By the time this issue is distributed we will have returned from Longfei's first trip to China and will include a report of that trip. As I write we are two weeks from departure. The party will be made up of 28 people including Tarry and Faye Yip, Simon and myself. Tarry and Faye will leave several days before the main group and are going ahead to check that preparations for our arrival are all in place. This is a reassuring gesture for which we are very grateful. The party will spend some time training at the Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Centre at the University of Physical Education. They will also train at The People's University. This is where Professor Li Deyin was based from graduation to retirement, in the capacity of Head of Physical Education.

In addition to the university training there will be the opportunity to meet and train with local Taiji enthusiasts. There are a host of tourist and historical visits arranged, but more about these in the report from China.

The World Wushu Championships

Andrew Austin has kindly submitted a report from the 7th World Competition, held in Macao in November 2003. He attended and competed with his student Becky Sargent. We have published an elegant picture of them on the front cover. Looking through the results you may well wonder why the Chinese do not feature in the medal results for the Taiji Sword. The answer is very simple: their athletes did not compete in this event! This is a somewhat magnanimous (and political) gesture on the part of the Chinese to allow other countries to feature among the medals.

A Personal Reflection by Ranjeet Sokhi

Ranjeet has trained with us for some 10 years. He was recently asked to contribute an article on his background to appear in a future edition of the Tai Chi Journal. For those of you that do not subscribe to the journal we reproduce the article in this issue.

Mark Atkinson's Annual Daoyin Workshop

The subject of this year's seminar was the 49 Dynamic Meridian Qigong. These exercises form the core of Professor Zhang Guande's teaching and we expected a full house for this very effective, esoteric and meaningful set. The attendance was in the region of twenty each day, a very manageable number, but not a seminar to miss (where were you all). He only comes once a year!

Reminders

Walsall Summer Camp

Walsall was once again fully booked by the end of February. Thank you and well done. Don't forget Hertfordshire for Professor Li's 88 Seminar - Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd August.

Master Wang, San Shou Weekend

We should be wrapping up the San Shou two-man routine this weekend. Beginners to the routine are, however, welcome. Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th November.

Richard Watson