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Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain

Letter from the Chairman
Longfei News Letters - Volume 4, Issue 3

At the time of preparing this newsletter most of the activities of 2002 are over and it can be said to have been a most successful year. The first workshop this year was Mark Atkinson's Daoyin Yangsheng Gong course. That was way back in February. The subject matter for the weekend was Daoyin Baojian Gong, Yiqi Yangfei Gong, and for the first time delegates were introduced to section one of ÒSishijiushi Jingluo DonggongÓ (Meridian Dynamic Exercise with 49 postures). Section one is Tongjin (Opening the Channels). We hope to welcome Mark back again in 2003, accreditations were made available by Mark and resulted in eleven passes for Daoyin Baojian Gong (general health set), and ten passes for Yiqi Yangfei Gong (lung set). Delegates travelled from the south of England and all the way to Glasgow so we are helping to spread the word of this ever popular and no nonsense form of Qigong.

Master Wang Yanji Tui Shou Weekend

Many delegates managed to complete the two-man push hands routine as well as training in the more formal pushing hands and Fajing techniques. It had taken several years to complete the two-man sequence Ð we will probably review this in November for the final time and start a new project in 2003. Master Wang's visits are arranged for the following dates in 2003: 24th - 25th May and 15th - 16th November. The venue will be the Peace Memorial Hall, Caldicote.

Longfei Summer Camp with Professor Li Deyin

Our seventh summer camp changed venues in 2003; we switched to Walsall campus on the other side of the M6. The move made no difference to the quality of our training as we were tutored by our usual team: Professor Li introduced the 42 Competition Sword Routine, Master Wang taught the 88 Standardised Yang Style and Simon Watson was teaching the ever popular 24 Taijiquan routine. Master Wang presented daily classes for pushing hands and we had two surprise items from Professor Li and Mrs Li (Fang Mishou). For those not taking part in the pushing hands Prof. Li and Mrs Li demonstrated a Taiji Kung Fu Fan routine and also taught the first part of the routine. They also treated the assembled delegates to a demonstration of a two-person sword routine. The accommodation was not of the same standard as Dudley but I learned that it would be demolished sometime in the future and replaced with modern high specification student accommodation.

Xingyiquan with Professor Li Deyin

This year we brought Prof. Li to Hertfordshire for an invitational workshop on the five element fist forms of Xingyiquan. Li has said that his favoured form of Taiji is the Yang Style and his favourite martial art is Xingyi. There is no need to say a great deal more, his love of the art was self evident as we ran an hour overtime and a good time was had by all. We will continue and further the cause in 2003.

Professor Li conducted his second weekend seminar at Hertfordshire University; one day was spent with the 24 Step Taijiquan and the Sunday workshop covered the 32 Taijijian. We would like these visits to Hertfordshire to be of a progressive nature and next year we hope to spend the weekend training the 88 Standardised Yang Style. As one student remarked to me: Òwhen it comes to Taiji forms, he's the Guvnor.Ó

Competition Successes 2002

Giuliano Vetere, 2nd Place Pushing Hands, Silver Medal Ð the British Open Tai Chi Champiohships. Giuliano Vetere, 1st Place Pushing Hands, Gold Medal Ð International Taijiquan Competition, Britain, Belgium, Germany. Giuliano weighs in to the over 90 kilo division.

Linda Graham took 1st place in the Ladies Push Hands competition in the International and complemented her gold medal with a bronze medal for the Ladies Sword Form.

Joanne White wins three silver medals. Linda's clubmate added to her medal collection with three silvers winning second place in the 42 International Competitional Routine, the 32 Taiji Sword Routine and in the Ladies Taiji Open she gained her medal with the unique Yang Ban Hou Hand Routine.

BCCMA National Wushu Competition

Joanne gained more success at this National BCCMA selection competition. The purpose of this competition is to select the British team to attend the European Wushu Championships. The successful winners (Gold Medalists) are invited to join the team in Oporto, Portugal in October 2002. Joanne won silver for the Taiji Sword and bronze for the Taijiquan routine.

BCCMA National Championships

At the nationals Joanne and Linda were joined by Jack Cunningham; all three train at Derek Daly's school. Traditional Chinese Wushu, which has its base in Glasgow, was founded by Derek and we are fortunate to have them as members and associates of Longfei. Jack had recently returned from a trip around the world and had taken the opportunity to train in China for a month. The benefits of this experience were self evident to experienced eyes and he was rewarded for his demonstration of the Chen Style, the 36 form routine choreographed by Professor Kan Gui Xian of the Beijing University of Physical Education.

Jack took first place in the sword competition putting a seasoned competitor who has competed on the international stage into the silver medal position. Jack's second gold was awarded in the pushing hands competition, in the 65-70 kilo division. Winning medals for Taolu competitions when you are dependant to some extend on the judges' personal preferences is very different to beating all-comers in your weight division when points awarded are self evident to the body of spectators and not subject to whim.

Linda Graham fought her way through her division to win her second pushing hands gold medal this year, Ògreat stuffÓ and won silver for her Yang Style hand form and silver for her sword routine. It was only a question of time before Joanne White got herself among the gold medals and she did this in style at the Nationals securing first place for the Taijiquan routine and repeated her performance for the Taiji Sword. Congratulations, three competitors took home eight medals: five gold and three silver Ð a truly worthwhile trip south of the border. Keep up the good work. How about some of you guys down south getting involved? By the way, Simon ran and judged the pushing hands competition and he and I devised the rules and ran courses for judges and other push hands officials.

