LAST QUESTION. Your quick opinion if I should go to this Choy Li Fut school

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Southern Chinese Kung Fu
1

There’s a choy li fut place that’s pretty close by but the sifu there barely speaks english. He tries to speak mandarin to me but I’m horrible in it. He then tells me that he can speak a limited amount of English and that his other students can help me learn too.

I’m really into choy li fut but there might be a language barrier. What do you guys think?

2

Seems to me

that you have quite a communication going, even with teacher’s limited English, and he seems willing to work with you to find a happy medium.
As you must know, there is more than language in learning martial arts. I find that too much blathering gets in the way.
You like the martial art? You like the teacher? The teacher wants to teach you and is capable? No problem. Go for it and see how it works out.

Cody

3

Yea the sifu there is very friendly. I saw a few of the students- mostly beginners so i couldn’t really tell if they were good but there’s this one more advanced one and he’s pretty good.

I really like the style but the only think that’s keeping me from learning is the language barrier. I don’t know if I will be able to learn everything thorougly then.

4

Btw, thanks Cody.

5

how to study with a sifu with limited English:

  1. Learn how to say “Thank you” in teacher’s language.
  2. Learn numbers 1-10 in lang.
  3. Get list of relevant fists/punches/stances, etc. in lang. and write a description of them. That eliminates a lot of confusion right there. Students can help you with this.
  4. Get help making a list of common words: up, down, left, right, over, under, around, etc. Make this vocabulary enhancement attempt known to teacher so he will will use these words clearly and repetitively.

This might look like a lot, but it’s a gradual process which will yield understanding and respect for each other. It’s a good foundation from which future interactions be built upon. That is all you need for now. With understanding, the need for words diminishes.

be well,
Cody

6

What is the teacher’s name. The CLF community is surprisingly small. Someone will probably recognize the name.

Fu-Pow

7

My opinon is you should join the school if it is what you are looking for! my shrfu spoke very broken english but if you are looking to make a lifestyle out of it or at least learn for a few years you would probably learn everything in chinese anyway. So again the instruction and learning is important not the language.
also try to by a book thats translates for you or they have hand held translaters that are very affordable. good luck

http://www.kungfuUSA.net

8

do it!

because you learn the correct names of the moves in kung fu language, not an english tranlation like x block!

good luck

by the way my sifu never spoke a word of english, i learnt the chinese names for the moves!

it makes you learn the art properly!

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