Double Dragon Alliance 2009 Shanghai Martial Arts Training Camp

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This year, Master Shou Guan Shun (a senior student of Master Rao Shao Ping) was the principle instructor, teaching Yang Style push hands and Yang Style form applications and body opening exercises.

Training started on 21st November with early morning exercises with Master Wang Ming Bo, working on Master Shou’s tendon and ligament stretching and joint opening exercises, plus Master Dong Bin’s basic foundation exercises.

Training was followed by sightseeing around Shanghai, with a visit to Shanghai’s Wushu Shop, where the guests stocked up on supplies of swords and Taiji uniforms, followed by a tour of one of Shanghai’s biggest tea emporiums and Zha Bei Park at dusk, ending with a traditional tea ceremony at Master Ren Gang’s Yong He Tang Art & Culture Centre and a chance to view some exquisite examples of traditional Chinese artwork and porcelains.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were all full day’s training, with classes throughout the day with both Master Shou Guan Shun and Master Wang Ming Bo teaching daily, plus classes in Tong Bei Broadsword form and Tong Bei push hands techniques with Master Wu Mao Gui and Wu Style Dan Tian training, qigong and hip opening exercises with Master Liu Ji Fa.

As in Tong Bei’s system, Master Wu taught various single movement training exercises to help students really understand each step and nuance of the form’s movements and the meanings behind them, thus bringing the form to life.

Watching Master Wu Mao Gui’s form one can really imagine what one is doing with the sword and see it as a living martial art, not merely a competition style dance sequence.

On 22nd November, we also had an evening seminar with Doctor Li Yong of the Shanghai Conjoint Health Advisory Service, focusing on TCM and certain tuina techniques and acupressure points for overall good health and the treatment of certain digestive ailments, primarily concentrating on massage of the gallbladder and pericardium meridians.

Master Liu’s session had all of us collapsing in laughter, as we attempted the Dan Tian turning internal exercises.

Master Liu, who last year taught in the USA, not only demonstrated the moves clearly for everyone, but also allowed each of the guests to feel his own body, so that they could really see what was happening internally; which probably to an outside observer would have appeared very strange, but which is fundamental if students are to really grasp how internal arts forms work.

The whole session was tremendous fun and all the guests were talking about it for several days afterwards!

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Nanxun retains the ancient charm of the old town, with its beautiful architecture, myriad canals and waterways, interwoven with numerous bridges and walkways.

All are preserved in their original state by the local government, set in a very tranquil setting, seemingly cut off from the modern developed world; whilst only a “stone’s throw away” the town centre bustles with all the facilities and shops of a modern fashionable city.

Through the very generous help and connections of Mr. Chen Zhen Mian, a fellow Taiji enthusiast and friend, we stayed at the authentic old family home of one of Nanxun’s famous artists and collectors Mr. Li, who, together with his wife, now run their home like a traditional English Bed & Breakfast, but with a distinctly Chinese flavour!

The house itself resembles “Dr Who’s tardis”, in that from the outside you cannot imagine how vast the living space is inside, but once you enter and go upstairs, there appears to be endless interconnecting bedrooms and bathrooms and little corridors!

Each room has its own modern bathroom facilities and is equipped with modern heating and lighting etc, but at the same time having traditional, Chinese classic wooden furniture, plus the round-framed canopy beds, giving the rooms a really uniquely traditional feel.

Mr. and Mrs. Li provided the guests with a very homely atmosphere, preparing delicious breakfasts, Chinese style, rather than English bacon and eggs, but all the foods were traditional and special to Nanxun, with a story or legend behind the various types of delicious rice cakes, dumplings and congee, all served with delicious Longjing green tea and warming, hot stem-ginger tea.

Their home is also full of beautiful antiques and “gadgets”, many saved from destruction or disposal from old houses or businesses, which no longer valued the “old-fashioned” furniture.

