Origin of the Name: 10,000 Victories Kung Fu

The name for our school is drawn from the History of the art of Lan Shou. The 4th generation practitioner of Lan Shou, Wang Haishan, established a bodyguard company named Wan Sheng (Ten Thousand Victories) Bodyguard Company. Business was very good and his bodyguards traveled the thirteen provinces of China. It was said that no one dared to rob Wang Haishan′s bodyguards.

There is also a Double Saber form known as the Ten Thousand Victories Double Saber Form in the Lan Shou system. It is a really fantastic form and also contributed to the decision to name our school the Ten Thousand Victories Kung Fu Academy.

In Chinese Culture the number 10,000 is like infinity. It means everything, an abundance of choices, more than you can count, more than you can imagine. 10,000 is an auspicious and lucky number. Victories means not merely winning matches or combats but victory and success in life.

Although we are first and foremost a martial arts school where you can count on learning realistic and effective martial arts methods. The truth is that anyone can avoid getting in fights with common sense and good manners. Most of us don′t need martial arts to survive! However, we all need to be strong, capable, clear thinking and healthy.

Good martial arts training will help you become stronger, more confident, perceptive and healthy. Every time someone joins our school who is in poor health, or weak, and they become healthy and strong I feel great. For me, as the Head Instructor, this is a real victory. I have had many students compete in martial arts tournaments and I am proud of their accomplishments and trophies. I have watched several of my best students join elite branches of the US Armed Forces and I am relieved when they return home alive and proud of their service to their country. I am also proud of my students who used their Kung Fu to protect themselves or others, especially when they were able to do it without hurting anyone.

However, I think my greatest satisfaction comes in seeing people fall in love with traditional Kung Fu like I have and use it to improve their lives in countless ways. If we are not healthy, it is really impossible to have a good day and enjoy the experience of the moment fully. Regardless of your wealth, power, connections, family or anything else, if you are in pain or sick it is hard to have fun and feel joy. If you feel healthy, everything else starts to fall into place. Then you can enjoy the love of your family and friends and all the other fine things life has to offer. If you are healthy, then you can help others and make good choices.

Ultimately, my dream is to see 10,000 people learn the arts of Northern Shaolin and Lan Shou in a careful and accurate way. To see 10,000 people improve their lives, build their health and live long happy lives in harmony with those around them.

Some people believe that to win, someone else must lose, that to be successful you must step on someone else. When you play games with rules, then there is a winner and a looser. However, this world is abundant and diverse. When you live life with class and respect for those around you, everyone can win.

Each of us have different dreams and there are many ways for each of us to see our dreams become real. Then you learn from your dream and create another. If we work together, we can create abundance, and we can all help one another. When Rachel and I see our friends being successful it makes us happy. Avoid jealously for other people and applaud their victories! When people need help, do your best to help them. If you have been taking care of yourself, you′ll be able to lend a hand. If you haven′t been taking care of yourself, you won′t be able to help those you love when they need it.

Helping others begins with taking care of your own health and your life, so that you have a little extra capacity to contribute to those around you.


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