Going to Hong Kong.

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Wing Chun
1

Hi all.

I’m going to Hong Kong with some time on my hands but only from Oct 7th-10th. Any suggestions for kwoon to visit over there?

Looking for one(s) that are

  1. open quite a few hours, or
  2. offer privates,
  3. without too much expense, which
  4. aren’t going to insist I start everything from day one of slt in the four days, and
  5. without too much of a formal introduction rigmarole (don’t even know if Chinese kwoons have these, but some of the introduction stuff for some of the Japanese dojo is nonsense!).

Too much to ask?!:smiley: I hope not!!! Oh, and plus, I don’t speak any Chinese languages…!

Any help, emails, contacts here, or through PM would be much appreciated.

Hope everybody’s training’s going well.

Mat.

2

Hi Mat,

I think Frank Exchange and his kwoon go to HK annually. Perhaps he can help you here.

Regards,

3

Thanks Paul.

No-one else any useful experience/info?

4

Hi Mat

There are loads of places to train, but for the sort of thing you are after, I would recommend the Ving Tsun Athletic Association Headquarters, at 3 Nullah Road, 2/Fl., Flat C, Kowloon, Hong Kong, just off Nathan Road (the main street of Kowloon) I think the nearest MTR/underground/subway station is Prince Edward.

Lots of different schools train there on different days and times, Ip Chun definitely does for example, but we tend to visit the Wong Shun Leung class, taken by Chan Ken Man and Ko Kwong Lin, (the infamous Mr. Ko, used to be known as “psy-ko”! :wink: )

This is a very informal class where you should just be able to turn up and train, perhaps the other teachers classes are as informal, at any rate its a good starting point, and the training hall has hardly changed since the 70s. Old school all the way! Many of the students speak English, ask for Joseph if you visit, he’s a great guy.

There are many other excellent teachers in Hong Kong, both Cliff Au Yeungs school in Wan Chai and Wan Kam Leung in Ya Mau Tei to name but two, but they may be more formalised, I dont know how open they would be to the casual training you are after, but its worth a try. Cliff Au Yueng is a great, friendly guy, and speaks english too.

These are just the good schools I have personally visited, there are undoubtably many more.

Have a great time!

5

Hi Frank,

If you ever meet again the "infamous’ Mr. Ko, a barber in life, please send warm regards from Jean Marc and Chan Keo. I think he may still fondly remembered these two Frech fried by him in the past training. Ha! Ha!

Regards,

6

We will be visiting again in November, so I will pass on the regards!

Frank

7

I’m Jealous! Wishing I make more money and have more free time to join you. Happy training!

Best wishes,

Paul H.

8

Re: Going to Hong Kong.

Originally posted by Mat
[B]Hi all.

I’m going to Hong Kong with some time on my hands but only from Oct 7th-10th. Any suggestions for kwoon to visit over there?
[/B]

Are you familiar with the red envelope custom? Might preclude misunderstandings about your intentions when you show up.

Regards,

9

re hong kong

hi john cheack the assosiation in hk webpage for one of my sifu"S sifu steven chan"S wing chun tak kwoon asosication alos don mak ffrom chow sze cheun the addreas is on the links page with a number of otherschools peace russel1 sherry

10

A friend of mine enjoyed his lessons with sifu Ko Kin (?)… who learned from WSL—((VTAA site has a list of HK schools))
but the red envelope protocol is important. One doesnt automatically just drop in and work out at many good schools.

There area couple of goood instructors from the Ho Kam Ming line in Macao as well across the bay-but I dont have their addresses.
I have met one of them… but I forget his name. He has good full contact experience as well.

11

Thanks for the info Frank.

What exactly is the red envelop protocol?

Not wishing to be short btw… just rushed.
:frowning:

:slight_smile:

12

Not aware of that myself, I suspect it is some sort of introductory gift.

We tend to take gifts to teachers we visit on a friendly basis, rather than as a formal introduction, perhaps someone more familiar with traditional ideas could explain more.

13

Originally posted by Frank Exchange
Not aware of that myself, I suspect it is some sort of introductory gift.

Offerings of money. Usually in significant portions.

