Within mainstream martial arts of the modern day there is little in the way of techniques that is unknown and cross training has become the way of martial arts. The truth is that there are no secret techniques that will give you the ultimate advantage you seek. You would do well to learn a few techniques to perfection which would more likely give you an advantage in many situations. There are, however, many things within mysterious world of the esoteric that are behind the door that will transform the Master into something far beyond a highly skilled practitioner of the techniques of Taiji or your preferred martial endeavor. The martial arts have a long history of association with the esoteric forces of shamanism, and other exotic religious practices. You do yourself a disservice if you do not delve into these more exotic practices. The problem is that much of the knowledge is either lost in the practice of behind the door teachings and also the tendency to dismiss them in a culture raised within the Western Scientific Methodology. There is an ongoing merger of two separate belief systems, and they are in the process of a confrontation that is monumental in its significance. Science has slammed hard up against new knowledge that makes it difficult to reject many of the tenets of the past with reference to this esoteric knowledge, and it seems to be converging in thought and practice. This is knowledge that primarily exists behind the door, which are the teachings that the Masters give to a few selected students that are trusted with these secrets. The student Master relationship has evolved from what in the past would be a commitment that is mostly impossible in today's society. It requires a commitment that most today are not willing to give. For most of the behind the door knowledge this is not a problem because it has filtered into mainstream martial arts and is free to those that seek it, but the esoteric knowledge is lost to most because of its confrontation with the science of modern day Western Civilization. The difficulty with teaching these principles to the western mind is the cultural and language gap between the Chinese and western minds that have conflicting belief systems. It is necessary to bridge both gaps in our knowledge, language and cultural that benefit the western mind, and at the same time not losing the benefits of the scientific bent of the modern western thought processes. This is not an easy task. -Candle Master