The Paradox of the Yapping Master

Dr. Yang Jwing Ming


Here is a classic example of what we might call "The Yapping Master".
Probably nobody in the field of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts has produced more research material than Dr. Yang Jwing Ming. People all over the world, including myself have benefited from his dozens and dozens of books and videos, and he now has his own publishing house. His skill level and detailed analysis of Chinese Martial arts are unparalleled.

But, I've had my second report of a student who was somewhat unsatisfied with his seminar presentation.

We have all been to seminars where we had high expectations. Lights, camera, action -let's rock and roll!

And then the Master Yaps and Yaps for an hour about whatever is on his mind.
I do not intend to single out Dr. Yang specifically, but here's the rap:
A while back my martial brother told me he went to the promoter of a Dr. Yang seminar halfway through and asked for his money back. They kept it pretty quiet so as not to disrupt the rest of the seminar.
Now another martial brother sends me this:

"I had the Yang Seminar this past weekend. Take this with a grain of salt as I can be a glass half empty sometimes. We started both days with three hours of lecture in the morning. The focus of the seminar was Chi Kung. There was a lot of Taiji theory and Daoist philosophy background, etc.....Which was fine with me....it's interesting stuff and intellectually stimulating.
However, Dr. Yang took an opportunity to go off on tangents and talk about Nuclear War, life on Mars, quite a bit on the human reproductive system and other non Chi Kung topics. I'm sure some students found this all very interesting, but, if you had an opposing view or ideology, it's hard to just sit there and drink the koolaid.
The afternoons were spent doing Chi Kung and some Sticky Hands type of partner drills. We mostly focused on doing the figure eight Taiji Symbol type of Push Hands if you will. This was more of what I was looking for.
Yes, there were several verbal advertisements for DVD's and Books from Dr. Yang during his lectures. It wasn't overly obnoxious in my humble opinion."

These seminars are quite expensive.

Now, I've attended other seminars with other Masters that have rambled on and on.
I have been guilty of that myself.
One time my Aikido instructor asked me to lead a group through a jo staff form. I described the movements and names as I went through the drill. He stopped me and said "Sometimes we talk too much, just demonstrate the movements".
That sunk in. Now, it drives me crazy when instructors yap all the way through a form. At first, it will help beginning students to hear the description, but after that just shut up and do the form.

Now look at me, rambling on and on.