hey I found a school nearby that has NORTHERN SHAOLIN kung fu. I know absoluley nothing about kung fu. Could someone please tell me about this style. And How does the ranking work? Is the highest rank black belt? or how does that work.
Your best bet would be to pop in and eyeball a few classes and ask your questions. Any decent school would make time to speak to you and discuss the art and your needs. Beknar is right though, it would be helpful if you could provide us with a little bit more information. The name 'Northern Shaolin' could encompass a wide range of styles. I'm not sure about the school you're interested in but my school doesn't have an 'official' ranking system. There is simply beginner, intermediates and seniors - a family system (beginners = younger brothers and sisters, seniors = older brothers and sisters and so on and so on). Although I am aware of a lot of kung fu schools with a belt system similar to that of JMAs.
As stated above, got a link, school name or style? But Bei Shaolin tends to be among the Long Fist styles, uses dynamic kicks and lower stances.
I do northern mantis.. which if you wanted to call it Shaolin you could.. *shrug* don't like to think of it as Shaolin however... thats just me. And Chimpy Chimp is spot on. most traditionally minded schools do not use belts. My school uses a form of color sash, but no one wears them unless its for ceremony or testing. Senior students teach junior students, Sifu teaches the senior studnents the advanced curriculum.
Can't say much for that school/instructor as not much info. is given, but Ying Jow Pai is a very good system, it is an Eagle based Shaolin system, I have friends that study this and have heard and seen nothing but good. Try it out and see what you think.
Theyre quite the gymnasts.... http://www.dmeagleclaw.com/pics3605.html http://www.dmeagleclaw.com/pics3605-2.html
Leung Shum is a very respected teacher of the Eagle Claw system and it looks like Donald Walth is on the short list of authorized instructors. I don't know Donald Walth personally but I take this as a very good sign. (I know Ken Edwards who is also on the same list. Very good teacher in Pasadena.)
It looks good too me, but I dont think I will be able to fit it into my schedule quite yet. I'm learning TKD and Jiu-Jitsu right now, ontop of a job....
kung fu ranking I'm lucky enought to be practicing Jow Ga under a teacher that does ranking the traditional way. As in...no belts or sashes. There are students, instructors, the sifu and his sigung. You know pretty quickly where people stand and although I can appreciate the purpose of giving exams....I'm loving not having to do them! Nothing but you, the art and your progress. My Jow Ga school is that of Hoy K Lee in Virginia Beach. www.jowgakungfu.com I used to practice a mixed art called Shaolin Tsu Kempo or Fa Men Chuan. It origins are dubious but it's effectiveness is not. I don't enjoy recalling that black belt exam..... I guess it builds character. It's also more than bit traumatizing. The last exam I took had, at the end of the all day exam, 32 mintues of continuous HARD sparring (with protection) with an oppenent being rested and switched out every 2 mintues.
Another northern guy here (7* mantis). I have bumped into his students and students of his teacher at various seminars in the Midwest and out East. All have been very kind and open about their art (we do an Eagle Claw form as part of our Chin Wu based ciriculum). If you want to get into Eagle Claw, start yoga classes now. I would anticipate lots of fundamental training and patience being required as the jiben gong can be grueling in EC. I have his teacher's dvd on Shephard Staff. It is almost identical to the way we do it. Ranking? Don't know, I could care less, but I'm old and do not care anymore. Would think it would be more along the lines that Dark and I are used to (basic, intermediate, and advanced, rather than sashes or what not).
Levi, I study Ying Jow Pai Eagle Claw under Sifu Rothrock. I have only been studying eagle claw for about 4 or 5 months so I'm no expert on the subject. Since Sifu Rothrock and Sifu Walth were taught by the same Sufi I assume their training methods are similar. The system as I am being taught is very structured. We have a raking system that uses sashes that starts with white and ends with black. The sashes are used to teach you the basics. You will start to learn the really good stuff when you reach black. I'm not saying you don't learn anything good when your under black but like I said the sashes are used as stepping stones for the basics. When you are a white sashes you are taught certain moves and part of the first form. You will not learn anything else until you know the required material and are tested and move on. From what I was told it takes about 1 year to reach black sashes. Don't get confused and think someone wearing a black sashes is similar to a black belt in karate. Black sashes is where the real learning begins. Eagle Claw is a great style that has been around for almost 1000 years and is a complete system. Not many styles can say that and not many Sifu's can offer you a complete system. Check out the school for yourself in person.
i think you are looking at a primarily kicking style... not sure though but if im right ... alot of high, powerful and fast kicks... but not as many hand techniques... also speedy travelling...im pretty sure this is a style -like most northern styles- that trains you to be very fast on your feet ...rather than the more stable and stationary southern styles....as for the sashes ... it will take me another 8-10 years to get a black sash-in clf- so im a long way off.....but i know that you can get a gold sash after your black... but that takes ALOT of time...
