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Yesterday (Thursday) was supposed to be our first day of traing with Di GuoYong.  Some minor issues and miscommunication had us show up for training BUT no training yesterday with Di laoshi.  Instead Andrew and I went into a huge park where people are doing tai chi of all sorts, chi gung, dancing (one group dancing to a chinese version of Great Big Sea's "Run, Run, Away"), playing with giant chinese yo-yo's etc. EVERYWHERE.  We will post photo's later today.

Thden we took the bus to the outkirts of the city to a wushu weapons store.  It is a LOOOOONG bus ride-over an hour in daytime traffic.  There were three wushu weapons stores right in a row.  Again, we will post photo's later.  If there were no weight restrictions for luggage I would have made some major purchases as the prices were MUCH more reasonable than ordering them at home.

Last day training with Wang Laoshi

Well today was interesting. Unfortunately Josh and I had our last day training with Wang Laoshi. The day started with me getting stuck on the subway as a result of some mis communication. Josh managed to get off at our stop while I just waved through the window and continued on down the line. When I got off and caught the subway back it was crazy. It was so full they had guys pushing people in so the doors would close. When I got back to our stop I was only 2 feet away from the door but 5 people deep. You've got about 15 seconds to exit/board the train so I was met head on with a rush of more people. I managed to exit the train just as the doors were closing thanks to being pull out waist level by a security guard. Lovely start. Class was great. We ran and stretched, did some basics and worked on forms and applications. It went by to fast. I really enjoy my time with Wang Laoshi. After class Josh and I went and did a bit of shopping, hit the bank to change some money and had a bit of a walk back to the hotel, 45 minutes or so. Tomorrow we may start training with Di Guoyong Laoshi if he's made it back from the US. Andrew

 

JOSH'S POST FOR WEDNESDAY

So...Andrew and I are chatting away on the subway when I think I hear "Wukesong" (which is the name of our training spot with Wang laoshi) mentioned over the speakers but it is so crowded you cant hear very well.  Also it was so crowded on the platform that you couldnt see the signs.  So I stepped off to read the sign, that did indeed say Wukesong, however Andrew didnt step off...a bit of a drag for him, but humerous for me.  Training was excellent today.  Generally we start with a light stretch, then an easy jog twice around our training area, past tai chi groups, fan dancing groups, people flying kites, people playing with giant chinese yo-yo's, crazy people, people doing odd exercises, military people, people with tiny dogs, etc., then stretch a bit more, then do lines of basics, then stretch a bit more, then do lines of kicks, then go into forms and instruction.  Chris and I worked on the 8th Yanqing Fanzi set.  Andrew worked on the Chuo Jiao Fanzi staff set and also had Wang Laoshi examine his Xiao Fanzi Set that he had learned previously to see if he was practicing it correctly.  Wang laoshi told Andrew that he was indeed practicing it correctly, added a move (which was fun) and told Andrew that the set would look even better when his legs werent dead tired and he could jump higher.  Alex had shown me a Chuo Jiao Fanzi pipe set and I demonstarted it for Wang laoshi to see if I was way off base...I wasn't WAY off which was good although there were a lot of corrections (I'll let you know what they are Alex...).  Wang laoshi brought his pipe to class-it was made for him in 1967-and looks well used.  It seems to be the model that is used to make all of the new pipes.

After class Andrew and I went shopping at the Silk Market.  More gifts.  Plus a custom made 3 piece suit that was MUCH cheaper than at home but Chris advises that I overpaid slightly.  I paid 1050 RMB for a 180 weight, cashmere and wool blend 3 piece custom made suit.  That equals about $150.00 with the deal that it would be made within 1 day and that they would come to our hotel to custom fit it tonight at 8:00.  Chris paid 600 RMB for a 2 piece suit, 180 weight, wool and cashmere blend, which is less than $100.00.

So many people were grabbing and pulling on us in the market that Andrew and I both had the idea of grabbing them back...but we didnt.  More to come later....

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Me, (Andrew) working on some staff techniques while members of the Red Army march past in full dress.

