Double Dragon Alliance enjoyed its first martial arts training camp in Shanghai, China on 18th – 26th November.
The event which proved a great success kicked off on the 18th November with an exhibition featuring some of Shanghai’s finest martial artists and was attended by a mixed Western and Chinese audience of over 100 guests.
The participants featured among others:
Master Lu Zhi Liang, senior student of the late Master Gu Feng Ji, performing Yang Style Taiji Quan;
Master Liu Ji Fa, the current 4th Generation Wu style Lineage holder performing Wu Style Taiji Quan;
Master Xue Hong En, performing a dynamic set of 10 Animal Xing-Yi Quan
Master Liu Hong Cai, indoor student of Masters Chen Zhao Kui and Feng Zhi Qiang, performing Chen Style Taiji Quan, as well as an impromptu and lighthearted push hands “match” with Madame Sun Guo Mei;
Master Wu Mao Gui, one of Shanghai’s highest level martial artists, performing Tong Bei Quan;
Master Wang Sen Lin, recently awarded the certificate of “Outstanding Contribution to Traditional Chinese Martial Arts” by the International Kung Fu Association of America, performing He Bei Style Hsing-Yi Quan;
Master Chen An Tian, performing Ba Gua Zhang;
Master Ren Gang, senior student of Master Dong Bin and who was recently featured in Britain’s “Qi” Magazine, performing Yang Style Taiji Quan;
Master Tang Jun Fang, performing Emei Style Lan Shou Quan;
Master Jin Liang, student of Master Wang Sen Lin, performing He Bei Hsing-Yi;
Master Wang Mu Yin, the current Generation Lineage Holder of Hao style Taiji from Hao Sao Ru, performing Hao Style Taiji Quan;
Master He Bin, student of Master Tang Jun Feng, performing Cao Quan (Lan Shou System)
Master Zhang Xi Xing, senior student of the late Master Wang Hao Da, performing Wu Style Taiji Quan, which follows closely Master Wang Hao Da’s system of small spirals and “fa jing” movements, and an impromptu push hands display with his “kung fu brother” Xiao Mi;
Master Chen Yu Tong, performing Liu He Ba Fa and Push Hands with one of his female students;
Sun Ming, 13 year old student of Master Wang Sen Lin, performing a vibrant and warmly appreciated set of He Bei Hsing-Yi Stamping Fist;
Madame Sun Guo Mei, performing a very much appreciated and impromptu display of Push Hands with Master Liu Hong Cai;
Master Jin Liang, student of Master Wang Sen Lin, performing an energetic set of He Bei Hsing-Yi Double Hammer;
A completely impromptu and much enjoyed performance of Hsing-Yi by Master Ni Zhen Yao, one of Shanghai’s most famous and revered fighters, as well as a lighthearted push hands display;
Master Zhu Jian Li, performing Push Hands with Master Wang Ming Bo;
Madame Sheng Gen Di, an 80 year old，high level female martial artist rounded off the exhibition with a performance of Wu Style Taiji Push Hands with Madame Qian.
A DVD/Video of the exhibition, which captures the friendly and hospitable atmosphere of the day’s event, is now available.
After the demonstrations, the guests retired to the local Hong Rui Xing restaurant for a large banquet, which gave the Western and Chinese audience members a chance to mix and mingle, catch up with old friends and make new ones from a diverse array of backgrounds; ranging from the British Embassy, to the Wushu Academy and Martial Arts Equipment Suppliers.
Following the banquet, the participants of the 2006 training camp were taken around some of Shanghai’s scenic spots, like the beautiful Yu Gardens and its surrounding little streets and shops and Nanjing East Road.
The 9 day training camp began in earnest on the 19th November, with a lesson by Master Dong Bin, who introduced the participants to the stringent requirements of Taiji’s “Preparation and Opening” movement of Yang style Taiji Quan.
Master Dong, who was recently featured on the cover of the October issue of the USA’s “Tai Chi” Magazine, lectured the enthusiastic group on 14 basic requirements essential in just this one movement and which prepare the practitioner for the necessary prerequisites of the whole form.
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The participants, got the opportunity to feel for themselves the necessary internal movements that Master Dong described, as they “held and touched” his body as he moved through the postures and pushed hands with the group.
Master Dong, who is now over 85, also performed the “Stroke the Bird’s Tail” sequence, demonstrating very clearly the concept of “continuous and uninterrupted movement”, or in Chinese “mian mian bu duan”.
