the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Posted: **Fri May 13, 2016 1:20 pm**

I was a student at CMC's place on the Bowery in 1969-70. He didn't do a lot of the teaching; his senior students did that. The one I remember as being a really good teacher and person died quite young: Lou Kleinsmith. Like a lot of original students, Lou came from another martial discipline; in his case, Aikido. A young guy, I was kind of put off by the Mandarin atmospherics. The film sounds interesting in that it seems to be about his American students, whom I have always found to be just a bit too protective of the legend.

Posted: **Sat May 14, 2016 2:17 pm**

mfinn wrote:I was a student at CMC's place on the Bowery in 1969-70.

I have taught one of CMA's students from NYC back in 1973. He told me that CMC would charge $4,000 to learn Taiji form from him. CMC would also charge $4,000 to correct and polish his Taiji form after learning. $8,000 was a lot of money back in 1873. My tuition was only $50. My rent was only $30, and I only made $1.50/hour when I worked in KFC. Just wonder if that was true.

Posted: **Sun May 15, 2016 5:53 am**

johnwang wrote:
mfinn wrote:I was a student at CMC's place on the Bowery in 1969-70.

I have taught one of CMA's students from NYC back in 1973. He told me that CMC would charge $4,000 to learn Taiji form from him. CMC would also charge $4,000 to correct and polish his Taiji form after learning. $8,000 was a lot of money back in 1873. My tuition was only $50. My rent was only $30, and I only made $1.50/hour when I worked in KFC. Just wonder if that was true.

i don't know-- but it doesn't seem likely that all the students were paying that...

maybe that was the fee for that one student...

Posted: **Mon May 16, 2016 11:03 am**

hodmeist wrote:
Bao wrote::-X
hodmeist wrote:The article quotes 5th line down " His status as a student of the famous Yang Luchan ensured him a place in the Taijiquan community".

. So?

The point I was making is that is incorrect

Ha ha. Of course, didn't see it... 8-)

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:18 am**

Good Review of the Film Docu on CMC by Doug Wile:
https://publications.cardiffuniversitypress.org/index.php/MAS/article/view/192/194

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 5:28 am**

YLC died in 1872, there appears to be an error here.
CMC was famous in the USA but somewhat controversial in CMA circles. On this forum there have hundreds of posts concerning him so I wont add anything to the discussion on his character or skills. There were however other instructors in the 50's who preceded him. Da Liu who was a contemporary under YCF came ahead of him but I understand fell out with him when he arrived, as did Kuo Lien on the West Coast. Sophia Delza also taught Wu style starting in the mid 50's

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:58 pm**

nicklinjm wrote:Personally I am much more interested in CMC's time and teaching in Taiwan and Malaysia, as he seems to have taught a much more martial curriculum there . . .

What gives you that impression?

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 5:39 pm**

nicklinjm wrote:Personally I am much more interested in CMC's time and teaching in Taiwan and Malaysia, as he seems to have taught a much more martial curriculum there, hopefully someone will make a documentary covering his time there sometime in the near future!

Wisdom of Taiji Masters: Insights into Cheng Man Ching's Art by Nigel Sutton

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:02 pm**

Yes, that is what my 1st teacher, an indoor of ZMQ, also told us, different curricula for different people?

Posted: **Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:56 pm**

Most, if not all, of ZMQ's Malaysian followers were already accomplished in other arts, so they learned those important elements of his method that he thought they needed to develop their skills further. He first came to Singapore in 1956, bringing Huang Xingxiang with him as his main protege, where he received a rough reception and had to beat a hasty retreat, as he also did later in San Francisco after Kuo Lienying called him out for insulting him.

Posted: **Tue Aug 30, 2016 1:47 am**

A short and very personal article from his daughter:

http://chengmanching.net/?page_id=134

Posted: **Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:05 am**

Cmc did not really teach in Malaysia that was done firstly by huang
He then asked our grandmaster yap sui ting to come and teach there
Nigel's linage comes thru Lu tong bao yaps no two
It was Lu and chock seng kam who took on all comers in yaps name after chock being bested by yap
Malaysia was the only place I can find where noi gung was taught in cmc,s name
However this may have come directly from yap

Posted: **Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:26 am**

I have taught one of CMA's students from NYC back in 1973. He told me that CMC would charge $4,000 to learn Taiji form from him. CMC would also charge $4,000 to correct and polish his Taiji form after learning. $8,000 was a lot of money back in 1873. My tuition was only $50. My rent was only $30, and I only made $1.50/hour when I worked in KFC. Just wonder if that was true

Not true. I think it was something like $50/month.

Posted: **Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:47 am**

Has anyone seen the movie? It's available from Amazon for about $20.

Posted: **Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:06 pm**

Ron Panunto wrote:Has anyone seen the movie? It's available from Amazon for about $20.

I have it.

It's at a 50,000 foot level for a more general audience, so members of this group would probably be disappointed. There are no deep insights.

It's about CMC coming to NY and what it meant to those students who trained under him. It is a bunch of remembrances of his former students and the impact that CMC had on their lives.

There is no mention of William CC Chen, Ben Lo or the remaining school in Taiwan.

The one bonus feature is a video clip of CMC doing his form, which is the clearest one I have seen to date; about 7.5 minutes. I am sure that I've seen it before on YouTube, so it's not rare.

I'm glad that I've watched it to hear the old stories.

the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC

Re: From Kung Fu Tea regarding documentary on CMC