REAL KUNG FU. PERIOD.
If you’re reading this then you probably already have some idea of what comes to mind when You hear Real Kung Fu: Period! Through every possible effort that can be made I’ve worked hard to ensure that Black Mountain Spirit is a True Martial Home to students of all martial backgrounds that want to immerse themselves in all of the things that they Originally got into martial arts for – the Tradition, the Moral, Mental, Physical and Spiritual Developments, and the Authenticity of Classical Chinese Kung Fu as it was intended and has been practiced for countless generations. THAT was the goal of Black Mountain Spirit, and That is the altar from which we teach Real Kung Fu, Period. I’ve made sure that we don’t have a lot of the problems that other students have experienced in many other martial arts schools, I’ve made sure day by day to advance myself and my knowledge so that my students have never been without the answers they seek on every step and at every stage of their individual journeys towards personal development.
WHAT REAL KUNG FU, PERIOD! MEANS TO THE STUDENTS OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN SPIRIT SCHOOL OF CHINESE KUNG FU
Below, I asked a few students to let me know – What Real Kung Fu: Period! means to them, What comes to mind, What Did they Expect to See – WHAT has Been Their Experience and what in their Dreams did they hope to find when they made the decision to Practice Real Kung Fu: Period. here at BMS –
Malcolm Fearless Hudson
“For me real kung fu Is development of self. A tradition that has been refined for many years not only for self improvement but defense of ones self”
Mario Swanson
“To me real kung fu PERIOD means that our fighting style Is the RILLEST and TRILLEST out there PERIOD ! And NO ONE can top it or stop it :). Thats what comes to mind When I think of kung fu.” ?
Jen Pierce
‘When I think of Real Kung Fu: Period, I think, that it’s the true essence and foundation of Chinese martial arts, and that is simply all. No fancy explanation, or elaborate pitch about how amazing Kung Fu is. It’s just Real Kung Fu, PERIOD.”
Dave Garris
“I visited BMS and I was convinced that this was real kung fu, period after Marc demonstrated some techniques to me. He just said, “Ok, you hit me.” And what resulted was something that I had never experienced in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which mostly had emphasis in throwing and grappling. There were some “kick boxing” striking techniques, but it wasn’t anything compared to what Marc was showing me. After my first official class I learned that the techniques were immediately practical from the form to the fight. I understood this to be the real thing, and I made it a long term objective of earning my black belt. There is a personal development that comes from the practice of kung fu, which for me is, “first, do no harm”; or as Marc sometimes states, “With malice toward none”. And I think that is a Really important aspect in learning real kung fu. But later, much later, I realized that real kung fu is very much more than putting foot to ass during intentional, overt, human confrontation. Marc teaches us to use our minds for innovation rather than simple memorization, encourages creativity rather than futile activity, rumination rather than stagnation. More than trains us, he inspires…enlightens rather than conditions. I am not learning kung fu for a “black-belt”. I am here to learn Real Kung Fu. Period. “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.” – unknown Zen master”
Jason Boxerman
“I would say that the teacher (Marc Black) must have Balls. Brass Balls. Look! He’s not even Chinese!!! But if I’m looking for a Serious martial arts class, I can tell he takes it seriously. I’d wanna give it a shot, with no BS. Period. – that last post was me placing myself in the shoes of a new student. For me, Now, RKFP means working my a$$ off to maintain this Gift we have been given, such that I may pass it along in a positive way. “
Ruth Alkons Wolinsky
“Following energy flow. Tapping into true sources of power. Listening to infinity. The bubbling spring.”
Jack Homer
“When I hear Real Kung Fu. Period, I think of pride in yourself and your chosen path. If you’re going to learn this art, don’t fuck around, have your art be REAL. You have an opportunity to get the lesson straight from the Kung fu horse’s mouth. There’s purity, there’s dedication, there’s real-world action. It’s real Kung fu. Period. Let’s start training.”