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Wang Laoshi and Josh reviewing some of the Chuo Jiao Pipe, while the Drum ladies practice in the background.

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A couple of shots of the subway. Don't be decieved by the shots, as most times Josh and I have to force our way through the crowds.

ABOVE:  Josh getting instruction/correction from Wang HeLing

Sunday...the longest day so far...

Just to recap a little of what was written below, Saturday morning we reviewed/practiced on our own and then we trained from 2:30 pm until 5:30 pm with Wang laoshi.  It was hot and sunny.  The training was pretty fun as two more of Wang laoshi's regular students (Tian Ying and WuYaJun) showed up as they can only come to train on the weekends.  So we got to train with some more guys who do what we do.  After practice we walked back to the hotel (by mistake)-3 or 4 miles (along the way we saw a Taoist monk sitting outside a store text messaging), got back quite late, ate at the hotel and the went outside to train a bit before going to sleep. 

We had to get up at 6:00 am to go back to practice with Wang laoshi. It was sunny and hot again and we were sweating profusely before we had even finished warming up.  Tian Ying showed up and gave us gifts for health and happiness that his father had obtained at a temple but neither and Andrew and I can remember which one.

When we finished practicing Chris took Andrew and I shopping right away.  Following another series of subway rides we ended up at the Pearl Market.  Once we were done there we headed over by subway to another shopping area where they sell knock-off clothes.  In between we decided to grab some western food for lunch.

 We were all pretty wilted by the time we hit the clothes shopping area as the temperature had hit the high 20's and we had not eaten anything since the night before...so we ate right across the street from the shopping area at a new restaurant in Beijing.  See important map below. 

We finished shopping late in the day (LOTS of bargaining which was both fun and annoying at times...) and the took the bus to train with Lu Yan.

I was concerned about the evening's training with Lu yan as we were zonked from training and the heat AND we did not have the afternoon to review and practice before her class.  We started traing with Lu Yan somewhere around 6:30-7:00 pm and all of my concerns came to fruition.  Speaking only for myself, I can state quite clearly that my brain would not work at all for the first hour of training.  The second hour of training saw my brain start to work and then my body decided to take a bit of a break.  All in all, not the most impressive training on my part although I am hoping for better on Tuesday when we see Lu Yan again.  In the meantime-and on the brighter side- Wang DeMing  a very famous wushu coach- and a student of a very famous Bagua Master named Sun ZhiJun-whol coaches at the  school where we are training with Lu Yan is starting to teach a Bagua Kwan Dao/Da Dao set and had an extra Kwan Dao made which just arrived Sunday and was offered to me for a very reasonable price (under $20.00)...so I bought it.

We then bused back to our neighbourhood, bought some water and Mr.  Noodle type things, have showered and are now going to bed (midnight) as we have to get up at 6:00 am for training again.

ABOVE:  Group picture after Saturday's training:  From the left -Andrew, Wu YaJun, Wang HeLing, Lu Yan, Chris Rayner, Me, Tin Ying

BELOW: Random shots of the street and then the hutong as we walked home having missed the bus after class Saturday.

Its Day 5: Saturday morning.  Hurray for my sister Karen’s suggestion-Andrew took gravol last night and actually slept.  Prior to that he was only getting an hour or so per night.  I was starting to have concerns about his mental health.

 

Yesterday morning we trained with Wang HeLing for a couple of hours (8:00-10:00), travelled back to the hotel, ate lunch, practiced for a couple of hours, rested for a couple of hours and then left for Lu Yan’s for our evening training (scheduled for 7:00-9:00 pm).  We left early, anticipating a crowded bus and slow traffic, however we ended up on a relatively empty bus (it only took us about 10 minutes before we could get a seat) and ended up at Yan’s by 6:00ish.  Chris had sent us a text message asking about bus encounters and I let him know that we were already at the training center.  Yan was nice enough to skip her supper and come to meet us early.

 

Wushu Yuan (the Chinese National Martial Arts Federation) is filming all of the living top masters of each style in order to preserve what they know.  Today our training with Wang HeLing has been changed to 2:30 pm as he has been invited this morning to be filmed doing Yanqing Fanzi (I think) as the Chuo Jiao Fanzi master along with another Chuo Jiao Fanzi practitioner, Li Peng, who will be doing Di Tang.

