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YMAA Retreat Center Student Candidate Information

Dr. Yang has selected the first 5 students who have begun training in the first semester of the 10-year training program in September 2008.

Student Candidate Information

Do you have what it will take to train Kung Fu every day for ten years? Since the first public announcement of this project was published in the Boston Globe in August 2005, interested individuals from around the world have contacted Dr. Yang to apply for this opportunity to study Kung Fu (gongfu), Tai Chi (taijiquan), meditation and more. The interview and application process for this program will be mentally and physically rigorous, so that ultimately, the 15 most exceptional candidates suited for this unprecedented training are carefully selected.

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Student Candidates: Download the Application and Questionnaire (PDF, 174 Kb)

Click the above link to apply now for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train traditional kung fu with a world renowned martial arts master. Do you want to develop physical strength and skill learning Shaolin Kung Fu in an exclusive class with other exceptionally-gifted students? Are you interested in understanding how martial artists in ancient times were able to develop seemingly superhuman explosive power through qigong training? Would you like to learn to find balance and harmony within yourself using the techniques of meditation and the internal arts? Strengthen your mind and body, understand yourself so that you can understand others, and help yourself so that you can help others.

YMAA CA Retreat Center Development

(updated) February 29, 2008

Dear Applicant:

Although the student recruiting process proceeded very smoothly, due to the lack of funds, which we intended to raise and worked on during the past two years, YMAA CA Retreat Center will no longer be able to sponsor the loan program. Therefore, a new policy has been adopted to amend this situation.

  1. An applicant must be able to pay the minimum living cost of $10,000 per year. This cost will cover 9 months of lodging, meals, training, and other required necessities.
  2. An applicant must have his own health insurance to cover any possible injury or sickness during the semester.
  3. Applicants that are not USA citizens must find their own solution to enter the USA for training. Under current legal circumstances, YMAA CA Retreat Center is not qualified to issue I-20 form (student visa) for any applicant. A student must be able to stay at least 6 months each time, since each semester lasts about 4-5 months. If you have a permanent residence (green card), then this is not an issue. Otherwise, you must find a way to obtain a business Visa which will allow you to stay at least six months each time. If you need any legal document from us that can substantiate your case in obtaining the Visa, please do not hesitate to request it.

If you have read the above conditions and agree to them, please submit your application as soon as possible. The application deadline for the 2008 September term has now expired. The finalists will be notified soon.

A few selected candidates and I will move to the CA Retreat Center in March 2008. We will begin to build the organic garden. Therefore, once you have applied and been accepted as a candidate, you will be invited to the Center for a short testing period. You may stay from two weeks to three months. During this testing period, you will be working 5 hours and training for 6 hours per day except on weekends. This will help you get familiarized to the environment and also help us get to know each other. The testing period will end at the end of June. The final student selection will be announced at the end of June.

The YMAA Retreat Center will initiate a second recruiting process in October 2008. This group will begin the semester on September 1, 2009. Another group of 5-8 students will be selected for this second semester. Those who are interested in the program and cannot join this year may apply now for the second group. However, please remember that the 17-22 age constraint is still applicable. If you are between 23-25 years old and wish to apply you are required to submit an extra essay on the topic ""Why should I be accepted?"

Sincerely,
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming


SAMPLE OF APPLICATION

Stage 1: Candidates submit Application and Questionnaire Essay Answers. Essay Question: "What is the meaning of my life?"
QUESTIONNAIRE (excerpt)
    Questions about the Training Program:
    1. Why do you want to participate in this 10-year Traditional Gongfu training program? Why not pursue something else?
    2. How much are you willing to sacrifice for this training? (Give some examples of sacrifices you have made to accomplish personal goals.)
    3. Are you able to accept mental and physical discipline for the purposes of this training? (Give some examples from your life.)
    4. What are your expectations from this training? What do you hope to get out of it?
    5. What qualities guarantee you to endure the intensity and boredom of this training?
    6. How much confidence do you have in completing the 10 years of training?
    7. How will you begin your own business and become financially independent once you graduate?
    8. It is important that applicants understand that thoughts lead to impulses, and impulses lead to action (behavior). At some point(s) during the training process the applicants should expect to entertain ideas of quitting. This is normal. How the student responds to these initial thoughts will determine his success in this program. How will you respond to these thoughts/impulses when they arise?

    Questions about Gongfu Philosophy:

    1. What is Gongfu?
    2. What are the general contents of Gongfu training?
    3. What is the general value or purpose of training Gongfu?
    4. Why do you want to train Gongfu? What are your goals for training?
    5. What is your purpose and goal of life?
    6. Can Gongfu be used to defend against modern weapons? If not, then what is the purpose of training?
    7. In what way do you expect to pass on and develop the art of Gongfu?
Stage 2: Two-Week Testing Period for Applicants Once chosen, applicants will be invited to participate in a two-week testing period (cost paid by Retreat Center, except for travel expense), during which their qualification for the 10-year program will be assessed.

Purposes:

  1. To test the participants’ physical capabilities, including:
    1. Strength
    2. Physical Endurance (Tolerance)
    3. Physical Stability (Balance and Centering)
    4. Physical Flexibility
    5. Speed

  2. To test the participants’ mental fitness, including:
    1. Self-discipline
    2. Learning Capability (Pondering, Thinking, and Analyzing)
    3. Selfishness
    4. Alertness and Awareness
    5. Laziness
    6. Protection of Public Facilities
    7. How thick is the mask, or facade, on the face?
    8. Willing to Accept New Challenge or Try to Avoid It (Sneaky of Not?)
    9. Repelling the Rules. Tradition, or New Ideas.
    10. Faking
    11. Honesty
    12. Showing Off
    13. Jealousy
    14. Judgment (Neutral Point of View)

  3. To test the participants’ morality, including:
    1. Moralities of Deed
      1. Humility
      2. Respect
      3. Righteousness
      4. Trust
      5. Loyalty
    2. Moralities of Mind
      1. Will
      2. Endurance
      3. Perseverance
      4. Patience
      5. Courage

  4. To test participants’ social relationship with others, including:
    1. Leadership
    2. Public Relations
    3. Cooperation
    4. Concern with Other People’s Feelings

  5. Physical Training/Testing Methods
    1. Basic Stance Training (8 Postures) --- Endurance and Strength
    2. Learning Lian Bu Quan --- Learning Capabilities
    3. Stand on Bricks --- Balance and Stability
    4. Stretching and Kicking --- Flexibility
    5. Reaction Training --- Speed, Alertness, and Awareness

  6. Spiritual Training/Testing Methods
    1. Meditation
    2. Qigong Lecture
    3. Discussion of the Meaning of Life and Other Spirituality-Related Subjects

  7. Languages
    1. Chinese - Learning attitude and capability
    2. English - Speech and discussion

  8. Mental Testing Methods
    1. Through Observing Daily Activities and Behavior

  9. Morality Testing Methods
    1. Through Observing Daily Activities and Behavior. Also, Through Daily Discussion of Various Subjects

  10. Social Relationship Testing Methods
    1. Through Observing Daily Activities and Behavior. Also, Through Daily Discussion of Various Subjects

View the 10-Year Training Curriculum




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