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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Wu Wei Su Kung Fu Training

To use one of my 5 weeks in China to learn Kung Fu in a monastery, up in the mountains in the middle of no where?
The real question is: Why not??

Through word of mouth, I heard about Wu Wei Su, and I had no idea what to expect... 
It was simply amazing. 
We trained 6 hours every day, ate strictly vegan food, tea and water. Modest dressing, and 9pm curfew. As soon as dinner is over, trust me, you want to sleep! The sore pains only got worse and never better. 
There was no electricity, yet these old style stone rooms kept cool in the day and gave off the heat at night to keep you warm. 
The monks were very strict on no photos, so one had to be quite sneaky!

Schedule

5am - woken up by gongs and chanting right outside your door

6:45am - morning run down the stone paths, then find a large rock and carry it back to the monastery.

8am: Breakfast, alternating every day between noodle soup, or baozi buns and rice porridge. The buns... had this magical sweet peanut filling...heavenly. 

9-12am - morning training. Around 1.5 hours of stretching, then 1.5 hours kung fu

12pm - lunch timeee YES!

1-4pm - free afternoon time. It was optional to stick around and help the teachers practice and learn english. Especially the young boys, who yes, could kick any of your asses. 

4-6pm more training / practice set routine

6pm - dinner

9pm - lights out. And out we were... Especially if you did not have candles!


 Entrance
 Ginger and I's room
 Yep! the toilet! goodbye privacy ladies
 training area
 Coming back with the stones, choosing your spot to set it down
 Morning 9am stretch
 Kung Fu time
Routine time

FOOD RULES:
1. don't leave 1 grain of rice left in your bowl.

2. When you are eating out of your bowl, it must be in your hand and off the table
3. use table chop sticks to pick food 
4. no talking
5. Must walk up to each table saying 'aaaaaami tofu' with hands in prayer form and bow, before leaving the dining room
6. wash and keep your bowl + chopsticks for all meals
7. if you don't know how to use chop sticks, your screwed


 Morning Baozi bun with rice porridge
Noodle soup every other morning
 lunch or dinner kind of food
The food was absolutely amazing, included lots of pumpkin, tofu, greens, corn, eggplant, beans, etc. 
Filling, scrumptious, and always served with rice. 

Dali
China

7 comments:

  1. Can you please say in what day of the week does the training program starts?

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  2. I am not 100% sure, but if I had to guess at the start of the week. Maybe going on a sunday. But I think they are very flexible and would be happy to have you anytime. The food is AMAZING.
    Contact hostels or guesthouses in Dali. They would have all the information (since Its been 3 years that I was there).

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  3. Good Hostels: Jade emu and Five Elements Hostel. They are simple, very clean, and nice people.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Hi,
    I have a peanut allergy, would I still be able to go on the trip?
    Do they serve peanuts often?

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    Replies
    1. hmm.. from what I remember just in the buns for the breakfast. The trainers speak english so I am sure they can maybe communicate with the kitchen . . .It has also been years since I was there so maybe things have changed !

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