San Feng Academy & other pics

Quite a lot has happened since I last posted. Sifu Bing has gone to his American Tour (more about it in here), in the meantime I’m staying at Grandmaster Zhong’s school at the San Feng Academy. I’m very happy for this opportunity, getting to see two different (and then again quite similar) ways of teaching and learning. Just like in the world of tarot, each teacher has his own way of passing on the knowledge and showing how it’s done. Getting to see & experience more than one way is definitely a richness.

Regards to my training, I’ve now finished the TaiYi Wuxing form, and – rather foolishly, I might add – taken up to learn the Zi Wu Spear form. Like I posted on Facebook, when I told coach Xia I’d like to learn this form his expression “went from acute panic and terror to depression and exhaustion, onwards to numbness and finally to amusement, all in 3 seconds”. The spear form is usually among the last forms to be learned, as it is very difficult to master. But I couldn’t help it, I knew if I had chosen another form it would’ve been constantly at the back of my mind demanding attention. So we’ll see how it goes..

Ok, here are them pics.

kungfu kids learning one of the sword forms at the San Feng Academy

evening class with coach Liu

one of my classmates playing Guqin

coach Xia showing how it's done and me showing the, erm, alternative version..

taoist ceremony at the renovated YuXu Palace

inside the YuXu Palace temple

weiqi (Go) players

taiji is a door to..

Ying's pics

I'm posting here some of the photos my friend and fellow student Ying took. He was kind enough to share these with me, so thanks Ying!

me, Ying, Monika, Sifu Bing, Nicolas & Steven at Wu Long Gong

otherwise the same group but now with Derek (Li Si Ming), the other teacher of the Wudang Dao Kungfu Institute. Check out Derek's cool website at www.lisiming.com

one of the Wu Long monks & sifu Bing

the statue of Zhenwu facing sunrise

offering

inside one of the best sword shops in Wudang town

More Wulong pics & the Cave trip

Sifu demonstrating the Wudang Sword form

Full moon above the Wulong Temple

Nicolas admiring the view from the old training grounds

it is nice

Steven practising Baji Quan

the new abbott demonstrating Wudang Taiji 108 form

then off for a small trip to a nearby cave & an ancient temple close by

inside the cave, as you can probably guess. Climbing up here was a bit tricky

getting close to the temple

it was very silent here

old gods

bagua circle nearby, with a hexagonal centre

before heading back to Wulong

More training pics

We just finished another training cycle at the Wulong Temple and came back to town today. I've now begun training also the Tai Yi form aka Wu Xing Quan (aka Liang Yi), Five Element Boxing. I love it big time, it was one of the forms I was hoping to learn during my stay. Rain and mud add more challenge to training but hey, bad luck :)

Sifu, Steven & Nicolas practising Wudang Taiji

Monica practising Wudang Staff form

Sifu Bing

above the baby dragon (looks more like a turtle)

kitchen :)

one of the Temple Dragons

stretch it!

first attempts at calligraphy ("pitiful", as Chiun would say)

Training in Wulong & night in Wudang town

I've now started training at Wulong Temple with Sifu Bing. Each morning and afternoon we do basic exercises, then learn Ji Ben Quan or Wudang Kungfu Basic Form and Five Animal Qigong. Once a week I'm also studying Taoist philosophy, meditation and Ba Duan Jin or Eight Pieces of Brocade Qigong with another teacher. In my own time I continue to practise Chen taiji (Yilu 83, sword and saber forms). We eat with the monks, life at the temple is very peaceful and living conditions are quite simple. Training is hard work, but then again I didn't come here for a holiday.

Steven practising Xuan Wu Quan with Sifu

Datura :)

Ying & Steven doing applications

beats the average teaching location

one of the Dragon Boards

back in Wudang town. This stuff is ready to be boiled

back to apartment

su-pah-mar-kat

Five Dragon Temple & tea ceremony

Yesterday I went with my teacher to visit the Wu Long Ding or Five Dragon Temple, where I'll start my Kung Fu training very soon. The Wu Long Temple is the oldest temple of Wudangshan; construction began over 1300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty.

training grounds in front of the temple

many Wudang temples are being renovated, this is also true in Wu Long. I'm happy that this part is still in its "natural state".

a view from the training area towards east - not complaining.

then we enjoyed a tea ceremony with monk Chen, a friend of my teacher.

nice view from the window. The little dots are bees, which seemed to like the burning incense, guqin music and the tea. Peace for now, sweat & work for tomorrow.