For those not familiar with competitions may I explain the difference between the two mentioned above and sponsored by the BCCMA. The National Wushu Competition is governed by the rules and regulations of the International Wushu Federation (China) and the routines are the compulsory ones set by that body. The IWF (China) organise a World Championship biannual, although this is not necessarily held in China. In fact all federation members are encouraged to tender for the privilege, providing they can guarantee adequate facilities for the venue and suitable accommodation for the athletes.

The first host to the competition was China in 1991, subsequant countries hosting the championships include Malaysia, USA, Italy and Hong Kong. I believe that one of the breakaway states of Russia were hosts in 2001 and Macao will stage the function in 2003. I have managed to attend all with the exception of Russia where spectators were thin on the ground for security reasons. In addition to the requirements for the venue and the accommodation the prerequisite is for the safety and security of the athletes, coaches and officials. All gold medallists from the National Wushu Competition will be invited to constitute the British Team. Alternating with world competitions is the European Wushu Championships and qualification is by the same process, gold medallists of all categories are invited to join the British team. The makeup of the categories are as follows:

Team Leader

Taolu Coach (routines)

Sanshou Coach (free fighting)

Doctor (maybe and hopefully)

Athletes:

  1. Changquan (Long-range boxing) North China
  2. Nanquan (Southern-style boxing)
  3. Taijiquan (Taiji boxing)
  4. Taijian (Swordplay)
  5. Daoshu (Broadsword play)
  6. Jianshu (Sword play)
  7. Qiangshu (Spear play)
  8. Gunshu (Cudjel play)

All the compulsory routines were conceived and set by committee created by the IWF with the basic premise that competitors can only be judged fairly if they perform the same routines. For Taijiquan performance the two routines are: the 42 Taijiquan Competition Routine and the 42 Taijijian (sword) routine.

The National Championships

The BCCMA simply dropped the word Wushu from this title and for those that understand exactly what this implied it becomes self explanatory, however it would be better if the title used the word traditional.

In Mandarin Pinyin (the spoken word) Wushu means martial art but both the word and the method are the products of the 20th century and by that definition separate from what is considered traditional. All the compulsory routines draw their inspiration from traditional sources but have been created for the competition arena by the sport organised martial arts authority (IWF).

The 42 Competition Routine contains elements of four major styles of Taijiquan but it allows no room for the purely one style practitioner (the so called traditionalist) to examine his skills against his contemporarys, Yang against Yang, Chen against Chen for example, or in open competition Chen Yang Wu Woo and Sun all competing with each other. In the tournament held on the 1st September BCCMA National Championships various styles were performed. Chen style, Yang style, Woo/Hao style all competed against one another but these different routines would be inadmissible in the International World and European Wushu Championships.

Although we have recently learned that China's martial arts have not been accepted into the 2008 Olympic Games, had the compulsory routines not been created their application would be untenable. With something like ten popular and as many periphery styles of Taijiquan if there had been no standardisation the world stage would be closed to Chinese martial arts.

In this issue we take a brief look at the method of assessments which are made available at the summer camp. This has been prompted by a number of enquiries from students. Simon and I collaborated on this, Simon using his own experience from his competition work and his understanding of the BCCMA judges' manual. I have drawn from my experience as a judge and taking some part in all the assessments conducted since the inauguration of our association. We have drawn your attention to a wider field than assessments because the requirements for competition have been clearly recorded and illustrated, the two examinations have a great deal in common and most of the requirements are identical with those handed down from the masters of the past.

T'ai Chi Flow Motion book

By the time this issue is in print many of you will already have a copy of James Drewe's book and those that have not should avail themselves of one. This well thought out and clever book on the Simplified 24 Taiiquan has been received with favourable acclaim. It's the only book to my knowledge that clearly illustrates every intermediate movement covering two dimensions, the text is equal to the clever photography and is exemplified in the title ÒFlow MotionÓ. I understand that it's already passed its third reprint.

Discover China and Practice Taiji in Beijing

We are proposing to take a party of Longfei members on a memorable trip to China. This will only be possible with the help and expertise of Faye and Tarry Yip. Faye and Tarry have alreay taken several parties of their own students and are familiar with the preparatory and administrative requirements. The party will of course enjoy the benefits and hospitality of Professor and Mrs Li Deyin.

The proposition is to spend 50 per cent of the time training and something similar sightseeing. Individual preference varies to the degree of time spent on each activity but working on the assumption that it will be a first for most of the travellers the tourist aspect will be popular. I wish to cover as many angles in this preamble as possible to enable potential punters to arrive at their decision and to gain some useful feedback.

In previous trips organised by D.T.I. a ten day trip took in the following attractions: The great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, Tian-an-men Square, Heaven Temple, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs. Shopping excursions included: Wang Fujing Street (Beijing's Oxford Street), Friendship Stores, Silk Street, Flea market and oriental Gallery. There is always a cultrual trip to the Peking Opera. The party spent six days and nights in the capital and moved on to Xian the ancient Capital City of China, spending three days and two nights visiting the Museum of the Terracotta Army, the Great Museum of Shan Xi Province, The Big Swallow Pagoda, Hua Qing Shi (beautiful bathing place of emperors).

For those wishing to join us it would be better to be experienced in several forms of Taijian and have several years' experience. First the training can be tough and we may be training with experienced locals and second we are more likely to be revisiting routines we are familiar with than learning new material in the limited time available. To be proficient in the 24 and 88 also the 32 Sword would be an advantage for the training programme.

At the time of preparing this newsletter it was not possible to present a clear picture of the cost of the proposed trip, however you will find enclosed a preliminary booking form which carries an estimated costing with a method of anticipated payment. Airlines do not issue the price lists for a forthcoming year until the September preceding, making it difficult to give a clear picture at this stage.

Richard Watson

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