Houston

[Orpheus]

Hopgar

The reason I describe Houston as a wasteland is that finding a credible CMA instructor is hard. You're right, there are some hidden gems, but you description is your teacher's name and the rest are basically, "some guy who works at a bank."

Wasteland is a harsh term, where if I had said Houston lacks any kind of CMA community. Maybe that's not it though, maybe it is hard to get into that community.

From what I understand, you needed an introduction to learn from your teacher (if this is incorrect, I happily retract).

In Seattle, my instructor would happily refer me to any other instructor that he thought that I would benefit learning from (including these hidden gems). The same has been true of my instructor here in Beijing. Nothing of the sort occurred in H-Town.

Outside of Johnson Space Center, there is nothing that I could find in Houston that I couldn't find done better in another city (except the queso served at Texadelphia). Houston may be great compared to Beaumont, but it blows compared to Austin.

[hopgarsansau]

No you are right. I did indeed need an introduction, from my mom of all people, to train with my teacher. My mom was the cultural coordinator for my Chinese school and my teachers daughter happened to go to our school. He taught Tai Chi classes for health (Chen Style) and was introduced to him while I was learning Shaolin Long Fist from George Ling Hu. I met him when I was 9 and finally became his student when I was 15. That also took a lot (very good story, but long).

[hopgarsansau]

Overall I agree with you viewing it as a "wasteland", as in, if you don't know where to look you won't find it. To say it is "void" of good CMA is how I took it, which is what I replied to. I apologize.

[Muad'dib]

Thanks everyone. I am more than a bit nervous about moving there, as I have never been, but I have to make the best of things.

[Michael]

Good luck!