The walls too are covered with paintings and calligraphy scrolls from some of the famous guests the Li’s have hosted over the years, who wanted to leave behind a memento or gift to express their enjoyment at their stay in such lovely surroundings.

The charm of the house and garden and the peace and calm of the old town, gave the guests a real sense of tranquility and of stepping back in time.

On our first day, a delegation from the Nanxun tourist board and the Nanxun TV news station came to greet us.

As a rare visit from foreign “Taiji” guests, we were invited to take part in an exhibition of Taiji and weapons forms, held in our honour by the local Taiji and martial arts association of Nanxun.
The event was also filmed for the local TV station in the courtyard of one of the historic landmark buildings of Nanxun, previously home to one of Nanxun’s ancient scholars.

The camp guests were invited to perform their forms also and had the chance to demonstrate some forms together with the local troupe, much to the delight of the Nanxun audience. Evelyne Tissier’s performance of the Taiji straight sword with one of the lady’s of the Nanxun group was especially welcomed!

It was a lovely event and a real chance for some real inter-cultural interaction and appreciation.

During our stay in Nanxun we were treated to VIP status, with a free pass to Nanxun’s historic sights and cultural landmarks and the whole trip was not only very enjoyable and relaxing, but also gave everyone a glimpse of the “real” traditional life from generations past; watching the elderly town inhabitants still living very much as they would have done 100 years ago; offering an interesting contrast to the fast-paced modern city life in Shanghai.

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This year, Master Ren Gang taught guests the concept of “sensitivity” or “gan shou” in Taiji – commonly referred to as “Ting Jing”, whilst introducing the elements of whole body “listening and sensitivity” in push hands and form training.

Master Ren also invited guests to play certain sections from their forms, offering advice and corrections and how to integrate the principles talked about, plus incorporate the idea of “emptiness”, into their own forms.

Master Ren also allowed guests to feel how he put the concepts into action in his own body during applications and movements, so they could understand physically what they were trying to achieve and replicate in their own bodies.

He also demonstrated the Taiji classic principles of “4 ounces deflects a 1000 pounds” and “a feather can’t touch and a fly can’t land”, which require a practitioner to be empty – or offer no resistance or physical structure against an opponent, whilst listening and being entirely in-tune with the opponent; which for the new guests was an eye-opening experience, as it’s possible to really see what’s meant by “not using physical structural force” in your movements and using energy or intention to power your body.

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We were also joined on Friday 27th November by several guests from the UK and Germany, in Shanghai training with other teachers, who came to participate in Master Ren’s seminar.

We were also joined by Ms Juliette Forster, who is researching material for a TV documentary on traditional Chinese martial arts and who approached DDA for help, plus several members of the In-Kungfu website team, who are collecting material for their martial arts website, especially about western practitioners of martial arts.

They came to interview DDA representatives Rose Oliver and Master Wang Ming Bo, as well as Master Shou Guan Shun, plus meet and chat with the camp participants.

On Saturday 28th the guests were treated to a very enjoyable seminar with veteran DDA camp teacher, Master Liu Hong Cai, reviewing and explaining the principles of silk reeling and Chen Style basic foundation exercises, useful for practitioners of all styles; as ways to open, relax and integrate the whole body.
In the evening, the guests were treated to their own individual Tuina massage treatment by the doctors at Dr Li Yong’s Conjoint Health Advisory Service.

With each guest being given their own diagnosis and treatment, the guests had a chance to experience tuina meridian massage’s holistic effects!

This year’s Masters Exhibition was held on the last day of camp and featured performances from many of Shanghai’s top martial artists, as well as from some of our camp guests.

The international audience included guests from many overseas countries, plus several dignitaries and their families from a variety of foreign embassies in Shanghai, as well as local martial arts enthusiasts, all brought together to enjoy a morning dedicated to traditional Chinese culture.

This year’s exhibition theme was one of art and culture and to open the event, Ms. Evelyne Tissier, a very dear friend and longstanding DDA member, gave a wonderful performance on the traditional Norwegian fiddle.

