Yee Chuan Tao

[Keaka o Kanaka]

So this school isn't one based on fighting or self defense but rather on the performance of forms?

7sm

No this school is definetely based on self defense. We learn all types of animal kung fu techniques and ballistic drills. Sifu mike doesn't like wushu too much. He has nothing against it I guess, but he says that kung fu already naturally looks beautiful and that wushu has kind of lost all it's applicable techniques. We do still work on our performance for competitions. I think performance is 3/5 of your score. But nonetheless, all the techniques we do in our forms are fully applicable for combat. Thanks

Kala

 

[Keaka o Kanaka]

Older than any other CMA= unable to prove, probably B.S.

Family art, only recently taught "outside" the family= unable to prove, probably B.S.

Creating a broadsword set= Wushu? What about Yee Chuan Tao's broadsword sets? Or Preying Mantis? Aren't these any good?

Yes, lets see a list of the 23 martial arts that your sifu is certified to teach.

Sorry Keaka o Kanaka, I know you really like your sifu, but the credentials smell extremely fishy. Knowing David Carradine doesn't make someone a kung fu master. Realistically, its very difficult to learn and master even one system. Mastering and being certified to teach in 23 is a ridiculous claim. Maybe learning a form or two from 23 systems is possible, but not mastering them. Perhaps you should take some time out and visit some other kung fu schools and take a look at what they're doing to give yourself some reference.
Mike

You are correct about the proof part. I have no way of proving to you that Yee Chuan Tao is the oldest form of CMA. Nor do I have any proof that this is the first generation Yee Chuan Tao has ever been taught out of the family. All I have are what sifu mike has shown me and what he has told me. I don't expect you too believe or trust him, and neither does he. He says if people choose not to believe in something they'll make up any excuse not to. As for me, I've seen him do amazing things and I believe him fully.

No. My broadsword form will not be wushu. It's just a single combat form. Sifu mike is showing me all types of techniques I can compile into one form. I practice with my other students attacking me from different angles and then I memorize how I had defended myself. I then practice the form by myself and then polish it up. That's how we make forms. Eventually I hope to be able to develope enough imagination to make forms up in my head, but I'm still just a beginner.

Sifu Mike didn't just "know" David Carradine, he trained him. He also trained several other high up there Martial Artists like Brandon Lee and Gene LeBelle. I don't have any interest in leaving this school. Sifu Mike can teach me everything I want to learn. It is far from unbelievable for someone to master a martial art quickly after already mastering one previously. You are able to learn quicker because you are already experienced with another form of fighting. You are also already conditioned and stretched which is probably the most time consuming part of learning a martial art. Sifu Mike achieved the title of si gung at the age of 17, becoming grandmaster. He is now 50 to date. I have seen other kung fu schools. In my area, Sifu Mike teaches the best from what I've seen.

As far as the martial arts list, I'm supposed to get it tomorrow when there is class. The martial arts I know he knows are:

Yee Chuan Tao
Taekwondo
Mantis
Judo
Kendo
5 animal forms
Jiu Jitsu
Chin Na
Tai Chi

These are the ones he has shown me and has taught to some of his other students. As I've already said. I truly can't expect any of you to believe me unless you were to meet Sifu Mike for yourselves. He is so knowledgeable about so many things that it's amazing to me, and that I enjoy training under him very much. Thanks again

Kala

 

[7starmantis]

Sifu Mike didn't just "know" David Carradine, he trained him. He also trained several other high up there Martial Artists like Brandon Lee and Gene LeBelle. I don't have any interest in leaving this school. Sifu Mike can teach me everything I want to learn. It is far from unbelievable for someone to master a martial art quickly after already mastering one previously. You are able to learn quicker because you are already experienced with another form of fighting. You are also already conditioned and stretched which is probably the most time consuming part of learning a martial art. Sifu Mike achieved the title of si gung at the age of 17, becoming grandmaster. He is now 50 to date. I have seen other kung fu schools. In my area, Sifu Mike teaches the best from what I've seen.