 

THE TEACHERS

 

Wang HeLing

 

Wang HeLing is approximately 70 years old.  He looks about 10-15 years younger.  He quietly rolls up to class on bicycle, is very unassuming looking and certainly not flashy in initial appearance.  Every class so far has started off with a chat about some aspect of Chuo Jiao Fanzi history or training.  Warm up and basics are then left to us and he will offer corrections whenever he sees obvious mistakes (I’m guessing he sees lots of less significant mistakes….).  Generally he then teaches Andrew some of the staff set/applications for a while Chris and I practice/review the Yanqing Fanzi.  Then we switch and Wang laoshi teaches Chris and I while Andrew practices.  This back and forth continues until class is done.  His teaching style is very calm and quiet and his philosophy appears to be to take everything gradually.  However when he demonstrates the sets and applications his smooth power is evident.

 

Lu Yan

 

Lu Yan is obviously a superior athlete.  She is approximately 43 years old and can move around better than anyone I have seen in person.  Andrew is learning a very famous Preying Mantis set that was put together and taught to Lu Yan by a very successful wushu competitor named Yu Hai, who later went into movies-such as Shaolin Temple and Tai Chi Master.  The Preying Mantis style has a very distinctive flavour.  I am learning the Da Dao or Kwan Dao which is a very heavy, big bladed weapon with a very different flavour, used for fighting on horseback and fighting people on horses from the ground.  Lu Yan is only training Andrew and I during the sessions and switches back and forth between us, immediately showing the flavour and the moves of each of our particular styles.  She also has a fascinating ability to physically mimic the mistakes we are making so you immediately know what you are doing wrong.  Even when I have been stuck on a move longer than might be expected she has been very patient and analytical, able to quickly figure out what I am physically doing wrong.  Unfortunately, through no fault of hers, that’s not to say that I have been equally quick to incorporate her directions…

 

THE FOOD

 

So far we have eaten all but two meals in our hotel restaurant.  This hotel is government owned and we have not seen any other westerners here to date, although my impression is that westerners do stay here.  Mostly there have been government meetings here for the Heibei Provincial Government.  Andrew and I have often been the ONLY people eating in the restaurant.  There are generally six servers who hand you a menu and then stand at your table while you try to figure out what you want.  There is a lot of staring and hovering.  We have generally eaten some combination of chicken or beef with chilli’s and/or garlic, steamed vegetables with garlic, chilli’s or coriander, dumplings, rice and tea.  The meals are usually about $5.00 each.

 

The other night the helpful and friendly hotel staff (not sarcasm-they have been very accommodating) directed us to a nearby traditional restaurant.  It was packed and no other westerners in sight.  There was a greeter at the door who was dressed traditionally/historically, hit a gong and yelled a lot when we went in, walked to our table with us and yelled some more.  We weren’t sure whether the greeter was a kid out too late or a “little person”.  We were subsequently advised that it was indeed an old man who was used to “attract business” and that this was not “uncommon”.  We ended up having dry, seasoned chicken pieces in a bed of chilli peppers, beef in a hot pot with chilli’s, garlic and cabbage and a huge bowl each of fat noodles with steamed vegetables and peanut sauce.  Again, the entire meal was about $15.00 and we left a lot of food behind as we were stuffed.

 

Last night after training Yan and Chris were kind enough to accompany Andrew and I to a restaurant just across the street for the training hall.  We had small skewers of spiced lamb pieces (Chinese donairs), sweet corn niblets covered in duck yolk and the deep fried (I think), steamed broccoli and garlic, beef with large green chilli’s and cabbage with vinegar or something.  And rice.

 

We are now heading to get passport sized photo’s done for our membership into the Beijing Chuo Jiao Fanzi Federation.  Due to the amount of fraud in Chinese martial arts lineage the Beijing Chuo Jiao Fanzi Federation is keeping track of who is taught what and by whom.

 

These are pictures of the entrance to the hotel restaurant