Evelyne, who’s husband is the Norwegian consul in Shanghai, played a classic Norwegian folk song called, “The Devil’s Tune”, which was very well received by the audience of over 100 guests and afterwards, Evelyne walked around the hall to let all the members of the audience see the ornate craftsmanship of the unique Norwegian fiddle.

Following Evelyne’s performance, there were a number of wonderful martial arts demonstrations, including: Wu Style Taiji by Master Liu Ji Fa, as well as a push hands performance with one of his students; Chen Style by Master Liu Hong Cai, Tong Bei Quan by Master Wu Mao Gui, Yang Style Push Hands by Master Shou Guan Shun, Master Lu Zhi Liang – Yang and Hao Style Taiji Quan,?

Master Xue Hong En -10 Animal Xing Yi Quan, Master Sun Ming and Master Qin Hua – He Bei Style Hsing-Yi Quan, Master Chen An Tian -Ba Gua Zhang and two-person sparring/push hands with one of his students, Master Li Yi Ming – Emei Style Cao Quan and Fan Quan from the Lan Shou system, Master Zhu Jian Li – Taiji Quan Basic body conditioning exercises, Master Shen Chao -Wu Style Fast Form, Master Gu Yong Fa – Chen Style Taiji Quan, Master Zhu Rong Guan – Mian Quan, Master Chen Yu Tong’s students – Liu He Ba Fa form and push hands, Madame Sun Guo Mei with Master Liu Hong Cai – push hands, Master Wang Ming Bo and students – Yang Style Taiji Quan, Master Ma Bao Guo – Hun Yuan Xing-yi Taiji Quan, Master Ni Zeng Zhao – Shaan Xi Xing-Yi, Master Ren – Straight sword, as well as a few other guest performers on the day.

We were also treated to an impromptu “fun” push hands demonstration by Master Ni Zeng Zhao and Master Wang Ming Bo, which had the audience laughing uproariously and a very special performance of Yang Style Taiji by Master Wang Ming Bo and his students, who spanned four generations, from the most senior in her 70’s and the youngest only 10 years old! Young Master Chen Ai Guo’s marvelously relaxed and accurate Taiji movements had the audience applauding very warmly and appreciatively, especially since many Chinese children and young people nowadays, have no interest in the old traditional culture of their motherland, preferring basketball and computer games instead!

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To end the exhibition, we again returned to culture and music, this time with a definitely traditional Chinese flavour, with a performance of Peking Opera song and dance by Ms Yang Ya Nan of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Ms Yang, who regularly cooperates with DDA on educational and cultural projects in partnership with The British Consulate of Shanghai, as well as numerous schools within the city, performed “The Maiden’s Horse Ride”, which suggests everything through mime and dance, followed by a short aria from a classical Peking Opera.

The exhibition and our 2009 Shanghai Camp ended with the masters, camp participants and special guests enjoying a banquet lunch together, with chances to chat, laugh, enjoy each other’s company and make new friends.
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With an impromptu performance by Evelyne Tissier of “The Wedding Song”, another classical Norwegian folk tune, accompanied by a waltz performed by Master Ni Zeng Zhao with Rose Oliver, a wonderful time was had by all; and finally with presentations of the camp certificates to the camp guests and small memento trophies for the masters teaching at camp, DDA’s 4th annual camp drew to a close.

Thank you to everyone who supported us again and especially to those who came from overseas to join us at this year’s camp, thank you to all the teachers for their wonderful teaching, generosity and encouragement, thank you to all the masters for their outstanding performances at the exhibition and thank you to all the DDA assistants and friends, who helped us throughout the camp and at the exhibition, without you, none of it would have been possible.

We hope we’ll have the pleasure of seeing everyone again at next year’s camp and old friends, as well as new guests will come to Shanghai to join us next year for our 5th annual Double Dragon Alliance Shanghai Camp.

We look forward to seeing everybody next year; in the meantime, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year and good luck to everyone with your training!

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