I've been trying to be as objective as possible but here are a few things I don't quite understand. David Carradine doesn't impress me in the least so neither would someone who trained him. Simply stating that fact doesn't do much for his skill credibility. The training of "hollywood Maist" also doesn't impress me much, so these types of claims don't really hold much weight.

The term sigung is not so much a title as simply a word that is used for teacher's teacher. My instructors instructor would be my sigung. That in and of itself doesn't mean you have "mastered" anything in today's society. It certainly isn't the deffinition of grandmaster. If he is 50 years old and we go back to my earlier post about spending 3 years in each art he mastered, he is lacking 19 years of study. If he spent less than 3 years in a system, I don't find it believeable to say he mastered it. Actually I don't think 3 years in a system should even allow you to teach it, but thats just me.

The martial arts I know he knows are:

Yee Chuan Tao
Taekwondo
Mantis
Judo
Kendo
5 animal forms
Jiu Jitsu
Chin Na
Tai Chi

These are the ones he has shown me and has taught to some of his other students. As I've already said. I truly can't expect any of you to believe me unless you were to meet Sifu Mike for yourselves. He is so knowledgeable about so many things that it's amazing to me, and that I enjoy training under him very much. Thanks again

I'm glad you are comfortable training under him, and you enjoy your training. That is what its all about for some.
I must address a few things here however. In your list you listed Mantis. Thats a pretty broad statement as there are many styles of mantis. What style has he mastered, or is it the mantis system in its entirety? Not speaking for any other system of mantis, but 7 star is quite a large system to master, and if he did master it he should be accepted by a legitament instructor, right? Who did he train under for mantis? Also you listed 5 Animals Forms. Is this mean he knows some 5 animal forms? If so I wouldn't qualify that as mastering a system. Speaking of Chin Na, I know the 23 mantis chin-na techniques, does that mean I can list myself as having mastered the system of chin-na? Same goes with Tai Chi, what style? Who did he study under? What forms does he know?

Please don't take this as an attack, it is not. I'm simply saying that if your trying to convince someone of your teachers ligitimacy, these general statements will not do it.

Also I asked if your system was focused on fighting and self defense or on forms and performance. Neither is wrong, I'm just curious.

7sm

 

[aNadia]

I've been trying to be as objective as possible but here are a few things I don't quite understand. David Carradine doesn't impress me in the least so neither would someone who trained him. Simply stating that fact doesn't do much for his skill credibility. The training of "hollywood Maist" also doesn't impress me much, so these types of claims don't really hold much weight.

The term sigung is not so much a title as simply a word that is used for teacher's teacher. My instructors instructor would be my sigung. That in and of itself doesn't mean you have "mastered" anything in today's society. It certainly isn't the deffinition of grandmaster. If he is 50 years old and we go back to my earlier post about spending 3 years in each art he mastered, he is lacking 19 years of study. If he spent less than 3 years in a system, I don't find it believeable to say he mastered it. Actually I don't think 3 years in a system should even allow you to teach it, but thats just me.


I'm glad you are comfortable training under him, and you enjoy your training. That is what its all about for some.
I must address a few things here however. In your list you listed Mantis. Thats a pretty broad statement as there are many styles of mantis. What style has he mastered, or is it the mantis system in its entirety? Not speaking for any other system of mantis, but 7 star is quite a large system to master, and if he did master it he should be accepted by a legitament instructor, right? Who did he train under for mantis? Also you listed 5 Animals Forms. Is this mean he knows some 5 animal forms? If so I wouldn't qualify that as mastering a system. Speaking of Chin Na, I know the 23 mantis chin-na techniques, does that mean I can list myself as having mastered the system of chin-na? Same goes with Tai Chi, what style? Who did he study under? What forms does he know?

Please don't take this as an attack, it is not. I'm simply saying that if your trying to convince someone of your teachers ligitimacy, these general statements will not do it.

Also I asked if your system was focused on fighting and self defense or on forms and performance. Neither is wrong, I'm just curious.

