I have been at Wudang Mountain for 5 weeks now. I have learned the 18-form (which still needs a lot of polishing). I starting learning an older longer form called the 13-form. I like it a lot although it involves a lot of turning that is putting pressure on my knees.
I have been a little down. No matter what I do, the teacher never does anything but criticize and correct me (I know that this is the old way, but it's getting a bit tiring). When he does the form, he is smooth and powerful. I sometimes feel like a real klutz. - Then out the the blue, two Chinese students whom I am training with said that I have a real Taiji spirit and they like the way I move. I think that I've always been harder on myself that I need to be.
I stopped the one-hour morning kicking sessions because my knees were acting up. However, just so it doesn't look like I'm slacking off, I do horse stance for several minutes, then calf raises (sets of 40), and some hard stretching. Then I start the circuit again and try to keep it up for an hour. My legs are getting stronger and my knees are okay (which is all that I am asking for at this time).
I think I've also lost a bit of weight. I notice it in my face. That's okay. I'd like to keep my weight under 90kgs.
For the last two days, a group of young Taoists from the Wudang Taoist Kungfu Mission, which is a part of our organization, have been rehearsing and videotaping a performance that they will be doing 3 times a day for 3 months at the Shanghai Expo. The young people are quite amazing and I hope that they will be successful. They will be doing some sort of co-presentation with the Shaolin monks (who have had years of practice with this kind of show).
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/eduonline/2009-12/01/content_9095530.htm
I took a few pictures and a bit of video.
I can't seem to embed the video. However, there is a video of the Wudang women performing a fan form at the URL below.
http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae209/Restless_Wanderer/?action=view¤t=WudangFanForm.mp4
I have been a little down. No matter what I do, the teacher never does anything but criticize and correct me (I know that this is the old way, but it's getting a bit tiring). When he does the form, he is smooth and powerful. I sometimes feel like a real klutz. - Then out the the blue, two Chinese students whom I am training with said that I have a real Taiji spirit and they like the way I move. I think that I've always been harder on myself that I need to be.
I stopped the one-hour morning kicking sessions because my knees were acting up. However, just so it doesn't look like I'm slacking off, I do horse stance for several minutes, then calf raises (sets of 40), and some hard stretching. Then I start the circuit again and try to keep it up for an hour. My legs are getting stronger and my knees are okay (which is all that I am asking for at this time).
I think I've also lost a bit of weight. I notice it in my face. That's okay. I'd like to keep my weight under 90kgs.
For the last two days, a group of young Taoists from the Wudang Taoist Kungfu Mission, which is a part of our organization, have been rehearsing and videotaping a performance that they will be doing 3 times a day for 3 months at the Shanghai Expo. The young people are quite amazing and I hope that they will be successful. They will be doing some sort of co-presentation with the Shaolin monks (who have had years of practice with this kind of show).
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/eduonline/2009-12/01/content_9095530.htm
I took a few pictures and a bit of video.
I can't seem to embed the video. However, there is a video of the Wudang women performing a fan form at the URL below.
http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae209/Restless_Wanderer/?action=view¤t=WudangFanForm.mp4
2 comments:
I know what you mean by old school. It can be tiring. I, too, vouch for your "real Taiji spirit," though I'm not at Wudang to see you do the 18-form. :) Glad that you are learning the 13-form. Be gentle on those knees, and may you be blessed with ease from pain.
The temple looks very old. It is interesting that people gather here to learn. green246@yahoo.com
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