[nbotary]

This is definately one of those times where I'm glad that I didn't stick my foot in my mouth and regret something I posted...

First off, welcome Kisu!!! I have heard a lot about you while taking a beating at the hands of Michael!!! It's nice to know that you may be contributing to our forum.

Wushu - I can honestly say that I'm a little disappointed about what I've been hearing lately. I will give you some unsolicited advice - whether you want it or not - and I would really think about it going forward for the rest of your life...

"Don't burn the people or bridges you may need to cross!!!" In other words, you need to put yourself in check and do it quick. You have been given a great opportunity and you've had people going out of their way to help you out while you're there. One thing you apparently don't realize is that by slapping that handout away like you're too good for it, you're cutting your own throat. With the carreer choice you want, it's not always about what you know, it's about who you know. And those that know you, can either speak positively or negatively with those that don't know you. I think you see where I'm going with this. If you're walking around with your nose up in the air, it's going to hurt like a mutha-fucka when that person you didn't see kicks you in the balls!!!

[Bloodybirds]

As usual,my brother NB elucidates and makes a point better than I ever could in with his usual diplomatic aplomb (sorry, I will put the Thesaurus down now!!). AMEN!!!

[lokhopkuen]

Thank you all for your support and friendship.

[lokhopkuen]

Thank you all for your support and friendship.

[lokhopkuen]

Thank you all for your support and friendship.

[Bloodybirds]

Kisu, regretfully his teachers here in Houston are Jeff Bolt and Madame Wong Ju Rong, may her soul rest in peace. He studied for about 5 years with Sifu Bolt before moving out there. I cannot believe this when I told him straight forwardly about your connections and what a great advantage knowing you would be for his career!! And, I am sure he is not getting direct training from John because if he takes that attitude with him, John will not say anything, he will just walk away and never teach him directly. Jeez, you try to do a good deed....I do not know what I will do if Wushu comes back and shows up at Sifu Bolt's class.

Again, my friend, I am sorry!!

[bamboo]

Gentlemen,

Lets try to remember before wushu is left for dead that everybody (yourselves included I am sure ) makes mistakes, especially when you first leave home for school, become overwhelmed by a new city, are trying to "be someone" etc. Hollywood must be rather hard to fit into I would imagine.

From what I understand hes under 20, I'm certainly thankful my present life is not the result of people judging me from my behaviour during my teen years.

One other thing, his interactions with people other than yourselves cannot truly be judged based on writings on this site, its nothing more than "he said she said" at that point.

Respect is nice, but lets not take this to silly proportions. Perhaps he did have a bad day with your group lokhopkuen, it was his experience and his perspective. Maybe you could invite him back personally and gain a good student? After all, he was good enough to be accepted by bloodybirds... If not, oh well.

-bamboo

[Yellow]

Hi, I just want to give a little background on myself and my experience with Kisu as my teacher. I hope the esteemed members of this group will forgive a beginner in posting some ill-formed thoughts such as they are.

I believe I am the person referred to as having 2 and 1/2 years of experience with Kisu. A little background on me. I studied Hung Gar in Philly with a truly great teacher for 2 and 1/2 years. I also studied in boston with Dr. Yang Jwing Ming briefly and have high regard. After the passing of a few years, I ended up in LA and for another 2 and 1/2 years I have studied with Kisu. I am also the legal representative for the Official Shaolin Temple here in the US and do certain work for the temple in China. Such work has to do with spreading the teachings of the temple and exposing people to the philosophy inside the Kung Fu.

I don't think there are enough positive things I can say about my experience learning under Kisu. But towards the end of this I will say a few. But fundamentally Kisu is my teacher, my friend, and like a father.


On the day in question, it was in fact our casual day. This is the day we each depart from our normal class workout and we each have the opportunity to work on our own problems and basics during the 4 to 6 hour time frame. So yes people do show up at different times on this day and we do not have the structure we have with our classes. This is the day we meditate about our goals, direction with Kung Fu and share ideas with each other. This is very special and contrasts with our weekday classes that are extremely intensive physically. Those days are a form of active meditation. So exhausting that the goal is to find the calm that marathon runners experience at the 20th mile. It is in this calm that we really have the breakthroughs.

But as mentioned the day in question was not our normal class. And on these days it is very common for new people to approach us and attempt to provoke a fight. We have had visitors with sharp samurai swords, MMA contestants, etc, etc. appear. Our group can be very deadly but that is not what we believe is correct to project to others. We strive to be mature. Following the Shaolin way as Kisu instructs, we attempt to be friendly and emotionally disarm those that would be hostile. Sun Tze says the highest art of winning a battle is to win without having a battle. To win without the opponent knowing a battle was even a potentiality.

So on this day, a student appears wearing the shirt of Dr. Yang Jwing Ming. Immediately we take this as a double sign, 1) this person may be looking to challenge and doesn't seem open-minded or they would know this to be inappropriete, and 2) it is potentially insulting to a former teacher to visit a new school wearing their old shirt because it makes them a kind of "representative". We assess that this person may have certain physical training but may still be uninitiated to the higher philosophy of Kung Fu. We instantly seek to set the ground such address such.