7sm

It is nice to know you are very curious, there is nothing wrong with questions..
We don't really come to our Sifu and ask him the details of every martial art he knows, since he mainly is there to teach Yee Chuan Tao. Though if we were interested in learning a particular differ style/martial arts, we could ask him, or sifu rob, but we too are mainly there to learn Yee Chuan Tao.
Every 'answer' we will give will sprout more questions and doubts, Kala and I are still beginning students and we cannot always accurately remember and quote everything our sifu had told us about his background. I personally don't want to bother because I'll probably just make sifu mike sound lesser in my inexperience and horrible explanatory skills.
If Sifu Mike was giving false info, we would be able to see it in how effective his skill is, which is very effective. So far he has been able to live up to and show us he can do everything he said he can do, and that is more than enough proof to me. I would ask him every question everyone had asked above, but that would take a lot of mine and his time just to give to people over the internet that I will probably never meet, keep in touch with, or find it vital that they get this information, so I am sorry if your questions are left unanswered.
If you are going to the dallas Taiji Legacy tournament, we will be there, and then you can gawk and laugh and question us or whatever all you like when you see our performance for yourself I guess.
If you are seriously interested in and must know anymore questions please send a private message.
I appreciate everyone's interest in Yee Chuan Tao and our teachers

 

[7starmantis]

It is nice to know you are very curious, there is nothing wrong with questions..
We don't really come to our Sifu and ask him the details of every martial art he knows, since he mainly is there to teach Yee Chuan Tao. Though if we were interested in learning a particular differ style/martial arts, we could ask him, or sifu rob, but we too are mainly there to learn Yee Chuan Tao.
Every 'answer' we will give will sprout more questions and doubts, Kala and I are still beginning students and we cannot always accurately remember and quote everything our sifu had told us about his background. I personally don't want to bother because I'll probably just make sifu mike sound lesser in my inexperience and horrible explanatory skills.

I certainly didn't mean to offend, I'm seriously curious. I work at my school so I have contact with allot of different sifus from allot of different places, so I'm very interested in lineages and different styles of CMA. I don't think that answers to certain questions will sprout more doubt, by their nature alone they will solidify beliefs about your school. See, good or bad, you want people to at least know about your school. You will never please everyone, so don't be afraid to produce answers, it will only help.

If Sifu Mike was giving false info, we would be able to see it in how effective his skill is, which is very effective. So far he has been able to live up to and show us he can do everything he said he can do, and that is more than enough proof to me. I would ask him every question everyone had asked above, but that would take a lot of mine and his time just to give to people over the internet that I will probably never meet, keep in touch with, or find it vital that they get this information, so I am sorry if your questions are left unanswered.

That is not necessarily true, no one here is saying your sifu doesn't have skill. In fact it seems he does, but it also seems he like to embellish. In this web savvy society, it is wise to understand and accept questions from online martial artists, especially a group this large and diverse, it can really help your cause. As a beginner your perception of skill is different from say mine, since I've been doing CMA since I was a kid. Performance is not a bad thing to be focused on, and it seems that is your schools focus. Don't be ashamed of that, accept it. There are few out there who understand the difficulty performance can impose.

If you are going to the dallas Taiji Legacy tournament, we will be there, and then you can gawk and laugh and question us or whatever all you like when you see our performance for yourself I guess.
If you are seriously interested in and must know anymore questions please send a private message.
I appreciate everyone's interest in Yee Chuan Tao and our teachers

Now this is disappointing. I've done nothing but ask serious questions that any sifu or student should be able and willing to divulge. Lineage is something that is extremely important in today's society. Without it, your school is already at a disadvantage. No one has said anything about gawking, laughing or questioning your skill. I will be there as will the entire US Kung Fu Exchange I am a part of. If you want to get into bragging of medals, we have plenty to show, but to me that is not the point. I am seriously interested and curious about your sifu and your style, but it seems you guys are a little closed to interests, so I will be forced to make my own assumptions and go from there. We already communicated in Private Message and you were very polite, why has that changed now? I don't understand why you perceive our interests and questions as threats.


7sm

 

[aNadia]

I certainly didn't mean to offend, I'm seriously curious. I work at my school so I have contact with allot of different sifus from allot of different places, so I'm very interested in lineages and different styles of CMA. I don't think that answers to certain questions will sprout more doubt, by their nature alone they will solidify beliefs about your school. See, good or bad, you want people to at least know about your school. You will never please everyone, so don't be afraid to produce answers, it will only help.


