Iso Bay Area Teacher

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Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby Koah on Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:35 pm

Hello,

A little about me
My board name is Koah, choose this name because it roughly translates to meaning "Light".

I live in Oakland/Berkeley area. I'm 23 years old. I currently Live with my parents and plan to move out within the next year or so.

I personally view no difference between external martial arts and internal martial arts. All i see is a different way to practice.

I learned a style that was originally taught "Traditionally" although what I learned was taught more like Wushu. I had very little to nothing to show after doing it for twoish years. (In my mind... I do feel i hold a bunch of good knowledge but I don't feel I learned much as the way of functional martial arts, I went in with a certain amount of Longevity and vitality and decided to leave once i had not much left.)

I've never been interested in paying money for knowledge... I believe knowledge is always free. Although I understand when you learn from a teacher sometimes more then just knowledge is being shared and because of this money should be paid. To me its more important for me to make a practice my own then a teacher just giving me something. (This includes any ability) Meaning I'm not looking for a bottle of water but rather for me to create my own well.

A little about what trainning I'm looking for.
I'm looking for a teacher for 5ish months to start out and within that time looking for a significant change in my health. (I guess better words to describe it is longevity and vitality.) It is extremely important that within that time period that I individually retain that ability.
Honestly, I'm just attempting to get back into the shape I had previously been before. (It is practiced and believed through IMA and External MA that the amount of ones health can continue to be improved well beyond what is often at first glance looks like a healthy person to an untrained eye.)

My search isn't limited to solely one type of trainning. As long as the martial arts is concretely goal oriented, It doesn't matter weather its internal MA or external MA.

I'm willing to be opened minded about anything as long as the teacher is willing to dispel my ignorance.

I'm not a fan of the military like psychology of the teacher yelling at the student. Yet, I have no problem with the yelling I just rather prefer not to hear the intent of my teacher trying to bring something out in me while I'm working on myself to bring it out already. I am a fan and interested in training hardcore like that I just feel if you want to give encouragement I suggest you get down there and practice with me... Lead by example otherwise don't talk. I like to learn through experience although i acknowledge that its always best to have proper guidance. (Like i said I learn best from being shown by example)


A little about what I'm looking for in a teacher
The most important thing I'm looking for in a teacher is to actually care about the student and the outcome of their growth and has the teacher must actual have the ability to teach the student. (The name Shifu has rightful meaning in the old literal translation of Father although I'm not looking for a father, just someone thats willing to help out that actually truly cares.)



I'm not sure if i'm asking to much... so please question any part of what i have recently posted.

In the mean time I'm going around searching for martial arts schools. (I've been to a few already)
Last edited by Koah on Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby shawnsegler on Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:32 am

I think you may be on the wrong board.

Good luck with your search though, seeker.

S
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby qiphlow on Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:38 am

there are many, many good traditional chinese gongfu schools in the bay area. lots of them have websites. i would suggest doing a google search for martial art schools in the area, and contact the school directly to see if they might be able to provide what you're looking for.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby Koah on Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:30 pm

shawnsegler wrote:I think you may be on the wrong board.

Good luck with your search though, seeker.

S


Um... Your right... (I guess I'll edit my post)

qiphlow wrote:there are many, many good traditional chinese gongfu schools in the bay area. lots of them have websites. i would suggest doing a google search for martial art schools in the area, and contact the school directly to see if they might be able to provide what you're looking for.


I'm sure there are many traditional Chinese gongfu schools in the bay area... can be found through googling and visiting the schools (which I'm in the process of doing right now)

Although I posted hoping for some advice in the area. Anything is better then nothing. *Broaden my horizons, be open minded*
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby fuga on Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:56 pm

When you say you are looking for either IMA or EMA and you want to get in shape and you are looking for a teacher who cares, you have to realize that you are not really narrowing down your focus enough for anyone to give you any recommendations. Hence all the google is your friend replies.

What have you studied? What art do you want to study? Do you want to learn the fighting aspects or the health aspects? Are you limiting yourself to the East Bay?

The more specific you are in your request, the better chance you will have a getting an answer.

And what's with the 5 month thing? Some kind of deadline for something?

-pete
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby edededed on Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:49 pm

You may believe that knowledge is always free, but in reality this is not the case. (I sure wish college was free - I'd be goin' to graduate school then!) If you are looking for a free ride, I think that you will not find much.

You do seem to have a very specific view of the teacher you want - you can only search and try to find the best match for yourself.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby shawnsegler on Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:19 pm

His post reminds me a little of this:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/audio/play/691530/
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby qiphlow on Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:06 pm

shawnsegler wrote:His post reminds me a little of this:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/audio/play/691530/


play nice, shawn. :)
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby Koah on Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:13 pm

fuga wrote:When you say you are looking for either IMA or EMA and you want to get in shape and you are looking for a teacher who cares, you have to realize that you are not really narrowing down your focus enough for anyone to give you any recommendations. Hence all the google is your friend replies.


Originally I posted interested in External only... Although I edited it after shawnsegler said the following "I think you may be on the wrong board." So I changed to being more opened minded. When I changed it I thought if the teacher is willing to train me like the above post it wouldn't really matter weather it was external martial arts or internal. However I do view External martial arts as a great way to get physically in shape in a short period of time... but I honestly like internal martial arts much more.

fuga wrote:What have you studied? What art do you want to study? Do you want to learn the fighting aspects or the health aspects? Are you limiting yourself to the East Bay?

If you read the beginning post, i clarify the situation of my last place although i didn't mention what i've studied. I think I should be a little more opened about this sort of stuff if I'm sincerely looking for good advice in the matter. I studied Tien Shan Pai for 2+ years. I did Hebei Xing Yi for half a year. Worked a lot of conditioning and practicing of the 5 Function, that was truly fun!