The small group of participants were enthralled by his performance, as well as his humorous and concise explanations of Taiji’s internal movements, which he demonstrated in the relaxed setting of the local restaurant, also inviting them to try and push him down into a chair to demonstrate the concept of the “root” in Taiji and the aliveness and sensitivity inherent in Yang Style’s Dan Tian and inner body; much to the interest of the other diners.
Following the morning training session with Master Dong, Master Ren Gang, one of Master Dong’s most senior and highest level long term students, began teaching the participants in Yang Style Taiji and Push Hands.
The emphasis of the classes was not in learning a new form, but on working on Taiji’s internal theories and in making the guests own forms live and breathe.
The first class dealt with the concepts of “Wu Ji” and “Tai Ji” and explained how Taiji differs from both external martial arts, as well as the other internal arts and what characterizes Taiji Quan.
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In terms of push hands and “San Shou” or free sparring, Master Ren explained said that the principles of Wu Ji and Taiji must be clearly understood, or else it just simply comes down to who is bigger or stronger. To fully realize the concept of Wu Ji, one must become “one” with the opponent and his energy; to feel that you and he are one person and not two separate beings. This means that the Taiji practitioner has to “give up” the self and learn to feel at one first with their own energy, rather than be merely a physical structure.
The notions, which at first the group found difficult to grasp, were clearly demonstrated and explained by Master Ren, and the participants could feel for themselves the difference in using the correct principles in the form movements as performed by Master Ren, to simply trying to just use physical structure or strength.?
The camp next relocated to the rural town of Sheshan, the highest place in Shanghai’s environs, and the venue, the Sheshan Forest Hotel is set amongst a beautiful bamboo forest, surrounded by hills.
We took a leisurely walk through the bamboo forests; guided by Mr Zhang, the vice chairman of the She Shan earthquake research centre; along some of the forest trails up to an old church which is situated at the top of one of the hills, in addition to riding in the cable cars atop some parts of the forest, where you can look down on the stunning sight of the bamboo trees swaying in the wind.
Classes in Yang Style continued throughout the week, working on the different components of the first section of the form, as well as detailing the individual usage and applications of each posture, to make the form come alive.
Master Ren worked on incorporating the principles of Taiji’s internal aspects into their forms and on correcting mistakes inherent in their movements.
The group began to work through the opening section, up to the first “Cross Hands”.?
Each participant performed their own form for the group and Master Ren and then worked on each individual set of postures.
The first class dealt exclusively with the “Stroke the Bird’s Tail” sequence, laying special importance on these movements, as being the essence of Taiji.
Master Ren used his profound knowledge of Taiji theories to explain the problems in some of their movements and how to correctly execute the postures in order that they could work. He also worked in detail on how to correctly identify and use the waist, as well as the “shen qi” or potential energy and the momentum of the energy’s movements. He stressed the importance of seeing the waist as a living energetic centre, rather than as a physical axis, and with the assistance of Master Wang Ming Bo, helped each student gain a sensation of the waist in Taiji, especially by “pulling” up on the waistband of their trousers, much to everyone’s amusement!
In the evenings, some of Shanghai’s top masters were invited as “guest” instructors to give seminars in push hands, as a complement to the daytime classes with Master Ren and to allow the participants a chance to experience the “flavour” of some top Taiji masters.
On the evening of 20th, the group were treated to a seminar by Master Wu Mao Gui, one of Shanghai’s most famous martial artists. Master Wu demonstrated very vividly the power and energy of Tong Bei Quan’s fighting techniques and how to unify the body’s whole force in push hands.
Master Wu also gave an impromptu and spellbinding performance of Tong Bei’s “fast form” showing the strikes and free flowing movements of real speed Tong Bei. (Which is something that many local martial artists in Shanghai itself would dearly love to see!)
Master Wu continued instructing the group in Tong Bei basics in the morning, and his classes were thoroughly enjoyed by all the participants.
On the evening of 21st Master Liu Ji Fa, the current generation lineage holder of Wu Family Taiji from the late Master Ma Yue Liang, taught a class in Wu Taiji’s 13 Styles of Push Hands, in addition to performing the first two sections of the Wu Familiy form. The class concentrated on some of the more simple push hands patterns, as well as the usage of Wu Style’s push hands techniques.
Master Liu, whose jovial spirit and geniality warmed him to the group, also accompanied us on the next day’s trip to Zhou Zhuang, a picturesque and beautiful traditional water town in Zhe Jiang Province.
The day trip to Zhou Zhuang, although “accompanied” by rain, was a delightful taste of “old” China, and gave the guests a chance to explore the tiny alleyways and little avenues that criss-cross the old town. The rain actually made an even more romantic setting for the canals and bridges that intertwine and connect the ancient village.