That is not necessarily true, no one here is saying your sifu doesn't have skill. In fact it seems he does, but it also seems he like to embellish. In this web savvy society, it is wise to understand and accept questions from online martial artists, especially a group this large and diverse, it can really help your cause. As a beginner your perception of skill is different from say mine, since I've been doing CMA since I was a kid. Performance is not a bad thing to be focused on, and it seems that is your schools focus. Don't be ashamed of that, accept it. There are few out there who understand the difficulty performance can impose.


Now this is disappointing. I've done nothing but ask serious questions that any sifu or student should be able and willing to divulge. Lineage is something that is extremely important in today's society. Without it, your school is already at a disadvantage. No one has said anything about gawking, laughing or questioning your skill. I will be there as will the entire US Kung Fu Exchange I am a part of. If you want to get into bragging of medals, we have plenty to show, but to me that is not the point. I am seriously interested and curious about your sifu and your style, but it seems you guys are a little closed to interests, so I will be forced to make my own assumptions and go from there. We already communicated in Private Message and you were very polite, why has that changed now? I don't understand why you perceive our interests and questions as threats.


7sm

Actually, I don't perceive your interests and questions as threats. I'm not offended at all, and I'm not trying to brag about any medals. Gawking i guess is not the best word, what I had meant is just that you can see us and however you may react to how we do or what not-in my opinion I thought it would be a better understanding for people if they were already going to the tournament, then they would be able to see us, maybe meet us, you'd have much more answers that way I think? it is only my opinion.
Also, my class does not spend a lot of time on performance actually. Throughout the class we learn mostly self defense techniques and ballistic drills.
And I did realize that you have serious questions and that other people do which is why I'm hinting onto you to please send me a private message with your questions from now on

 

[7starmantis]

I got you, thank you for being polite and understanding. I know it is hard via this medium to answer questions especially when being pressured.

I look forward to seeing and maybe meeting you guys at taiji legacy. Good luck in your training.

7sm

 

[RHD]

The martial arts I know he knows are:

Yee Chuan Tao
Taekwondo
Mantis
Judo
Kendo
5 animal forms
Jiu Jitsu
Chin Na
Tai Chi

These are the ones he has shown me and has taught to some of his other students.
Kala

Yee Chuan Tao=red
Taekwondo=green
Mantis=yellow
Judo=blue
Kendo=purple
5 animal forms=pink
Jiu Jitsu=orange
Chin Na=white
Tai Chi=black

Mix them all togehter and you get Brown, the color of mud. Again I have to question whether your sifu is really a master of all these systems. This is only 9 out of a supposed 23. Sorry folks, I think you're buying into the hype. It's a strange quality about student-instructor loyalty: Students will believe almost anything thier instructor tells them. I know this from personal experience. The truth is out there and I think as students you should have the right to know it.
Mike

 

[7starmantis]

Yeah, that is the main problem I have, 23 systems. Speaking from experience, which allows me only to speak of mantis and tai chi, I would find it hard to believe someone who said they have mastered either one of them alone in 23 years.


7sm

 

[aNadia]

Yee Chuan Tao=red
Taekwondo=green
Mantis=yellow
Judo=blue
Kendo=purple
5 animal forms=pink
Jiu Jitsu=orange
Chin Na=white
Tai Chi=black

Mix them all togehter and you get Brown, the color of mud. Again I have to question whether your sifu is really a master of all these systems. This is only 9 out of a supposed 23. Sorry folks, I think you're buying into the hype. It's a strange quality about student-instructor loyalty: Students will believe almost anything thier instructor tells them. I know this from personal experience. The truth is out there and I think as students you should have the right to know it.
Mike

Being skeptical is not a bad thing, you have every right, that's all apart of the way things work, right?
the 9 that were listed were pretty much the only ones remembered because everything except taekwondo and 5 animal are all publicly taught and listed on the class schedule-constantly mentioned during class, easily remembered..all the others aren't, so we don't remember them as well.
Do you think us students would have never been suspicious? Students have always been very suspicious, it's not like it's easy to believe you have a teacher too good to be true.

