Advice for Wudang Schools for Study

[Rara]

Hello Bums!

 

Apologies for my intermittent attendance on this forum - I've been so busy and I find it hard to keep up.

I am on the verge of booking a trip to the Wudang mountains. Initially, I am thinking of going to the Taoist Wellness Academy for a month. I want to know if anyone has been to Wudang and what experiences they've had. The TWA has a fixed price which includes accommodation and food, but I want to know if you think that there may be other places where I can get good bang for my buck.

 

In my time there, I want to practice tai chi, study taoism, and maybe pick tea. If you have any alternative suggestions, do let me know

[Kar3n]

These at least one member who live there. Maybe he will chime in, but in the mean time you could do a search for wudang mountain.

 

Have a safe trip.

[vonkrankenhaus]

Is this the place with "Master Gu"?

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

[Rara]

On 30/01/2019 at 5:58 PM, vonkrankenhaus said:

Is this the place with "Master Gu"?

 

Haha, I knew you would ask this! Yes, he runs it - I know you're not a fan. It is why I'm here though, to see if there are any other recommendations. I've always wanted to go to Wudang, and I want to have an experience while I'm there, rather than just doing a tourist run of looking around, taking photos etc.

[sustainablefarm86]

 advice hummm....  defiantly definitely dont spike their drinks with drugs

Edited January 31, 2019 by King Jade
typo

[vonkrankenhaus]

2 hours ago, Rara said:

Yes, he runs it

 

What kind of experience you looking for?

 

Brooklyn Bridge?
Pinocchio?

Wizard of Oz?

 

If you just really want to learn real things about Daoism, TaiJi Philosophy, Classical Chinese medicine and actually learn and apply these things, then you can find things like that in a diner. Somewhere they are serving coffee and cake. Or a guy in the back of a book shop. 

 

So, going as a tourist is maybe better. 

 

Like "6 Flags" might be "interesting", but what people say who live nearby is always much more interesting and informative, and actually, "real".

 

I bet some of the most interesting things have settled at the periphery and have been observing.

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

 

 

[vonkrankenhaus]

2 hours ago, Rara said:

I know you're not a fan

 

Just want to clarify:

It's not about fan or not.

 

His video, posted in another discussion - stuff he shows is not accurate.

 

That's all. Just not accurate to what he is supposedly teaching.

 

He is doing a "schtick" in that video.

 

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

[Shubin]

I am not sure if you've seen these videos before, but hope they could help.

http://www.syiptv.com/video/show/9972

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av23455560/

http://video.10yan.com/html/201704/20/95981.shtml

 

I can see the points of vonkrankenhaus, and it is true that for beginners they do not have to go to China to learn Daoism/TaiJi/Qigong, etc.

 

  

Edited February 1, 2019 by Shubin

[Rara]

10 hours ago, vonkrankenhaus said:

 

What kind of experience you looking for?

 

Brooklyn Bridge?
Pinocchio?

Wizard of Oz?

 

If you just really want to learn real things about Daoism, TaiJi Philosophy, Classical Chinese medicine and actually learn and apply these things, then you can find things like that in a diner. Somewhere they are serving coffee and cake. Or a guy in the back of a book shop. 

 

So, going as a tourist is maybe better. 

 

Like "6 Flags" might be "interesting", but what people say who live nearby is always much more interesting and informative, and actually, "real".

 

I bet some of the most interesting things have settled at the periphery and have been observing.

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

 

 

 

Well, if there is an option to save money....the retreat isn't cheap!

 

Have you been to Wudang before?

Edited February 1, 2019 by Rara

[Rara]

9 hours ago, Shubin said:

I am not sure if you've seen these videos before, but hope they could help.

http://www.syiptv.com/video/show/9972

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av23455560/

http://video.10yan.com/html/201704/20/95981.shtml

 

I can see the points of vonkrankenhaus, and it is true that for beginners they do not have to go to China to learn Daoism/TaiJi/Qigong, etc.

 

  

 

Yes, it was George's channel that introduces this retreat to me

 

I dunno. I still like the idea of just doing tai chi for a month in the mountains either way.

