Today's Rant -

 Well, according to the stats only a small percent of people even opened the last newsletter, but I will write another one anyway for posterity, hoping that one day maybe people will read the thing.

First off, I have nearly completed writing up the first section of SLT, and will follow I hope with a video/animation of how to do it. Then I will start the next section. Step by step.

I plan on adding another 6 articles. Then I am considering compiling a few into a book. I am also going to finish a book on training for VTK, but that's a bit longer project. Everything takes longer than planned.

I am also getting a bit sick of Facebook, so I will be responding less and less to articles and posts, but I will stay in contact via messenger. I have only been exposed to Facebook for a year, since living in China for over nine years where it is banned. Already, I can see it is actually harmful to VTK and in fact not only a huge time waster, but also so full of crap that it is not worth even looking at. I can't believe what I am seeing and hearing most of the time. It is a travesty. I have always known that students can be a bit one eyed and can fail to see what is obvious to a teacher, but I am beginning to think that the vast majority of supposed 'teachers' are actually blind as well as stupid as well.

And the proliferation of "Sifu" and "Grandmasters" is a bit alarming. "Sifu" doesn't translate as instructor. You don't get to title yourself "Sifu" just because you open a class.

Any, Ranting done. Hope you all have a good one.

The purpose of Kung Fu is to make a person into a better one. The combat side is important, sure, but so is the rest. A good happy life being lived by a balanced human being is more important than simply the ability to fight.

And that, is the real Kung Fu.

Social Events

 Since this is just starting not much is going on. Over the year, and each year, I have 3 planned trips. In May from about the 5th to the 26th of May a trip to Hong Kong and China is planned, flying first into HK until about the 11th, then traveling to Nanning for 10 or 11 days of teaching at my school there. The picture here is from Ba Ma a beautiful area near Nanning where reputedly people live over 100 years  old.

Next I have a 5 week Europe trip covering Holland, Germany, and probably the UK, other places are possible. This will be from mid July to late August, or  early September, or thereabouts. Exact times and dates not yet known.

There will be another trip in Nov virtually identical to the China May trip.

I have a trip in the works to Melbourne, probably in March, for a weekend.

People wanting to join in need only get their asses over to where I am and communicate to meet up.

Quote of the Month:

I don't think this needs much in the way of explanation. It is pretty clear. But I notice that those who put it on Facebook don't do what he says, and ignore much of it, and confuse sparring with what he is saying.
 I would add only one thing - I think the fastest way to learn VTK is exactly this, and it is pretty fast, if hard. Any short cuts merely make the path longer....

Training Tip 2

 I often hear things like "Barry is so talented" and "No one can ever be as good as WSL". Why not? I ask. "Because we can't train like that because no one is teaching like that any more."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone teaches like that.  Yip Man would only come to class when he felt like it. WSL would arrive well after the students had begun. Classes and instruction were short and to the point. The teachers didn't hover over the student making them do it right, but went off and had a cigarette and a cuppa.Modern teachers put more into their students these days than before, not less. The teachers lead the class, run around fixing problems for a couple of hours, not a few minutes, and vigilantly watch the students to make sure they don't make mistakes. They teach new things as fast as they can.

The problem is not in the teaching, but the students. The students no longer are willing to train alone for the hours needed, then go back for harsh correction, and cycle that until perfect. People are happy with imperfect - they either only practice in class, or get taught once, then practice that, without correction. Both approaches are not good enough. You need both halves to make a whole. It makes for incompete systems. Then, they go and teach in this way.... it is causing a degradation of the system.

I have had students turn up after 5 years after being taught part of Chum Kiu in a seminar, (which I don't do - I do not advance people in seminars - and no matter how clear I make it that seminars are to experience things not "officially" learn them for the first time, people do it every time). He said, I've been doing chum kiu now for six years, maybe it's time to learn the next section? I said show me. He naturally had lots of errors. He got angry and said, why didn't anyone tell me that in the first place? I said, did you go back to class and get someone to correct you? He hadn't thought it was necessary. Consequently, he quit. Sad, because he had potential.

But it illustrates a point. Students just don't get it. It needs to be perfect, not shoddy copies. And that needs lots of personal training AND lots of face time for corrections. You cannot practice enough in 3 classes a week to get anywhere. And without correction, training all day every day only makes errors and bad habits.

You need daily training AND lots of correction.

This is the real kung fu.