The school that feels like home

　　I often hear from foreigners that Chinese people are unfriendly and impolite. That made me wonder. Living in China all together for more than three years, I have had the best experience and have a lot of Chinese friends. So I start to research, what makes the westerners feel so. Guan xi 关系- the relations is extremely important here. If you are considered as «theirs» - a relative, a friend of a friend, or a trust worthy person, you get all the benefits. If you are considered as a stranger- you are treated as a stranger.

　　我总是听到外国人说中国人不友善和不礼貌。我觉得很怀疑，因为住在中国三年多，我有许多中国朋友而且与他们有最好的相处经验。所以我开始研究，是什么原因让西方人有如此感受。“关系”-在这里非常重要。如果你被认为是他们的一份子一个亲戚，一个朋友的朋友或着值得信赖的人，你就会得到所有的好处。如果你被认为是陌生人──你就会像陌生人一样被对待。

　　Usually it takes some time( often quite long time) and efforts to establish the real connections with local people. Usually. But not in Wudang, and not in China Wudang Kungfu Academy. Not mentioning the fact, that Wudang people are calmer, more quite and really friendly in general, here in school, students are treated not as students. They are treated as family. Everyone: coaches,management, office staff and Master Chen by himself do everything to make people who are practicing here to feel like at home. As soon as you come here, you become a part of the family.

　　通常需要一段很长的时间和努力，才能与当地人民建立起真正的联结。但在武当,在武当师行功夫馆却不是这样的。在武当人们不仅心态比较平和,大部分人相当友善。在这所学校里,学生们也不被当作学生来对待，他们被当作家人一样来对待。每一个人 : 教练们、管理者、办公室工作人员和陈道长做了所有事情让人们来到这就觉得好像待在家里。一旦你来到这儿,你就成为这个家庭的一部分。

　　We are all looking for the best school, trying to find the best master, the best conditions, to learn some special things. There are many great masters and good schools in Wudang. So , whom to choose?

　　It’s a tough problem. We are travelling far from homes, spend quite much money and want to make sure that it’s worth it. I tell you this. I have been living in the school for more than two and half years and I keep seeing the same faces. Chinese,westerners…Once visited, experienced the hospitality and warmth of the school, people just keep coming back.

　　我们都在寻找最好的学校,试图找到最好的师父,最好的条件,学习一些特殊的东西。在武当有许多大师和学校。所以,要选择谁呢?

　　这是一个棘手的问题。我们远离家园做长途旅行，花了相当多的钱，所以想要确保它是值得的。我告诉你，我已经在学校生活超过两年半, 我一直看到同样的脸孔。中国人,西方人……一旦拜访此地, 感受过了学校的热情和温暖,就会让学员流连忘返。

　　Some of them try different schools but eventually they return here. Why? The training process of many school that belong to Zhang San Fang Sect is pretty much the same in every school. Kicks, taiji basics, qigong, the same forms… So why do so many people come back to China Wudang Kungfu Academy ? Why do old students keep coming back to the school and stay here for some time almost every year.

　　他们其中有一些人曾经尝试不同的学校, 但是最终他们都回到这里了。为什么呢? 许多属于三丰派的学校，在训练过程里每个学校几乎都差不多。踢腿、太极拳基本功、气功、相同的学习套路……为何有如此多的学员愿意重返武当师行功夫馆? 同样有很多老学员回馆学习有些甚至是每年都会回来。

　　Maybe, because the coaches are professional and polite. They always show up for the training, almost every one has some knowledge of English and even those who don’t , do their best to explain the most important things and somehow always succeed. And you can feel, they do it not because they have to, not because it’s their job, but because they love to teach and they are eager to share their knowledge with others.

　　或许是鉴于教练们的专业素养和对人很有礼貌。他们每一次训练时间都会准时上课，几乎每一个人都有一些英语知识。即使有个别教练不懂英语，也会尽自己最大努力去阐述重点部分，最后基本上都能有所成效。你可以感觉到,他们这样做并不是因为他们必须做,也不是因为这是他们的工作，而是因为他们喜欢教学,他们渴望与他人分享他们的知识。

　　Maybe, because people enjoy living in big light and comfortable rooms, may be because they appreciate management’s high concern about health and safety regulation-the school is constantly being cleaned, the food is good. After some time of hard training,it turns out that comfortable living conditions means a lot.

　　或许是学员们大多更倾向于居住在光线充足和环境舒适的房间，抑或是他们非常感激武馆的管理人员，对学员的身体健康和人身安全高度重视，学校环境总是保持得非常干净，饭菜也很可口。每每一番辛苦的训练结束之后，这样舒适的生活环境，对我们而言是意义重大的。

　　Maybe, because the office staff is always eager to help with any problem- to call a taxi, to buy a ticket, to consult about local places- where to go, what to see, where to eat. When a person doesn’t speak any Chinese it becomes a huge advantage. May be because the school often organizes trips to some interesting places, the jewels of Wudang you would never find by yourself.

　　或许是因为办公室的工作人员，总是乐于帮助任何问题──叫一辆出租车,买一张票,咨询当地的地方──能去哪里、参观什么、去哪里用餐。当一个人不会说任何中文就变成巨大的优势。可能是因为学校经常组织去一些有趣的地方,有些奇珍异品你自己是很难寻到的。

　　Or may be, because you can see how school is being changed with a time. It becomes more beautiful, and greener, and I bet that’s the result of long hours that Master Chen spends in his office after the teaching classes. Of course I am biased. That’s my school. That is my home. I love it and I am always happy to come back here. So the only last thing you have to know is that coming to China Wudang Kungfu Academy, you won’t only find a kungfu school, you will find a kungfu family.

　　或许是因为我们能深切感受到，武馆如何随着时间推移而发生日新月异的变化，它变得更加美丽，更加贴近大自然。我笃定这些都是陈道长在课余时间，不断地思考并且长期努力的结果。当然，我自己是有偏见的，因为这是我的学校，这是我的家。我非常喜爱它，每次重返此地总是感到特别开心。最后我想说的是，来到武当师行功夫馆，你不仅找到一所功夫学校，而且拥有了一个功夫大家庭！