Mr Ding Yu Chun a veteran martial artist of? over 60 years, invited DDA’s Rose Oliver and Master Wang Ming Bo, along with Mr. Liu Jian of BHB Systems and Xinmin Newspaper and website’s Taiji Editor Mr Zou Guo Liang, to look around his private collection of traditional Chinese martial arts weaponry.
Mr Ding, who is now 69 years old, is a regular competitor at national martial arts competitions, invited by China’s national Wushu Teams and Sports Academies to lead their teams in competitions and displays across China and in Hong Kong.
Mr Ding has been an avid collector of a variety of Chinese antiques; he has a large collection of Chairman Mao memorabilia, including badges and books; terracotta earthenware teapots, ancient swords; as well as a huge library dedicated purely to works on martial arts and artists.
?
?
?
?
?
?
He began collecting traditional weapons some time ago, due to his love of Wushu as well as being a frequent competitor.
?
His array of weapons includes many less well known traditional weaponry and are all of the “genuine” weight of the original weapons, not the very light competition weight types.
?
?
We all had fu posing with some of the weapons, whose weight reminded us that the masters of old, must surely have been of not just tremendous ability, but also amazing strength also, as the weight of the weapons made them difficult to hold long enough for the poses, let alone be able to wield them in battle!
?
?
It was a really interesting and enjoyable day in Qing Pu and we hope that at this year’s DDA Shanghai Camp in November, we’ll be able to bring our guests to look around Mr Ding’s collection and enjoy some ancient Chinese culture and Wushu history.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Thank you to Mr Ding for his hospitality and to Mr Zou for arranging the visit.
?
Check out Mr Zou’s Taiji pages, for interviews with many famous Taiji masters, on the Xinmin news website: www.xinmin.cn
?????
?