Xtreme Gap Year Blog

Kung Fu in China is a populair gap year programme. Find below the frequently asked questions regarding this unique gap year China programme.

Can I go to the Kung Fu programme even if I have no Experience:? How much experience do I nees to have? None. However there are some things you can do to be better prepared. You will need to attain a reasonable level of fitness prior to your trip if you want to develop quickly.

What is the best time to go? Spring and Autumn are the best times to go weather wise, but the training facility is open all year round.

What kind of accommodation will I stay in? There are dorm with maximum 3 persons of the same sex, with shared bathrooms. and stunning views! The accommodation is located on the Kung Fu Campus. There is also internet and a TV room and the restaurant is close to the accommodation.

Is food included? Yes food is included in the Kung Fu in China Programme. Fresh food that will compliment your training plus every now and then a western meal, because we know you will miss it!!

What are the living standars like? The conditions are good by western standards, excellent by Chinese  kung fu school standards. The school is equipped with Western style facilities like bath rooms and showers and bed rooms. Basic but comfartable.  

What is the maximum lenght I can book Kung Fu in China? We can arrange the 3 month course for you. If all goes well and you are up for it you can arrange a visa for longer stay and training with our English Kung Fu guide in China. 

If you are definitely looking to go for a year we will arrange a letter of invitation from the school that will get you an education visa. This is usually done after we have received your booking form and deposit.

What can I do in my time off, like in the weekends? Your weekends are your own, students enrolled at the school tend to hang out or go off in groups to explore the local area. There is plenty to see and do, and the school is located near a world heritage site, with some really beautiful landscapes. There are some organised activities that you can attend, but you will probably also want to head off on weekends to explore on your own schedule.

How many poeple train Kung Fu in China while I am out there? Class numbers vary depending on the time of year but I would suggest and max. of 6 people per class with several going on at one time. This helps with learning some of the more intricate styles, the school has a maximum capacity of 50 students.

What kind of budget is suggested for us in china? China is cheap and everything is included. If you want to do some sight seeing I would alow like 10 euto a day. You will probably not use it up.

I find a job while I am training Kung Fu in China? Unfortunately there are no means for you to find a job once you are out there. I will try and ask again if you wish, but the training is so intense, and you are training in a secluded area, that it is better to save up for the whole trip all at once.

John from the UK had the following questions regarding the Box training in Brazil:
With regards to weather is August a good time to go to Rio? Rio is a great place to spend 2 weeks, so much to do, and a really cool environment. June, July and August are the so-called winter months, often dry and sunny during the day, August is actually the driest month and the temperature will still be around 26 C, so not exactly what you and I would call winter. The beaches are still busy and it is a great time to visit.

I am a complete beginner however and thinking of maybe spending 2 weeks in Rio this summer learning to Box. The programme is geared towards beginners, so if you are going for 2 weeks, you will have a good grounding in the art of boxing.

What other nationalities train at the Box school?
Nationalities are wide ranging, you will find it quite a mix, which really helps deliver a cool travel experience in my opinion.   

How does the programme work? The first training session you do serves as an assessment to set up a personal training plan. You will have one-to-one classes in the mornings and group classes in the evenings, five days a week, from Monday to Friday. Class duration is one hour, this includes warm up, drill, and boxing techniques, and, depending on the student’s interest and level, also ring movements. 

  Do not forget it is humid and hot in Brazil and from experience we know 1 hour is enough. At the boxing school you are dealing with professionals, the training is high standard, and you will push your limits and you will learn a lot.

What else it there to do? As an extra we can offer packages of 5 lessons of 1,5 hour of lessons portugues. These lessons will be in the afternoon before you start your training sessions at the boxing school. These are one on one sessions and will cost for the package 100 euro, to be paid locally. Next to this we have all the extra’s included and it is already lovely to just wonder around in this amazing city and be on the beach.

Will there be back up support? Yes, we will have our Xtreme Gap rep help you settle in. She speaks perfecr English, German and Portuguese. She will give you a tour around the city and she will be there in case of an emergency.

Sunny from India asked us some questions regarding the 1 year field guide course in South Africa.

What type of visa do I require for 1 Year Couse? Student visa

How much i will pay for your 1 Year Couse?  2011 – South Afriocan Rand 143 999,-

I want to build my career in Wildlife Photography or Documentaries Making so this course help me in this ot not? You will be exposed to 66000 hectares (During your stay with us) of stunning wilderness areas teeming with game, including the big five and a huge diversity of birds. Many of our students do their own filming and photography while on the course. (You will have to go very far and wide to get the same exposure to film locations and wildlife encounters)

Essentially the course is created to provide you with the knowledge to understand the bush and to be able to relate it to potential clients. You would definitely find that the course is very beneficial if you want to become a filmmaker – Having the knowledge about the bush and the natural environment you would be filming in is very important, this should be your backbone knowledge.