This forum thread is not the first to have made and pointed out these observations. These questions, they've been asked many, many times before you. Even so, no one has yet found out if he was lying and faking it this whole time after 50 years old? For a famous stunt and movie fight scene choreographer and all the connections and hook ups from all those people that would have already tried to prove him wrong, though he just slipped through that and continues faking 23 certifications so easily?

It is not an easy thing to believe,it is highly uncommon for one- which I think everyone could agree on?

well if you have more questions keep asking but I'd really prefer private msg

 

[RHD]

Being skeptical is not a bad thing, you have every right, that's all apart of the way things work, right?
the 9 that were listed were pretty much the only ones remembered because everything except taekwondo and 5 animal are all publicly taught and listed on the class schedule-constantly mentioned during class, easily remembered..all the others aren't, so we don't remember them as well.
Do you think us students would have never been suspicious? Students have always been very suspicious, it's not like it's easy to believe you have a teacher too good to be true.

This forum thread is not the first to have made and pointed out these observations. These questions, they've been asked many, many times before you. Even so, no one has yet found out if he was lying and faking it this whole time after 50 years old? For a famous stunt and movie fight scene choreographer and all the connections and hook ups from all those people that would have already tried to prove him wrong, though he just slipped through that and continues faking 23 certifications so easily?

It is not an easy thing to believe,it is highly uncommon for one- which I think everyone could agree on?

well if you have more questions keep asking but I'd really prefer private msg

Sorry, I don't think you're getting the point. Perhaps loyalty is blinding. No One can MASTER 23 complete systems. Unless this guy is 300 years or more old of course there's no way he could have mastered 23 complete fighting systems. And think about it a little bit, this supposed Yee Chuan Tao system he learned as a child...What child do you know that is physically, intellectually, and emotionally capable of mastering a martial art? Are you telling us that he was some kind of martial arts child prodigy extroadinaire?

But again perhaps my definition of mastering is different from yours. To me, mastering means having a deep understanding of and ability to use. Say it out loud once: Deep understanding and ability to use 23 complete fighting systems including empty handed and weapons training, deep understanding and ability to use a complete fighting system as a child. Only Grandmaster of a rare and secretive family style unheard of anywhere other than in your teacher's school.
Does it even sound possible? No. Need I mention the three years of underground no holds barred cage fighting (another unproveable I suppose)this guy supposedly engaged in from age 16 to 19? LOL!!! Give us a break! It sounds a lot more like a comic book. Where were his parents? Let me guess, he did this after school instead of chasing girls and doing his homework... Give me an "F", give me an "R", give me an "AUD", what's that spell? FRAUD!

Sheesh, ask SevenStar how many different forms and weapons Preying Mantis has alone. Hung Gar has 3 to 12 empty hand forms (depending on lineage and instructor) and at least as many weapons. This is forms alone, there are drills, training tolls and exercises, concepts, strategies, internal training, self defense, and fighting skills. I've been studying it for 14 years and am not so arrogant as to call myself a master. 20+ systems!? BS!

I may not have been the first to ask these questions, but I am surely not going to be the last. There are many decent, honest, and hard working practitioners of real Chinese fighting systems that are grounded in reality and sick of this kind of blatant nonesense being associated with them.
Mike

 

[7starmantis]

I kind of have to agree. I sent a few emails to said Sifu and they were completely against answering any of my very polite and simple questions. The number one sign of fraud is the refusal to answer any questions.


Oh, and in 7* mantis there are 18-20 empty hand forms alone. If you add in some of LKW's and others you can get higher. Then add in the weapons. It would be completely impossible to "master" mantis in a few years. I would say less than 10 would be almost 100% proof of a liar. In fact, anyone who tells me they have mastered mantis (or any CMA for that matter) I usually immediatly write them off a liar. My Sigung has done 7* for over 40 years and will be the first to say he has not mastered it.