Trivial amounts are best avoided, as are “unlucky” numbers. E.g., the number “4” is bad, and “7” is not great either; 6, 8 and 9 are good numbers. 108 and other numbers that add to 9 are also good.

As I understand it, auspicious and inauspicious words are largely based on the sound (e.g. 4 sounds like the word for death).

Regards,

  • Kathy Jo
14

Red Envelope Custom for Visiting a Sifu

Originally posted by kj
[B]
Offerings of money. Usually in significant portions.

Trivial amounts are best avoided, as are “unlucky” numbers. E.g., the number “4” is bad, and “7” is not great either; 6, 8 and 9 are good numbers. 108 and other numbers that add to 9 are also good.

As I understand it, auspicious and inauspicious words are largely based on the sound (e.g. 4 sounds like the word for death).

Regards,

  • Kathy Jo [/B]

Yeah. What she said. :smiley: If you can afford it or look at it as an investment in future good will and relationship, 99 bucks HK or US should be “significant,” and the number “99” is especially auspicious, signifying long life.

Regards,

15

Going to HK

Hi Mat,

You should talk to Sui, he can show you around in HK.

<<Offerings of money. Usually in significant portions.>>

Whenever you go to visit a Kung Fu school and want to show your appreaciation. You can’t go wrong with $108 inside the red envelope.

16

oh jeeezus!

I hate buddhists! Why don’t they just give you a bill???!!!:smiley:

OK, I’ve got a problem already…

108 HKD = 1500 JPY (I’m in Japan… so that’s what I’m thinking in).

or

108 USD = 12000 JPY.

Bit of a difference!

And should that be every day, every session, or once for the four days?!:confused: :frowning:

:smiley:

Heeeeeeelp!

Appreciate your patience: I know you were all ******* gwailo once…

17

Re: oh jeeezus!

Originally posted by Mat
[B]I hate buddhists! Why don’t they just give you a bill???!!!:smiley:

[/B]

Indeed, a bill would make things far easier.

The process, however, makes a lot more sense if we can understand it as something other and more significant than “fees for services rendered.” [Considerable food for thought here.]

[B]

OK, I’ve got a problem already…

108 HKD = 1500 JPY (I’m in Japan… so that’s what I’m thinking in).

or

108 USD = 12000 JPY.

Bit of a difference!

[/B]

To repeat myself, think “significant.”

[B]

And should that be every day, every session, or once for the four days?!:confused: :frowning:

[/B]

Especially since it appears you are talking about more than one visit, I would say “it depends.” If it were me, and if it was not easy to find out customary fees from the instructor or their designee, I would make every reasonable effort to get some idea from fellow students of that group, and follow their lead or advice.

Aside from that, I personally would think in the order of magnitude of $100/hour for private time with a top teacher; proportionally less for group time. Understanding that sometimes a virtual hour may stretch into something longer than a clock hour. :wink:

If you are going to attend for several days, you might consider paying a regular tuition (whatever that may be), and then at your last visit, offer a special gift in appreciation for the privilege of being allowed to visit. You wouldn’t want to give the impression you were taking a free ride by giving nothing at the start; yet saving the best for last can leave a favorable final impression, and one of more sincere gratitude (rather than that fee-for-service or “I buy you” type of mentality).

There is also the matter of how much you can afford. Many, if not most honorable teachers will fully understand and appreciate this [highly variable] factor. And of those who have firmer expectations, many of them will have established fee structures, thus alleviating some of the mystery.

If you balance all these things, remember to take nothing and no one for granted, err on the side of generosity rather than not, and let your conscience be your guide, you may not go far wrong. If you are sincere in your other forms of gratitude, that also means a lot.

Others may have a different set of heuristics, and individual circumstances will vary.


Appreciate your patience: I know you were all ******* gwailo once…

Little doubt I always will be.

Regards,

  • kj
18

Thanks kj.

I do appreciate the idea, and to be honest, my own pov is largely influenced by buddhism and taoism also. Living in Japan, buddhism obviously has less of a practical influence than China, so while you hear of these practices, it is obviously diffficult to apply for someone using a different currency, with no idea of even how much a cup of cha is over there!

But thanks anyway. Forewarned is four-armed… er or something like that.