We have a short course geared towards wildlife photography (You could always join the course on your off times and or after the 1 year course)

 Can i pay your course fee in installments? Yes you can depending in how much time you want to go.

Can i join a part time job in South Africa with this course? The one year course includes a practical section (Thus you would be placed at a Lodge in the industry for a couple of months at the end of your course). This is a great opportunity to get to know people in the industry. We have a lot of students who get permanent employment in this way, although we cannot guarantee this.

I would advise that you use this time to look out for a perfect match regarding the Filming and other interests. (Lodges and operators keep track of the students – Try and get a placement at one that wants a filmmaker for marketing purposes, it’s how many wildlife filmmakers start their career)

After this 1 year course what are the future prospectus are available? It would depend on the student. The students that do the course for a professional qualification all move on to permanent employment in the industry (Please keep in mind the course is a combination of a lot of different courses, and  how well you do will relate directly to the options that become available). The best students get exposed to very rare opportunities across Africa. Below is a list of venues we trained for in the last year.

The training culture is respected and effective and it has yielded good results in terms of reaching a wide audience, the partners and trainers have trained somewhere around 3000 people over the years in ten different countries, from rural tribesmen in the Gabonese forest in the Congo Basin of West Africa to Royalty from Europe, here are a few of the organisations where our training has been conducted:

• Abercrombie and Kent – Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana
• Heritage Hotels – Kenya
• CC Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa
• Royal African Safaris – Kenya, Botswana
• Lewa Wildlife Conservancy – Kenya
• Ugandan Wildlife Authority – Uganda
• Tanzanian Photographic Safaris – Tanzania
• Wilderness Safaris – Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
• Conservation Lower Zambezi – Zambia.
• Kwando – Botswana, Zambia
• KZN Wildlife – Emzemvelo (Natal Parks Board) Thembe, Umfolozi, Hluhluwe, Itala Game Reserves.
• Milwane, Mkhaya Lodges – Swaziland
• Shamwari and Amakhala – Eastern Cape
• University of Georgia – United States of America
• London Zoological Society / ECOFAC / Lope National Park – The Republic of Gabon
• Koiyaki Guide School – Masai Mara, Kenya
• Kakadu National Park / Northern Territory – Australia

After this course if i want to stay in SA anf want to do some work in wildlife so can i stay there or not after 1 Year? Yes – I provided more info at the end of your email.

Also provide me some dates in 2010 because i want to be there as soon as possible: All the 1 year spots for 2010 have been filled, but if we have an opening because of a cancellation we will let you know. It is wise to book this programme well ahead.

Is there any examination or test before my visa application for coming to Africa in your 1 year course? No, you don’t need any subjects or experience prior to these courses. The only requirements are to be 18 years or older, it is preferable to have a valid driver’s license and you must be of reasonable fitness- 21 years in order to get your PDP

What if I only have a learner’s license? You will be able to do the short courses and be assessed, but you will not be able to work until you have a driver’s license.  A FGASA level 1 assessment need not be a drive, but can be a walk too.  On the one year course you can start the course with only a learner’s license but need to get the driver’s license in the first break.

What is a PDP? Professional driver’s permit – you need to be 21 to be able to get a PDP

Is my PDP very important? Yes, most lodges require that their guides have a PDP. If you are doing a year course, this will also be an immense help with your lodge placement.

How do you apply for the PDP? Go to the traffic department and collect the necessary papers.  Go to your local GP for a general check-up and to complete his section of the form.  Go to the nearest police station for a background check and fingerprinting.  The police station will have your details within 6 weeks which you can collect from them and go back to the traffic department with all the paperwork & id photos.  Apply for a temporary PDP and wait about 8 weeks for the original.

Can international students apply for a PDP in SA? No, you need to have a South African driver’s license to apply for a South African PDP

Will my international PDP or the equivalent be valid in SA? Yes

SASSETA – what is this? SASSETA is the firearm proficiency certificate needed when you are doing the Trails guide course. This certificate allows you to handle a firearm while on the course.  Once you start working in the industry and use a firearm/rifle on walks you need to have a white card from the police station.  International learners can do the SASSETA.

When do I need SASSETA? You must have your SASSETA before you come on our Trails Guide course. This will also be imperative for when you start working in the lodges.

Where can I do SASSETA? There are many service providers across South Africa. You can visit the SASSETA website to find service providers per province.

Where on the SASSETA website can I find these providers? Go to their website, www.sasseta.org.za, click on departments in the left had side menu, now go to ETQA, then onto Training providers. This will take you to another screen where you can do your search. For this, you don’t need the name or the accreditation number. All you need to do is indicate which province you want to search and click on find. This will list all providers in that specific province. If you don’t select a province, it will show a list of all the providers in South Africa.