DeOnte A. Means
“When I hear real Kung Fu; Period! , I think it refers to Kung Fu that gets to the real essence of the art; To Kick some arse. It means that every thing being taught is directly applicable, directly useful, and immediately powerful, without caveats, hidden secrets unlocked with time, or journeys to mystical mountains to find special drinks. It means that nothing is removed, and anything changed is changed in such a way that it makes our techniques and practices are better off in the end.”
Spencer Whitman
“Real Kung Fu. Period. To me means a focus on only that which furthers the student and accomplishes a goal. Every technique, every combination, every drill is specifically crafted to teach at least one very specific physical application, usually with several more for the student to discover from constant practice. It then goes on to act as a guide for the art and beauty of movement individually and is exponentially greater with another practitioner in the mix. I also hear Real Kung Fu. Period. As a promise from the entire school to focus on only that which works.”
Robert L. Todd
Having studied a couple of martial arts when I was much younger, I had been looking to get back to that study for a number of reasons, but had really been looking for a place to learn Taijiquan in particular. I had a number of old injuries that, while they weren’t too debilitating, they were nagging and painful and I had heard that Taijiquan might help rehab them, if nothing else. My only real requirement at that point was that if I was going to put any effort into learning and art, I wanted to get the real art, not some watered-down, shortened version taught to folks through the hospital outreach programs you see so many places.
When I happened on Black Mountain Spirit School I was intrigued by the combination of the arts taught (Ho’o Chin Pai Northern Shaolin, Ming Hsien Kuei Shou Baguazhang, and Yang Jia Taijiquan) seemed a bit too good to be true, but it was the first place I had found that purported to actually teach the full version of Taijiquan in my city, so after checking out the school website I made an appointment to meet the teacher (ShiFu), Marc Black. After talking with Marc for some time about my own background and goals, watching some of the Taijiquan class, and Marc showing me a few basic principles, I was invited to try some classes and see how it went. It was amazingly low pressure (I’d talked to a number of local schools for several arts, and was treated to what I can only refer to as the “Used car salesman hard sell”. I was pressure to sign lengthy contracts for quite a bit of money with no real opportunity to “look under the hood and take it for a test drive”. Black Mountain Spirit was the exact opposite. I tried out some classes, and have been a student for the last five months.
In the time I’ve studied there, I’ve met many of the other students through the open sparring session that is a school principle (Marc refers to it as practicing with an uncooperative partner) and have been continually impressed with the level of skill demonstrated by the other students, the respectful attitude everybody holds toward each other and the willingness to share knowledge from the more experienced students, and the amount of individual attention given to each student by ShiFu Marc. I also had an opportunity to watch several of my fellow students compete in the Great Lakes Kung Fu Tournament and was very impressed by how they stacked up against some of the best martial artists in the region. I was especially interested in seeing the Taijiquan demonstrations at the competition, as that was my art. After watching a number of highly experienced practitioners, I have no doubt that our version of Yang Jai Taijiquan is the real thing. The forms Marc teaches just have a different feel about them than what I saw demonstrated, an underlying power and sense of purpose I found lacking (overall) in the other schools demos.
As a last comment, I started my studies primarily to rehab an old back injury that had resulted in constant chronic pain, muscle atrophy and numbness in my leg, and a permanent slight limp that caused me to feel less than nimble. After five months of (admittedly less than diligent) practice, I have only remnants of the pain I had felt daily for twenty years, and the limp is gone. I have to credit this to the level of precision ShiFu Marc demonstrates in his teaching of the form, and the level of historic accuracy in the form of Taijiquan taught. I can think of no other reason I’ve been able to obtain the results I have, and I look forward to continuing my studies. I can’t recommend the Black Mountain Spirit School and ShiFu Marc Black highly enough and to anybody thinking about beginning the study of any of the martial arts, I would urge them to talk with ShiFu Marc and see what he has to offer. I’ve had a few excellent teachers over the years in many subjects, but his dedication to his art and to passing on the distillation of his knowledge is second to none.
DaShiFu Marc Phillip Black
I am Truly Humbled by the words writ above.
To be called a Teacher is one of the greatest titles one can hold in society.
To Be a teacher is one of the greatest honors a person may aspire to.
There is no greater duty or honor that that of Service to Others.
I am Truly Grateful for the Opportunity.