I'm always interested in learning fighting aspects, although for 4-6 months I concretely would like to work towards the goal on developing my health back to the way it once was. Although as long as I'm getting my health back. I'm planning on moving to L.A. after the 5-6 months from now.

I am not limiting myself to the easy bay... pretty much anywhere in the bay area if the trainning and the teacher fit me I'm willing to drive an hour away just to go to classes. I'm trying very hard to be extremely opened minded and show my dedication to the practice and to learning / improving myself.

fuga wrote:The more specific you are in your request, the better chance you will have a getting an answer.

Chen Taijiquan appeals to me for a lot of different reasons. Michuan Taijiquan appeals to me because they not only Taiji but also my experience with meditation/neigong practices they teach. Hebei Xing Yi and possibly other Xing Yi practice along with Yi Quan.

fuga wrote:And what's with the 5 month thing? Some kind of deadline for something?

-pete

Well Pete, been planning on moving to L.A. the hope is for me to get back in shape by the time i go over their.


edededed wrote:You may believe that knowledge is always free, but in reality this is not the case. (I sure wish college was free - I'd be goin' to graduate school then!) If you are looking for a free ride, I think that you will not find much.

You do seem to have a very specific view of the teacher you want - you can only search and try to find the best match for yourself.

I still believe Knowledge is free. all you gotta do is think about things and the stuff you can discover. "Learning from a martial art:" walk into a class teaching beginning stance work go home practice the stuff for free... spend hours and hours on it you'll learn stuff although I wouldn't claim I learned their martial art from that. Do a stance improperly for years mess up your knees, You learned stuff! Lots of learning happening... lots of knowledge is free... there is also knowledge that isn't free.

I'm more then happy to pay money for a martial art... I was just saying commenting on how i think a lot of knowledge is free... just spend time research learn...

What I'm basically trying to say is I definately will not find myself in a commercialized class that trains in a manor of easy going practice where we do simplified stuff once or twice... maybe even three times and then end up doing moving to the next thing before one has actually gotten the essence of what those simplified things have to offer.

(Edited for clarity, and because I noticed what i was saying was contradicting)
Last edited by Koah on Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:00 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby JessOBrien on Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:24 pm

Hi Koah,

Me and my friend Isaac have a Chi Gung and Ba Gua class on Wed nights in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley. It's from 6:30 - 8:30 at the Vet's Hall on Stockton Street, $25.

We are not masters but Isaac carries his teacher's method and technique quite well.

www.watertradition.net

Take care,

Jess O

PS there's no lack of good schools and teachers here, so be sure to explore all you can!
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby edededed on Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:58 pm

Knowledge is sometimes free - of course anything you devise yourself is free, although the value may be dubious; the tendency for valuable knowledge is for it to be expensive, though.

People have to make a living - even knowledgeable people ;)
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby Chanchu on Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:23 pm

I am not a big fan of commercial martial arts schools, they have to exist and can be good places to learn- contracts unreasonable fees etc- do not agree- however.

kNOWLEDGE IS NOT FREE...

sorry caps lock--- its wrong thinking to think knowledge is free, a kind teacher may help you, but if you think/tell a teacher his long hard years of seeking and learning should be given to you for free, that's very much the wrong idea and it could limit your progress.
Last edited by Chanchu on Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby Koah on Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:48 pm

edededed wrote:Knowledge is sometimes free - of course anything you devise yourself is free, although the value may be dubious; the tendency for valuable knowledge is for it to be expensive, though.
People have to make a living - even knowledgeable people ;)

I totally agree.
I'm just saying the more time you put into researching a subject the more knowledge you accumulate.

Although I don't want to be stuck in some generalization all commercial martial art schools are bad. They can be a good place to learn knowledge. They can also be extremely watered down... and teach very little, that type of class I'm not interested in either.

Chanchu wrote:I am not a big fan of commercial martial arts schools, they have to exist and can be good places to learn - contracts unreasonable fees etc- do not agree- however.

kNOWLEDGE IS NOT FREE...

sorry caps lock--- its wrong thinking to think knowledge is free, a kind teacher may help you, but if you think/tell a teacher his long hard years of seeking and learning should be given to you for free, that's very much the wrong idea and it could limit your progress.


From the point of view of a instructor sees a new person walking into their school claiming to have some sort of knowledge base in the areas of martial arts the instructor can be known to often attempt to play the role of business man. The role of the business is to figure out what the students don't know or continue to speak watching the new students reactions. These Business men can conduct themselves extremely ethical in front of you although their intentions are to get money from you. So they talk to you and spend time invested into seeing how ignorant you are to giving away money. From my point of view, it is as if they are finding a way to take money from you. Instead of offering you a certain service for a certain amount of money. (edited)

Although I don't want to be stuck in some generalization all commercial martial art schools are bad. They can be a great place to learn a lot of of knowledge. I would very much enjoy that type of place as long as it had what I'm looking for.

On the other hand, they can also be extremely watered down... and teach very little, that type of class I'm not interested in either.
Last edited by Koah on Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby edededed on Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:24 am

Koah wrote:From a business man point of view looking for a person to come to your school they can be known to conduct themselves extremely well basing what they say on what you don't already know. Its almost as if they are finding a way to take you from you money. Instead of offering you a certain service for a certain amount of money.


Um, what? I can't understand what you are writing there at all...
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Re: Iso Bay Area Teacher

Postby cerebus on Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:16 pm

Hello Koah. I teach a form of Shaolin Chuan which is EXTREMELY good at developing high levels of health and fitness. I live here in Oakland. If you are interested, feel free to contact me. In this particular system, if you learn even just the first level, it is something that can keep you strong and healthy the rest of your life. Contact me if you are interested.

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