Know where you're going and who might be skilled there. Know which ones might be open to foreigners. That's one reason why Shaolin and Wudang are interesting because they they are not only accessible, they are downright welcoming. Some are too welcoming in fact, and that's where tourists get in trouble.

beiquan: I want to qualify something I said in response to your comment above. I totally hear you about "the more accessible something is to foreigners, the less likely it is legit." We strive to access those hard-to-find folk masters too, but they are, well, hard-to-find. Many of them avoid the spotlight and who are we to disregard such wishes? Such is the nature of martial arts publishing.