The guest instructor for the evening of the 23rd was Master Liu Hong Cai, a very highly respected Chen Style master. Master Liu, whose father was an indoor student of Master Chen Fa Ke, and who himself studied “indoor” with Master Chen Zhao Kui and Master Feng Zhi Qiang, taught a push hands class in the specialities of Chen Style, namely “Chan Su Jing” or silk reeling, as well as “Chin Na” or joint locking techniques.
Everyone got to “try” Master Liu’s joint locks, which are extremely powerful, as well as his “Fa Jing” or explosive energy discharging.
He also performed the Chen Style Form, demonstrating very clearly the applications of the joint locks and issuing of energy, exhibited in the push hands practice.
As Master Liu, and all the other masters impressed on the students, the form and the applications should be one and the same, the form is an expression of these applications, not a separate series of flat movements or exercise.
Master Liu also conducted the morning class in some Chi Kung exercises and Chen Style basics, which are an excellent set of exercises to improve the health and flexibility and which were very well received by the practitioners.
On the 24th of November Master Ren Gang completed the classes in Yang Style form, covering the final moves up until Cross Hands, as well as hosting the evening class in push hands and taking questions in an open forum. The participants got to ask questions on any of the movements from the form and experience for themselves the various applications and energy involved in the movement.
Master Ren, throughout the week, helped the students to “practice” using the movements for themselves, either on himself or on Master Wang Ming Bo and Rose Oliver, so that they could start to build up a feeling for how the moves should really be executed.
At the final evening class, the students presented Master Ren with a small gift, as a token of their gratitude and esteem for his help and kindness, which was a sweet gesture much appreciated by Master Ren.
The camp moved to Hangzhou on 25th November for a day’s sightseeing, around some of the city’s scenic spots, like the West Lake, ornamental gardens and Buddhist temple; and rounded off on the 26th November, with a demonstration by some of Hangzhou’s finest martial artists.
The demonstration, arranged by Master Shi Rong Tao showcased some of Hangzhou’s top male and female teachers and competition judges, performing Chen Style, Yang Style and Sun Style Taiji, plus a “Snake” form, an external martial arts form, which mimics the movements of a snake coiling.
The practitioners also played push hands with the camp guests, creating a very informal and friendly atmosphere and fostering friendships with the guests both from Shanghai and abroad; plus some of the camp participants also performed their own forms, which were very well received by the Hangzhou guests: Jorma Tuhkanen demonstrated Yang Style Taiji, and Sheila Gent, Petri Nieminen and Andries Buys demonstrated 24 Step form with Master Wang Ming Bo.
The whole event was both relaxed and informal and made a very nice end to the camp, with everyone joining in for a group photo before heading off for a delicious, traditional Hangzhou banquet.
The camp came to an end at the banquet, with each of the participants being presented with a “Double Dragon Alliance” T-shirt, plus a formal certificate from Double Dragon Alliance signed by all of the masters who had taught at the camp; Master Dong Bin, Master Ren Gang, Master Wu Mao Gui, Master Liu Ji Fa, Master Liu Hong Cai, Master Lu Zhi Liang and Master Wang Ming Bo, as a special memento of their stay in China.
The group then had a last look at Hangzhou’s spectacular West Lake, with its scenic views across the water to the mountains beyond, and where Dave Thorpe very sweetly presented Rose Oliver with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, before returning to Shanghai.
Having been training and living together for 9 days, sharing in some wonderful experiences and being taught by some of Shanghai’s best masters, it was sad to say goodbye to so many good friends.?
I personally felt that we shared in a very special experience, and one that will live in my memory forever, as a time of friendship, kinship and mutual enthusiasm and enjoyment for all the wonders that Shanghai, its teachers and Chinese martial arts has to offer.?
We had a fantastic time, learnt a tremendous amount of knowledge, ate a lot of delicious food, made friends and simply had a wonderful time.
I am very grateful for all the help that my friends here in Shanghai gave me in setting up the camp, and to all the teachers who contributed their time and expertise and who shared their knowledge so generously.
The guests, some of whom had previously attended seminars that my husband Rey and I arranged in the UK for Master George Xu, Master Wang Hao Da and Master Yang Zhen Duo, were a delight to be with and I miss the fun and comradeship that we shared.
I’m sure that next year’s camp which is ostensibly planned for October, will provide us all another chance to get together and share more good times, build on the knowledge learned this year and make more new friends.
Finally, I would just like to thank everybody for their support and interest in our association and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope that we all enjoy good health, happiness and prosperity in the coming year.
王玫瑰（Rose Oliver）