Anyone martial arts train in China?

I've heard the Shaolin Temple is run down, and I've heard it's the best place to train. Has anyone been there recently? Would it be better to find a private teacher/school? Would it matter to anyone over there that I''m a girl?





Any tips from people who have done it would help a lot.

Anyone martial arts train in China?
When you say Shaolin Temple, please consider that there are more than one temple out there. Warrior monks trained for many generations in numerous temples, not in one specific temple. That being said -





Would it be better to find a private school/teacher? If you're asking in the states, the answer is an emphatic no. Martial arts in the US (if you can call them that as they're taught here) are severely watered down and improperly taught. Grossly, the system that a student would go through here is based on money rather than the value system, actual progress, and skill that is needed to properly justify your rank in a dojo/dojang/etc. Most of the "masters" here are first and second degree black belts, most of which were earned over a period of three years or so. The training is diluted to accommodate weaker and less determined (lazy) people, which are majority.





To train in China?


It's tough to get in and stay there in a legitimate manner, but if you do, you will find, more often than not, true martial arts taught by true teachers.





Understand that, in traditional martial arts in asian culture, black belts were not attained in three years, nor were first or second dan earned properly in four or five. Earning the rank of master took a lifetime, and even then some didn't achieve it. This is assuming you're looking to be trained properly. If you're serious about going to asia to train, consider that you'll have to work four or five times as hard as the students there based solely on the fact that you're an outsider. Not that it's prejudicial, but a lot of your peers will have been instructed since a very young age.





As far as being a girl, it's hard to say and depends on where you end up. Traditional training with old style masters, it will have some effect on how you're seen if only for the reason that their social system is that of male dominance. However, that's not to say it hasn't changed, and you're out of luck. How bad you want it is the determining factor in the end. Respect is earned by hard work, not gender ;)





Good luck and hope this was helpful :)
Reply:contact Tim Cartmell of Shen Wu in Garden Grove


he spent 10 years in China learning various internal styles, is a BB in BJJ and a Master in San Soo.


well rounded...


http://www.shenwu.com/
Reply:i dunno where you live.. but wushu is cool. Try doing wushu.. there are usually wushu coaches (chinese martial arts) in all MAJOR cities in the US. They are FROM china.. dont go to a "kung fu" school cause they usually aren't that good...get trained by a real chinese person if you are interested in that particular style.





my boyfriend does some wushu, and i do it too..they do the same moves that are in shaolin.