After your 1 year course can i get working visa or any job in this field. Yes our students work all over Africa

What career path can I follow after this course? As with any other career, you have to start at the bottom gaining good basic knowledge before you carry on to specialize in the areas which interest you most.  EcoTraining will provide you with a broad, detailed and very good foundation of knowledge and experience which you will be able to use in many fields such as field guiding; game ranging; conservation; rehabilitation; veterinary studies; professional hunting; wildlife photography, game farm management; lodge management; anti-poaching; wildlife education; and so much more.

 Will international learners find a job? Yes, but you must be aware that you would need to apply for a job and be offered the position prior to applying for a work visa in South Africa. There are quite a few of our past students who have gone on to work in the guiding industry, but they have been persistent as it could take some time.  The problem is that because of the high rate of unemployment in our country, an employer must be able to prove that he/she cannot find a suitable South African candidate for the job, before they can even think to employ a foreigner.  This does make it tricky, but not impossible.  There’s a company called Immigrant. Exclusive who should be able to give you some advice and you can call them on +27 12 347 0745 OR see this website http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1008.html Finding a job in another African country is very difficult as they are really strict on employing their own people first – but once again, not impossible.  If you have contacts in any of the other countries it will really help in getting employed.

What type of salary can I expect as a starting salary in the industry? Becoming a field Guide is not something you do for the money of it.  You definitely need to have passion for nature, animals and a life in the bush.  The standard salary of guides starting out in the industry is fairly low (R3000 – R4500) per month.  Keep in mind that you do earn gratuities throughout the month as well and depending on where you work, this may become a very attractive sum at times.  You will always have furnished accommodation, all meals daily, bed nights (guest accommodation at a minimal rate for family & friends), some beverages at no cost and some at staff rates.  You do not have to drive to work at all.  This means that you do not spend anything during your work cycle. 

What qualification will I have once I have completed Field Guide level 1? You will have your FGASA field guide level 1 certificate and can start work in the industry as a junior guide.

 What qualification will I have once I have completed Trails Guide at Makuleke? The Trails Guide qualification has changed in early 2008.  When you do a 28 day Trails Guide course with us, pass the exam and get all your encounters, you will have the Back-up Trails Guide qualification.  To get the Back-up Trails Guide qualification you need to have: 

• Trails Guide Theory
• FGASA Rifle Handling – in any order
  • Rifle Handling – achieve either Rifle Handling Advanced (Lead Rifle) or Rifle Handling Intermediate (Back-up Rifle)
• Minimum of 10 Vehicle Encounters in dangerous game area
• Minimum of 10 On Foot Encounters in dangerous game area, 5 of which have to be as ‘Lead’ and 5 can be as participant
• Minimum of 50 hours on foot in dangerous game areas
  • Encounters relate to Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Hippo out of water, Lion, Leopard, but can be any of those
• If you meet all of the above criteria you can undergo the practical assessment, where you have to undergo a walk, and effectively encounter a dangerous animal, or even two if the assessor thinks it is appropriate.  

In order to reach the Lead Trails Guide level, you need and additional 50 encounters on foot and 100 hours in dangerous game areas as ‘back-up’ to a qualified Trails Guide or SKS DG guide.   Once you have this, you are automatically given the Trails Guide Lead Qualification, once you have your Log book signed off by FGASA (this, providing you have your Lead Rifle)

What foundation does the course create for me and my future in this industry? We will provide you with a broad, detailed and very good foundation of knowledge and experience which you will be able to use in many fields such as field guiding; game ranging; conservation; rehabilitation; veterinary studies; professional hunting; wildlife photography, game farm management; lodge management; anti-poaching; wildlife education; and so much more

 What 3 levels of Birding Qualifications are available?

1. a.    Local Bird Specialist – requires full Level 1 or a Tracker qualification as a minimum

• Practical Birding Assessment only – no theory, no slide and sound
• If successful, you become a local bird specialist for the area in which the practical assessment was undertaken.
• I.e.: a couple of the guides from wilderness Pafuri lodge have done this and become Local Bird Specialist for Northern Kruger

1. b.    Bird Specialist – Biome Specific – required full Level 1 or a Tracker qualification as a minimum

• Slide and Sound Assessment PLUS Practical Birding Assessment
• If successful at both the slide/sound and the practical, you become a Birding Specialist for the biome that you chose for the slide/sound
• Most guides in the Mpumalanga or Limpopo area would choose Savannah Biome, therefore becoming a Savannah Birding Specialist
• These people can then add biomes to their qualification by doing additional slide & sound assessments
• No theory required

1. c.    SKS Birding – requires full Level 3

• SKS Theory Exam
• Slide and Sound Assessment
• Practical Birding Assessment
  • If successful you get the  SKS Birding qualification for the biome you chose in the slide/sound
  • To gain the National qualification, you have to do the slide and sound for all biomes
  • This is the qualification that Bruce has – SKS Bird National
  • Theory exam is a national sitting exam
  • All slide and sound can be done at the FGASA office, or with us (should time allow)