Unfortunately our school had to postpone our usual fall seminar with our chief in instructor. 
...Then I got word through a senior student that another WC organization in our area was bringing their Chinese Sifu in to give a seminar, including a full weekend session open to the public. My student rather shyly asked permission to attend. My response was "Heck yeah, lets both go!"
Anyway, if not as "brothers", we were graciously received as kung-fu cousins. To my total surprise, their Grandmaster even insisted that I be addressed as sifu and sit with him and the other sifus at dinner and during photo ops. During training we all covered a lot of material, did chi sau with a lot of different people at all levels, and had a blast. I even met a couple of guys who had once been members of my own lineage --way back in the late 80s-90s, including an old "kung-fu nephew" an older gentleman who now runs his own school. That was especially cool since during breaks we could go aside and meaningfully discuss subtle and not-so-subtle differences in the two WC systems.
So when it was all done, my student and I came away with a lot of great information, drills, and a new list of friends and contacts. And although I am very happy with the association I currently belong to, I would certainly support and recommend future seminars with this group and their head sifu. More importantly, I'm hoping to get our two groups together in the future. Next on my list, getting off my duff and reaching out to Joy's group. Or convincing my own instructor to offer a short "open" seminar to other WC folks in the area next time we bring him into town. Doing WC in relative isolation is not helping any of us!
...Then I got word through a senior student that another WC organization in our area was bringing their Chinese Sifu in to give a seminar, including a full weekend session open to the public. My student rather shyly asked permission to attend. My response was "Heck yeah, lets both go!" Anyway, if not as "brothers", we were graciously received as kung-fu cousins. To my total surprise, their Grandmaster even insisted that I be addressed as sifu and sit with him and the other sifus at dinner and during photo ops. During training we all covered a lot of material, did chi sau with a lot of different people at all levels, and had a blast. I even met a couple of guys who had once been members of my own lineage --way back in the late 80s-90s, including an old "kung-fu nephew" an older gentleman who now runs his own school. That was especially cool since during breaks we could go aside and meaningfully discuss subtle and not-so-subtle differences in the two WC systems.
So when it was all done, my student and I came away with a lot of great information, drills, and a new list of friends and contacts. And although I am very happy with the association I currently belong to, I would certainly support and recommend future seminars with this group and their head sifu. More importantly, I'm hoping to get our two groups together in the future. Next on my list, getting off my duff and reaching out to Joy's group. Or convincing my own instructor to offer a short "open" seminar to other WC folks in the area next time we bring him into town. Doing WC in relative isolation is not helping any of us!