[Shubin]

6 hours ago, Rara said:

 

Well, if there is an option to save money....the retreat isn't cheap!

 

Have you been to Wudang before?

No，When I had time, I did not have enough money. 

[Wu Ming Jen]

Hi Rara I go to the Taoist Kung Fu academy next to purple heaven palace.

 

Master Gu is not far from there just of the main road. White horse mountain 5 immortals temple is off the beaten path and is a temple so rules are more strict for activities and diet living on the mountain. You can change schools while you are there many people do but I love to be close to the temples and a 3 hr walk to the top.

 

Wednesdays are half days and Thursdays off to explore, soooo much to see it is amazing.

 

Ask me any question and I will respond. The school you choose can send an invitation to get you a visa and I have travel information for you  as well. Very exciting.

 

Master Gu is like living with a family so that is cool. Before you go make plans with the school to have someone  meet you at the airport, help getting to a hotel near the train station, meet you in the morning to get you on the train. At the other end of the train ride someone can meet you a get you to where you are going. 

 

I could go on and on so questions are helpful.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Wu Ming Jen

[Rara]

16 hours ago, Wu Ming Jen said:

Hi Rara I go to the Taoist Kung Fu academy next to purple heaven palace.

 

Master Gu is not far from there just of the main road. White horse mountain 5 immortals temple is off the beaten path and is a temple so rules are more strict for activities and diet living on the mountain. You can change schools while you are there many people do but I love to be close to the temples and a 3 hr walk to the top.

 

Wednesdays are half days and Thursdays off to explore, soooo much to see it is amazing.

 

Ask me any question and I will respond. The school you choose can send an invitation to get you a visa and I have travel information for you  as well. Very exciting.

 

Master Gu is like living with a family so that is cool. Before you go make plans with the school to have someone  meet you at the airport, help getting to a hotel near the train station, meet you in the morning to get you on the train. At the other end of the train ride someone can meet you a get you to where you are going. 

 

I could go on and on so questions are helpful.

 

I will message you a bit later because this is going to be very useful! Thank you

[Shubin]

On 2/1/2019 at 6:18 AM, Rara said:

 

Yes, it was George's channel that introduces this retreat to me

 

I dunno. I still like the idea of just doing tai chi for a month in the mountains either way.

For beginners, it may be a good idea to find someone local to get start.

A lot of people put "Master(大师)" before or after their names but they actually are not qualify,  so in China some people call them with another word，大狮(big lion)。    

[Rara]

Hi all,

 

I was sharing some DMs with another bum while I was away and felt that this little story might be a fun read, so I am copying and pasting it here.

 

Here's how it went down in Wudangshan ...

 

I came to Wudang to explore and see if I could find a good place to train. I checked into a hostel (which actually turned out to be the wrong one entirely - more on this blessing later) and went for a walk. Before I reached the mountains, I found a small temple in the main town. On my way out, there was an old gentleman doing some sort of taiji exercise in the grounds. Something like cloud hands, but different to how I know it.

 

Anyways, I watched for a minute or two then he stopped and bowed to me. I walked over to him and with no English on his part, and no mandarin on mine, he began to teach me the technique using his hands and moving my body.

 

Needless to say, he was very skilled and my thighs were burning within a minute or two. I used this app, Pleco, to try and make sentences for him, and vice versa, and he offered to take me to a school.

 

Next thing, I was on a bus with this stranger going up the mountain to Dragongate. I was like, "No way!!" I knew of Dragongate 10 years ago...probably one of the first lot of Youtube vids I found that drew me to Wudangshan.

 

I spoke with Chong Qin, the senior here who speaks English and she agreed to put me on a program learning a taiji form, qigong and meditation. The Sifu is Master Wang, who drops into sessions and helps correct us where need be. There's a few of us from Europe and a couple, (the lady is Sifu's daughter), then a load of kids that train and live here.

 

A few days after I came, one of the trainees that's here for a year, showed me the International Youth Hostel - the place I was supposed to be on day one. It turns out that the taxi driver had no idea where he was going and didn't understand me and the lady at the other hostel had no clue either. I can only think, if I went to the correct place, I may not have even ended up here! Haha.

 

Some call if fate, I guess!