Warning: Moy Yat Ving Tsun School Richmond, VA = McDojo (2/22/06) Beware

**Love** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 4:35am

"lucky_money", that name is perfect.

**Simon McNeil** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 4:44am

Originally Posted by lucky_money

Sifu. Seafood? No it’s Sifu. Our teacher was our sifu, which I later found out means teacher or master in Chinese martial arts.

It technically means "skilled person". I call taxi drivers Sifu regularly when I need something to shout at them to make them stop and pick me up.

Eh! Shifu.

In Chinese "Teacher" is pronounced "Laoshe". When we refer to our teachers as Sifu's in Gong Fu it basically is just demonstrating our respect for the fact they know their ****.

That and we wouldn't call them dad, uncle or grandpa as would have been done two generations ago in China.

These days Chinese people generally call their teacher "Laoshe" around here though.

**Simon McNeil** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 5:11am

Originally Posted by EternalRage

lucky_money - glad you found your way here, sorry to hear about you getting ripped off. Just be grateful that you got out when you did, it could have been much worse. I know this is going to sound slightly nuthuggerish... did you ever think about checking out that BJJ school that made your sifu go kinda bonkers? Or are you only interested in kung fu?

Lucky Money you don't have to go to BJJ to get a good school but there are a lot of McKwoons out there that you want to avoid. Use this checklist.

Do they allow you to participate in (or at least observe) a class before you pay anything? If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Does the gym participate in competitions?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Does the gym spar full contact (including head shots)?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Does the gym have reasonable equipment (mats for throws and grappling, punching bags, a wood dummy -a _ing _un dummy as some people call them, weights, etc.)?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Are applications demonstrated for all techniques?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Are the techniques stress tested through use against a resisting opponent?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

Does the gym charge extra for components of the basic training regimen (sparring, weapons, grappling, etc.)?
If the answer is "no" than give yourself a check. If the answer is "yes" than subtract one check.

Does the gym spend more than 30% of class time on "forms"?
If the answer is "no" than give yourself a check.

Does the gym spend more than 50% of class time on "forms"?
If the answer is "yes" than subtract one check from the total.

Does the instructor talk regularly about "qi", "chi", or any other sort of non-validatable mystical energy?
If the answer is "no" than give yourself a check.

Does the instructor make unverifiable claims about themselves, their history or the style (examples include: this style will beat any other style, this is the best style of gong fu, this style is too deadly for the ring, I was a secret agent, I learned my gong fu from an ancient master on Wudan Shan who never taught another foreigner, XYZ style is just a watered down version of my style, I have the real lineage)?
If the answer is "no" than give yourself a check. If the answer is "yes" than subtract a check for each instance.

Does the instructor encourage cross-training in other styles or at least encourage training in techniques in all ranges of combat, including ground?
If the answer is "yes" than give yourself a check.

This will give you a score of up-to 10 OK, actually 11 but think of the last one as a possible bonus mark. Now think back to high school. A bare pass is a 5 out of 10 but even that is not a good grade. If the school ranked below 7 out of 10 I would look elsewhere unless it was the only game in town. Even if it were the only Gong Fu school in town (or the best) I'd be giving serious consideration to looking at other schools despite my personal affinity for Gong Fu.
If a school scoredr 9 out of 10 I'd probably sign up on the spot. I've only ever seen one Gong Fu school that met all these criteria. I only left it when I left the country.

**Locu5** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 5:11am

You may want to reconsider the terms "pyramid scheme" and "tax evasion" as they have significant legal meaning. When was the last time your former sifu or any of his students contacted you?

**Simon McNeil** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 5:16am

Originally Posted by Shard

I'm from a (somewhat)traditional chinese family and I thought i'd just shed a little light on the red envlopes thing.

Red envlopes or "Hong Bao" as they are called in mandarin are meant as a sign of good fortune passed from one person to another. Normally Hong baos will be given out only on special occasions suchs as birthdays or weddings. By right, the value of money inside should be of no importance, however giving 1 cent is somewhat disrespectful. It shows how little you bother with the person. Usually it is the elders who give the younger ones Hong bao's. Usually because the elders are the ones with more financial security, but its not uncommon for the elders to recieve hong baos.

It's also expected that all the guests at a wedding will give hong bao's to the newlywed couple. This is instead of wedding presents as we give in the west though.

**Locu5** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 5:19am

Yes, yes, yes, we get it. People give presents.. fantastic. Can we get back the McDojo in question please? Fuctards.

**MrMcFu** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 5:20am

Par for the _ing _un course. Good first post. Carry on.

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 7:56am

I'm sorry you didn't find what you are looking for and instead found this. Still, this seems more McDojo than Bullshido.

Please give the names of the people involved and I'll look into it. Do they have a website?

BTW, that's pretty good prose. You have a flair. :smile:

**Fantasy Warrior** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 8:40am

Good first post, well written.

I am concerned that you have accused people of tax evasion and drug dealing. If so, you should be reporting them to the appropriate legal authorities not writting bitching reviews about it. If you don't have any proof, or it's just a hunch, then you ought to reword those parts of your review.

**Simon McNeil** · Posted On: 2/22/2006 8:49am

Originally Posted by Locu5

Yes, yes, yes, we get it. People give presents.. fantastic. Can we get back the McDojo in question please? Fuctards.

The misuse of a common component of Chinese culture for personal gain is part of the over-all mcdojoishness of this school. After all it was a misapplication, unless Sifu was getting married that is.