YMAA Retreat Center

[daniel pfister]

Has anyone here been to this Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming retreat center? http://ymaa.com/training/schools/ymaa-retreatcenter

If so, what did you think?

[charles]

It would appear you've taken an interest in things Yang Jwingming. What is it you are trying to find out?

[willie]

Has anyone here been to this Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming retreat center? http://ymaa.com/training/schools/ymaa-retreatcenter

If so, what did you think?

Nope, But I did join a YMMA school for a while and it didn't go very well.
The master, one of 4 who is completely qualified to teach YMMA material was the rudest person i ever met.

What happened was my Yang teacher moved away for a while, so I tried to get into a new yang style school.
My old teacher told me to very humble when i go there, so i did. " i intentionally hid everything that i had"...

The master asked me what i trained and how long i trained it and so forth. Then he asked me to do the Yang style form
which mine wasn't the same or even taught the same way. Then he started making all kinds of nasty remarks about me and my teacher
who he never even met. then he when up to the front of the class and tried to publicly mock me for the way that i was trained.

Then he made the big mistake, He took my kindness for weakness, tried to humiliate and man handle me in front of all his students.
I destroyed him in seconds and he screamed stop in front of all his students.

Needless to say, that was the end of that school for me.

[grzegorz]

Has anyone here been to this Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming retreat center? http://ymaa.com/training/schools/ymaa-retreatcenter

If so, what did you think?

Nope, But I did join a YMMA school for a while and it didn't go very well.
The master, one of 4 who is completely qualified to teach YMMA material was the rudest person i ever met.

What happened was my Yang teacher moved away for a while, so I tried to get into a new yang style school.
My old teacher told me to very humble when i go there, so i did. " i intentionally hid everything that i had"...

The master asked me what i trained and how long i trained it and so forth. Then he asked me to do the Yang style form
which mine wasn't the same or even taught the same way. Then he started making all kinds of nasty remarks about me and my teacher
who he never even met. then he when up to the front of the class and tried to publicly mock me for the way that i was trained.

Then he made the big mistake, He took my kindness for weakness, tried to humiliate and man handle me in front of all his students.
I destroyed him in seconds and he screamed stop in front of all his students.

Needless to say, that was the end of that school for me.

This is why I don't really bother with CMA anymore.

After going to China I thought coming back would be great instead every encounter turns into the above and if you're nice and just try to have fun instead of being hyper-competitive then you are seen as a fake.

Now I just train whatever I find useful instead.

[daniel pfister]

It would appear you've taken an interest in things Yang Jwingming. What is it you are trying to find out?

Not so much YJM, I've never met him. I just found out about that retreat center and since I live in Northern CA, I thought it would be a nice place to visit. What I'm really interested in is finding more people in my area to push hands with that have some experience. I normally have to drive to the bay area to play with anyone.

[charles]

This is why I don't really bother with CMA anymore.

CMA are fine. It's the people that practice them.

This is why I don't really bother with people anymore.

Now I just train whatever I find useful instead.

As do I.

[charles]

Not so much YJM, I've never met him. I just found out about that retreat center and since I live in Northern CA, I thought it would be a nice place to visit. What I'm really interested in is finding more people in my area to push hands with that have some experience. I normally have to drive to the bay area to play with anyone.

I trained a little with YJM back in the '90's and used to know pretty well the teacher of the local YMAA branch.

Though it doesn't sound like a large group at the retreat, I expect you'll find a few willing to push hands. It might not be what you are used to as "push hands", but that might be a good thing, variety. Like YJM's curriculum, the retreat is a variety of arts/practices, not solely dedicated to Taijiquan.

[grzegorz]

LOL! Nice and true that. I can't CMA as much just people.

Dan,

Try hitting up Ian K. I can't remember if he went to Davis but I think he knows that area well.

G

[daniel pfister]

Though it doesn't sound like a large group at the retreat, I expect you'll find a few willing to push hands. It might not be what you are used to as "push hands", but that might be a good thing, variety.

Thanks Charles. If it's only a few people who are willing (and not actively training) it doesn't sound worth the 4 hour drive north.

[daniel pfister]

Dan,

Try hitting up Ian K. I can't remember if he went to Davis but I think he knows that area well.

G

will do, thanks!

[chud]

CMA are fine. It's the people that practice them.

This is why I don't really bother with people anymore.

Heh heh, I know you're (semi) kidding, but yeah I've found the same thing.
I've met a few royal assholes in the martial arts world, but at the same time I've also made some great friendships.

Just have to be careful I guess.

[willie]

I trained a little with YJM back in the '90's and used to know pretty well the teacher of the local YMAA branch.

Charles where are you from, if your near boston i would like to meet you.
YJM from what i have seen is quite good. I can't blame him for his high ranking students bad attitude.
the story was actually much worst then i wrote. i kept playing like i didn't have much for a few weeks and the insults
got worst and worst. The whole time I was thinking, Oh yeah, LOL!!!

CMA are beautiful, love it...

[charles]

Charles where are you from, if your near boston i would like to meet you.

Thanks, Willie, I'm a half hour from Toronto.

The teacher/student I used to know used to drive from Toronto to Boston every three weeks to study with YJM for the weekend. If I remember correctly, he said it was an 8 hour drive each way. Not sure what he is doing these days, if he's still running a branch or if he even still practices what YJM taught.

[charles]

Thanks Charles. If it's only a few people who are willing (and not actively training) it doesn't sound worth the 4 hour drive north.

I'd suggest contacting them directly to find out more clearly what they are about. I'd be surprised if they are not doing two-person training in some form. For example, YJM has encyclopedic knowledge of qinna. Depending upon what skills you are interested in, there might be something of interest for you: generally, skills are where one finds them, rather than being unique to one style or another. Whether or not it matters, what they practice isn't what I associate with "traditional" Taijiquan.

[Steve James]

I'd suggest contacting them directly to find out more clearly what they are about. I'd be surprised if they are not doing two-person training in some form. For example, YJM has encyclopedic knowledge of qinna.

I don't know how it has turned out, but when YJM was around 65 years-old, he decided to buy a place for training camp for people who'd study martial arts full time. They'd be provided food and housing, but would be expected to train. The commitment, iirc, was for 5 or 10 years. I'm leaning toward 10, though. If it turned out the way he planned, I don't know how open it would be. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't lots of people to give up their lives to study.

Afa qinna,his tcc is rooted in qinna applications. So, if you want to learn a few joint locks for every movement (shi), his system has it. Some people like the approach; some don't.