I do lat sau with hubbie it still hurts when I tense up. And I'll still bruise.
Basically, when working out with him anytime on any application or drill as soon as I tense up I hurt myself. Either jam up my shoulder, neck, (when tan sau or gong sau collapses and I get jammed against his body by trying to force it too much) or bang my arms.
If I'm relaxed, and utilizing forward thought "force" (I like to refer to it only as pressure. People tense up when you tell them forward force) then it feels, easy, relaxed, and efficient, without bangs and bumps.

I tell people (and myself when I forget) that if WT/WC isn't easy, then your doing it wrong.