Kung Fu Master heads to the mountains
Master Yang, “one of the most respected kung fu practitioners in the world,” has given up on teaching students in this distracting society and plans to teach in the mountains of California.
“When I come here, I have big hopes — I say, maybe I can teach foreigners to reach the level. They try. It’s not easy. And then finally, I wake up,” Yang said in an interview at the spartan offices of YMAA headquarters. “Society is too much a distraction. Their mind cannot concentrate. Their life is not easy. So that’s why I say, OK, to train, I need to be like ancient times. Take them to the mountains.”
“Take Them to the Mountains” isn’t one of those evocative descriptions of a tai chi move, like “Grasp Sparrow’s Tail” or “White Crane Spreads its Wings.” Yang has sold his publishing company, purchased 240 wooded acres in California’s remote Humboldt County, and built a cabin. He has formed a private foundation and, if all goes as planned, two years from now the master will lead a small group of students into the mountains to study. For 10 years.
