If you plan to go to a Chinese martial arts school like the Song Jiang Wushu School, I recommend planning your trip carefully at least half a year in advance. For most foreigners, China is far away, and many students have no idea what to expect once they get there. Plan your budget, prepare your body, and take care of all the paperwork in time. I hope this short article helps you plan your wushu training trip. For more information about training in China, click here.
More: Preparing Your Wushu Training Trip
Planning your budget and logistics
Before you start planning your trip, you should first plan your budget. Life in Yun Cheng costs up to about 600 USD per month, which is average for wushu training in China. For those 600 USD, you usually get training, private instruction, food, and your own room in the school’s hotel. There are other schools that offer similar programs for around 400 USD, but their equipment is often worse than Song Jiang’s and you will likely have to share a room. There are also more expensive schools and universities in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Their equipment is usually very good, but they charge a lot, and you often pay more for the environment and the “show” than for the actual training.
A flight to China will usually cost between 800 and 1500 USD, depending on where you live. If you’re looking for a cheap flight, I recommend searching online on sites like orbitz.com or momondo.com.
Decide how long you want to stay and contact Li Chen with your questions about the school, special requests, and so on. If you want to stay longer than three months, you will need a tourist or student visa, which is more complicated. Contact the school to ask whether they can help you obtain a visa or send you an invitation.
The visa costs roughly 100 USD. Apply for your visa a few days before you book and pay for your flight.
All of this should ideally be done between six and two months before your trip.
Physical and practical preparation
Learn as much Chinese as you can and prepare yourself physically. Once you are in China, you don’t want to waste time being sore from running and stretching when you should be learning new skills. Get used to running—at least 20 minutes every day—and stretch as much as possible. Try to learn as many basics as you can beforehand. Everything you learn before going to China will pay off later.
Get your immunizations about six months before you leave your country. Some vaccinations need several months to become fully effective. The most commonly recommended ones are hepatitis, tetanus, and malaria.
Advice: Preparing Your Wushu Training Trip
Don’t forget Li Chen’s cell phone number. If you’re going to a different school, make sure you also have the phone number of the person who is supposed to pick you up at the airport.
Don’t try to travel to the school on your own if you can’t speak Chinese.
Print the school’s name and address in Chinese and in English. Keep one copy in your wallet and one in your suitcase.
Apply for your visa in time.
Get used to running and start stretching long before you go to China. If you only start training once you arrive, you’ll likely overtrain during the first few days and won’t make much progress in the first four to eight weeks.
Learn as much Chinese as possible. At the very least, you should be able to recognize the words for toilet, male, and female.
Get your immunizations about six months before leaving your country.
And my last piece of advice: buy a wallet with a chain
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