New Student Guide:
As a school, we have the objective of preserving and passing on the teachings of Master Wu Chao-hsiang. You will have noticed that ours is a traditional school. We take pride in this. Observing the ancient rituals and customs makes our school stronger. Understanding where our system comes from enables us to practice with confidence and determination; and studying the forms link us to a past which we do not want to lose. Learning the philosophy of great teachers of our lineage gives us new perspective and helps us to see how martial arts principles should be integrated into our daily lives.
As a new student, it is important to observe all the rituals of the school. Please do not confuse our art with religion; we do not worship our ancestors, we simply pay respect to them in a ritualistic manner. It is important to respect every object in the Guan (training hall). Everything in it has a meaning and a reason for being there. If you have any questions about the hall, or the particular objects in it, you may ask the Shifu, one of the Shishon (older brothers) or Shijie (older sisters).
To achieve maximum results, serious students should practice the following:
- RELAX. You will not be able to learn any thing if you tense your body. You also run the risk of injuring yourself. One sign of good martial artists is the degree of relaxation they have achieved.
- AVOID FRUSTRATION. Shao Lin is a hard art to master. Do not think that just because you cannot perform a technique or movement that you "will never get it right." Kung Fu means "practice over a period of time." The more time you put into the art, the more you will get out of it.
- KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Accept Shao Lin as a complete, integrated system. A common mistake, made especially by those who have had training in other martial arts, is to draw parallels with what has been learned already. This may seem to help at first, but eventually it will interfere with your true understanding of the art.
- ASK QUESTIONS. If you do not understand something, just ask. Students in our school are eager to answer questions. It helps them understand the art better. If they do not know the answer, they will ask the Sifu. Our goal is to have everyone here understand what real Kung Fu is, not to propagate the images created by movies and television.
- FOCUS. Do not distract yourself with thoughts like: "everyone is looking at me" or "I’m making a fool of myself" All of the students here, were at some point in the same spot you are in now. No one knows how to do everything the first day - or even the first year. All serious students should concentrate on what they are doing, not on what others are doing or thinking.
- PACE YOURSELF. When you are a beginner, there is no reason that you should feel the need to do things as fast or as well as the more experienced students. Do not think that you are "holding the class back" - more experienced students must also learn patience. Try not to hurry the learning process or you may cultivate bad habits.
- ARRIVE EARLY. You can use the time to stretch yourself out, and also get to know your fellow classmates. Remember that this is an association. One of our goals is to make friends through martial arts.
- PRACTICE IN YOUR SPARE TIME. As "homework", think about what you have learned here. When you have your next class, get your questions answered and get your form "corrected" so you can learn more and have more "homework."
- BE PERSISTANT. No matter how hard it looks, it is possible. If it was not, we would not teach it. Keep working hard until you can defeat your most formidable opponent - Yourself.
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