We certainly knew this person had prior training. The shirt was a giveaway. (I found it funny that it was mentioned that they thought we could not tell. ) But when a visitor seeks to be recognized for their old skills, rather than seek to learn with an open-mind and temporarily abandon all past learning and assumptions, then this is not the Shaolin attitude. This is ego seeking to be recognized.

We start out by going into the basic stances. The attitude towards these stances are key in assessing maturity. Understanding the transitions and the positions I feel is core to understanding a style. Often a new visitor finds this boring. For us, we find this concern with "boredom" to be counter to the basic nature of martial arts, - that it is hard work, it is gently self-reflective, and seeks to make the opponent and artist one and the same. These are the deeper lessons. Yes I supposed one can use our teachings to kill. Would one expect us to teach such skills or even discuss such to one who is unknown in character and maturity? Would one even expect us to teach such skills to our junior students? We focus on building the core values and fundamental skills. Killing is easy. Developing the proper appreciation is not.


To me Kisu, has built a school that focuses on having every student strive to develop themselves, rather than one involving impressing each other. It is one that tries to have each of us reach the extreme we are capable of, then find we can do more. It is one that seeks to have us understand our own intentions and cultivate proper respect for others.

It is one that seeks to control without causing harm, gently divert rather than sting, sting rather than maim, maim rather than kill.

And yes, beside all the higher things I mentioned, for the new student, our class would indeed seem hardcore, intensive and exhasting. It is the combination that is truly a wonder for my personal learning experience. But such things can only be appreciated in time.

Thank you all for the opportunity to express this and I hope I have said something meaningful.

[bamboo]

First- Welcome Yellow. You don't need to use honourifics here, noone is esteemed, all ideas are open to debate and everyone starts with the same blank slate.

So on this day, a student appears wearing the shirt of Dr. Yang Jwing Ming. Immediately we take this as a double sign, 1) this person may be looking to challenge and doesn't seem open-minded or they would know this to be inappropriete, and 2) it is potentially insulting to a former teacher to visit a new school wearing their old shirt because it makes them a kind of "representative". We assess that this person may have certain physical training but may still be uninitiated to the higher philosophy of Kung Fu. We instantly seek to set the ground such address such.

Judging someone because of the teeshirt they wear is just plain silly. For all anyone at the time knew he bought it off a website, it was a gift or was simply the only thing available to work out in.

I'm not defending Wushu, I don't even know the guy, but c'mon- you can't seriously expect people to know all the "rules". I would dare to point out that by prejudging him for wearing a kungfu shirt, you yourself could be seen as closeminded. If Wushu felt all this prejudging I'll bet it lent to his experience and bent his view. I know it would mine.

Side story related to this. I walked into a dojo wearing an teeshirt from a highly respected dojo in Japan. I was treated like gold for 2 hours. Then they actually took the time to ask me how long I trained at said dojo to which I replied "it was a gift from my father in law". Suddenly I'm not so great anymore. Well, they lost a student that day and I told everyone I knew interested in MAs about the place.
I have a jujutsu shirt that was recently given to me as a gift by my sister, I've never practiced at that school nor would I, it does however cover my skin rather nicely.


-bamboo

[Bloodybirds]

Yellow, Kisu knows me well and also knows my teachers Leung Shum, Ricky Anderson, and Jeff Bolt. In fact, since you studied some with Dr. Yang in Boston, we are second cousins and actually Wushu is as well. Jeff Bolt is the senior student of Dr. Yang and has been for 33 almost 34 years in Houston and in Boston. Your master can tell you about Jeff's nature as well. I agree with Bamboo in certain aspects but I did warn Wushu before he left Houston to show masters out there respect since Sifu Bolt, unlike my other teachers Leung Shum and Ricky Anderson, is not a stickler for kung fu formalities as long as proper respect is shown between students and himself. Wushu did study also under Madame Wong and knows through me, that I do not wear any school shirts from my other two schools when training at Jeff's and do not run any of my other forms except before or after class so Jeff is not insulted, whether he would take it that way or not. Sooo...there was a briefing of understanding. Wushu, as evidenced elsewhere on this site, has also been having trouble at his dorm room. I pray that my sidei sees the connection and pulls back a little. I have mentioned this to our Tuesday park group that Wushu used to attend with us and we all feel he should apologize to Kisu and then, if he trains with John Cheng, learn more of the tradition of the art from his seniors. John has some great darn dao and spear technique, two weapons Wushu loves to do (he is quite good at the spear).

Yellow, he is 19 and has made a mistake. He should be responsible for his actions, but be a true martial artist and pay respects you your teacher and my friend. If he did that, I know Kisu well enough that he would do anything for the boy....Kisu will bend over backwards to help someone if they show humility and truly are a good heart.

By the way, my friend, I will email you later today before going to practice at Jeff's tonight. Joel says hello and we agree the three of us need to get together in Cali, Houston, or Atlanta and train/party together.