7sm

 

[RHD]

I kind of have to agree. I sent a few emails to said Sifu and they were completely against answering any of my very polite and simple questions. The number one sign of fraud is the refusal to answer any questions.


Oh, and in 7* mantis there are 18-20 empty hand forms alone. If you add in some of LKW's and others you can get higher. Then add in the weapons. It would be completely impossible to "master" mantis in a few years. I would say less than 10 would be almost 100% proof of a liar. In fact, anyone who tells me they have mastered mantis (or any CMA for that matter) I usually immediatly write them off a liar. My Sigung has done 7* for over 40 years and will be the first to say he has not mastered it.

7sm

Kind of felt jerky to dog that guy's students, but B.S. is B.S.
Mike

 

[aNadia]

Though I do not remember me being as bold to say he mastered 23 martial arts, I do remember saying he was qualified to teach them.

 

[7starmantis]

Though I do not remember me being as bold to say he mastered 23 martial arts, I do remember saying he was qualified to teach them.

Even so, his website says he has spent 45 years as a martial artist. that equals just under 2 years in every system. I don't think anyone would agree that 2 years is enough time to legitimatly teach said system. Plus is says he spent 6 years in judo so that leaves each of the other 22 systems only right over a year and a half. I think that is the problem people are having with him and his legitimacy.

7sm

 

[aNadia]

I take judo, chi gung, and kung fu 5/7 days of the week. Even though he took judo for 6 years, is it not possible to be taking other arts at the same time? and I realize what you are saying about this, but I am just clearing up that nothing had been said particularly that he 'mastered' 23 martial arts.

 

[RHD]

I take judo, chi gung, and kung fu 5/7 days of the week. Even though he took judo for 6 years, is it not possible to be taking other arts at the same time? and I realize what you are saying about this, but I am just clearing up that nothing had been said particularly that he 'mastered' 23 martial arts.

Cool, only 20 more systems to go and some underground no holds barred cage matches and you're ready for your own website. :ultracool
It's possible to take more than one class, and if that's your thing then I hope you enjoy it. You're also right that you did not say "mastered", but rather "qualified" but that's a fairly vague term, especially when applied to various kung fu systems.

Let me tell you a bit about my background.
I'm 34, and have been involved with martial arts for 22 years.
At age 12 I began kenpo karate and made it through Orange belt.
I tried out Judo briefly, but found the instructor unpleasant.
I moved on to "American Karate" in High School, and from there into amatuer kick boxing. I took up Hung Gar at age 20, and had some exposures to forms from Choy Li Fut, various animal styles, and Northern Shaolin, roughly 5 or 6 different systems. With the exception of Hung Gar, none of these things do I feel qualified to teach. I don't know the inner workings of anything except perhaps the Hung Gar, though I know others who've been doing it longer who are better.
So you see, I could tell my students that I know all of those different styles, but that would be using a common sales tactic known as guilding the lilly, in other words, lying. This is the problem I see you teacher as having.
Mike

 

[7starmantis]

I take judo, chi gung, and kung fu 5/7 days of the week. Even though he took judo for 6 years, is it not possible to be taking other arts at the same time? and I realize what you are saying about this, but I am just clearing up that nothing had been said particularly that he 'mastered' 23 martial arts.

I really have to agree with RHD on this, the embelishment of the statement is pretty obvious. I have the same kind of story that RHD does, I started CMA when I was 9 years old. That gives me a grand total of 16 years in MA. Now I've only studied 3 systems: Dragon Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, 7* mantis kung fu. I spent the longest in JKD so far at 7 years. I would not consider myself a qualified instructor of JKD. My point is that just mere time in a system doesn't a teacher make. If your doing 4 or 5 systems at the same time I think its going to take you even longer to get to a point of teaching in either of them.

Its these types of statements that make it unbelieveable. Like the never loosing a match in the underground no holds barred fighting. My sigung was the East Coast Full Contact Fighting Champion when he was young and he never claims to have never lost a match. Its just that little extra embelishment that makes things so unbelievable.

7sm

 

[aNadia]

Cool, only 20 more systems to go and some underground no holds barred cage matches and you're ready for your own website.

I feel like I've been polite to you so far rhd, and I'd kind of appreciate if you could state your points without being so rude.
I was saying the three martial arts i do at the same time simply to compare that sifu mike could have done stuff at the same time, and studying more system at the same time seem easier to me, chi gung/tai chi helps a lot with kung fu and judo, doing judo at the same time as kung fu helps me apply grappling work better with it and kung fu is helpful in judo so it all works out.
I think it's cool about your backgrounds I think all martial arts are great. i did kickboxing/tkd at 11 and kyudo at 14, now this.
Although Sifu Mike did his underground cage fighting it is something I don't brag about because I'm not too keen on that kind of violence and fighting for money and I'm glad that that was when he was in his late teens and grown out of it. If Sifu Mike had lost a challenge, he'd probably be crippled or dead, because that's how brutal it was, fights lasted about 15 seconds.

 

[RHD]

I feel like I've been polite to you so far rhd, and I'd kind of appreciate if you could state your points without being so rude.
I was saying the three martial arts i do at the same time simply to compare that sifu mike could have done stuff at the same time, and studying more system at the same time seem easier to me, chi gung/tai chi helps a lot with kung fu and judo, doing judo at the same time as kung fu helps me apply grappling work better with it and kung fu is helpful in judo so it all works out.
I think it's cool about your backgrounds I think all martial arts are great. i did kickboxing/tkd at 11 and kyudo at 14, now this.
Although Sifu Mike did his underground cage fighting it is something I don't brag about because I'm not too keen on that kind of violence and fighting for money and I'm glad that that was when he was in his late teens and grown out of it. If Sifu Mike had lost a challenge, he'd probably be crippled or dead, because that's how brutal it was, fights lasted about 15 seconds.

You're right aNadia, I've been rude. I am a bit of a rude person and I don't believe in being PC, especially when it comes to Chinese martial arts discussion. Why? Because as a practitioner and a teacher of kung fu I am affected by highly visible people who make bogus claims about thier kung fu. The general public often can't or won't distinguish crap from reality and thier perceptions, if based on crap, make it much more difficult to legitimize what I teach. To most people, kung fu is kung fu. Sadly, I think that others on this board will understand what I'm saying. Look at what has happened to TKD...the proliferation of shi**y TKD has overshadowed many of the decent, honest, hardworking TKD schools out there. I don't want that to happen with CMA. I may not be able to stop it, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit back and keep my mouth shut while it happens.

Its very clear that you buy into what your sifu has told you. Look at what you're saying: underground cage fighting...in his late teens[/I. Again, more unprovable hype. Look at this forum and others and you will find that the vast majority of level headed people see claims like this as a flag for B.S.
It would benefit you to do a little research aNadia into the styles your sifu claims to teach. Find out what they're about and what it takes to get an understanding of them. Seek the truth rather than waiting for your teacher to tell it to you. I doubt you will take the time to do this however, as you seem to be more interested in taking whatever the almighty super-sifu tells you as an unquestioning follower...(more danger flags)
I was once like that myself. My own sifu told me a lot of things that I wanted to believe about his background. In my eyes he was something beyond the norm, an undefeatable master of many styles. Over the years there were a few cracks that appeared in his stories and claims, but I mostly ignored them, and adamantly defended him to any and all who questioned his ability and legitimacy. Eventually, I made some inquiries of my own and found out that things were definately not the way my sifu had told me and I couldn't ignore it any more. I felt like a major a** for following him so blindly, and it took me years to sort it all out. It was like a very sad and painful divorce. I learned many valueable lessons from this experience about people, kung fu, and the business of kung fu. You see, it is a business, and I believe your teacher is probably an excellent salesman. When you make your living teaching martial arts you are in a highly competitive business and you have to make youself stand out or you will not make your $. This is a cold hard truth about this line of work. But most of all I learned that if it doesn't look right, and doesn't sound right, and if it can't be backed up with facts, then its probably not true.
So, once again, sorry if you find me rude, but I hate to see a nice person like you get ripped off or lied to and I feel passionate about fraud or B.S. associated with CMA.
Mike