Training at Wudang - week 1

Well, this has been my first week training at Wudang and I will say this...its more than what I expected. The training is rather intense with qigong starting at 620am. The teachers here are amazing and very detailed. Here is what my average day is like:

Wake up at 6am
QiGong from 620am to 720am (we practice standing mediation and 5 animals QiGong)
Breakfast at 730am
Morning training from 830am to 11am, which consists of stretching, line drills, 300-500 situps, 50 pushups and practicing your forms.
Lunch at 12pm
We get a "break" from 1230 - 250pm (most of us either sleep, practice our forms, or email),
Afternoon training from 3-5pm, same as morning training.
Dinner at 6pm
Evening meditation from 8-9pm

As you can see, there is not much time to focus on anything else. In my free time, I may run to the market to buy some fruits and snacks. Some of us will either practice our forms or even our own kungfu (I don't want to forget my Wah Lum forms). This week was rather tough for me because I pulled my hamstring and groin muscle. The teachers acknowledge that you are injured but they push you to continue (if you show up to the training). Some of the students when injured just sit in there rooms, I elected to show up for training because I don't want to miss this opportunity to improve my skills. The teachers will not ask you to perform any stances, kicks, movements, etc that will cause further injury. But they will push you to your limits! I did have a breakthrough...I was finally able to perform a full side split (to the ground) with the help of HsuMing. I was about 8 inches from the ground when HsuMing came up to me and said "lower." I looked at him and said "yeah, right. This is how far I go." He decided to show that I could go lower. So he stands over me, his hands on my shoulders and begins to push me down while yelling "lower, lower, lower." And guess what, I made it to the ground!

Living at the academy has been an eye-opening experience. For example, we are not allowed to have heaters in our room (I guess it's supposed to help us with our kungfu). At night, its so cold here that I sleep with my hoody, leg warms, sweat pants, gloves, socks and my blanket. I can even see my breath when I talk on skype or with the other students in the hallway. Also, the lighting here is set on timers. For instance, the hallway lights are sound sensitive and they stay on for about 30 seconds before turning off. So if you want to walk down the hallway, you either have to make a really loud noise or stomp your feet to trigger the lights. Otherwise, you'll be walking the in the dark. The same goes for the bathrooms. Unfortunately my room is directly across the hall from the bathroom, so I can tell when there are students in the bathroom at night because they are trying really hard to keep the lights on by making loud noises.

The food has been delightful but you end up eating rice everyday with every meal. Most of the dishes prepared are vegetarian dishes but there are some occasions where they will serve us chicken or fish. However, I will not eat the chicken because it's served with the head in the dish and it freaks me out. I end up eating the scrambled eggs (which I must say is soooo delicious) with the veggies and rice. What I end up doing after lunch is head out to the market with a few friends and purchase some romen noodles and various snacks to hold me over till dinner time. One of the students from Holland went to Shiyan (about 1.5 hours by bus) and purchased some peanut butter for a few of us. That was a lifesaver because know I eat PB sandwiches everyday...yummy!!!

This afternoon, Master Yuan was talking to a small group of us on the development of Qi and moving softly. One thing he said caught my attention. He said, "In order to develop and feel Qi, one must first feel at peace internally. Otherwise, you will just be going through the motions and will never feel or develop Qi. So, when practicing QiGong and Taiji, just relax and focus your energy internally. Feel at peace with yourself." That blew my mind because its so simple and makes sense. He also said that by feeling at peace internally will eventually lead to a strong sense of Qi and improve our kungfu skills.

Master Yuan and his assistants have told me that my basics are one of the best (Thanks to Sifu Kee) and that I learning quickly. Today, HsuMing (one of the assistants) said the he sees that I have "good kungfu skills" and that he was impressed how quickly I learned Wudang's Jin Bin Quan (I took me one week to learn while it has taken anywhere from 2-3 weeks for most students, twice a day). I approached Master Yuan on Wednesday and asked if I could learn 2 forms (1 kungfu and 1 taiji) at the same time and he said, without hesitation, YES because of my basics. Im one of the only foreigners learning multiple forms. So, in the morning I learn new movements for the kungfu forms, and in the afternoon I learn new taiji movements. I anticipate that I will be finished with Taiji 28 Postures within 1 more week which will leave me the remaining 5 weeks to learn Tai Yi Wu Xian Quan (and 8 minute form when performed correctly). This is the description of the Tai Yi Wu Xian Quan from Master Yuan...

"Tai Ji is originated from the Infinity. It is the originator of the Two Extremes. The Two Extremes comes from the phenomenon of separating Yin and Yang.

Liang Yi Quan is also known as Tai Yi Quan. The practice includes hand, eye, body, steps and explosive internal power. Its characteristics are combination of slow and fast, soft and hard, lightening reflects, and thundering movements. In combat application, it equips one with ways of starting late but reaching first. It is a must for Tai Ji practitioners. In Daoism, it is said that “Tai Ji is formed when combining Yin and Yang; the Two Extremes are formed when separating Yin and Yang.” Infinity is for training in mind, Tai Ji in the flow of internal energy through control of mind, and Liang Yi Quan in using the mind and internal energy for external power. As Liang Yi Quan combines fast and slow, soft and hard, and Yin and Yang, it is called the Two Extremes."

Video journal entries from around China

Here are some video journal entries that I took while traveling around Beijing and on the train. This captures most of my journey so far.

Off to see the Wizard...of Wudang

Journal entry from Sunday....
What a day it has been so far. I spent the morning recovering from a hangover because I stayed up till 3am drinking beer with Ville, Anders and Lars. We spent the evening talking about our country's culture and learning something new from each other. When I awoke up around 9am, my head was pounding and I still felt a little drunk. I thought some breakfast would help but my stomach did not agree. I came back to the room and forced myself to throw up in order to feel better. And it did! I felt like total ass but at least I didn't feel nauseous or have the aching headache. In the afternoon, I checked out of the hostel and hung out in the lobby area until it was time to leave. There I met an italian girl, Carolina, who has been studying chinese for the past 6 months. She told me that in January she will return to China and work for a year for one of the insurance companies in Beijing. I thought that was rather impressive. The cool thing is that she spoke spanish, italian, french, english and now chinese. So we communicated in spanish mostly, but at time she did catch herself asking me questions in italian.

One of the girls at the hostel helped me plan my route to Beijing West Station to catch the train. She told me it would take about 45 minutes on the metro and that I would need to arrive an hour before departure. I took her advice and proceeded on my way around 2pm. As I was walking down the hutong towards the main street, it dawned on me how much I enjoyed the stay in Beijing. Such an interesting culture and the city brings to life all aspects of China, from the modern to the traditional. You see lamas and monks walking down the sidewalks, you kids imitating westerners with blonde hair, the older generation playing chinese chess on the streets, vendors selling caramelized fruit and kabobs, and cyclists merging with ongoing traffic.

When I arrived at the Military Museum Station, I flagged down a taxi driver and pointed to my map. He understood and took me the train station, driving through the hutong and honking his horn at every pedestrian on the street. The entrance to the train station was packed and the taxi driver pointed to area where I needed to go. I strapped on my backpack (which by the way weighs about 18 kilos) made my way through the crowds. One thing about crowds in China, you are either shoving your way through or you are the one being shoved. Masses of people were sitting in the different waiting lounges until their train number was called. I had no idea where to go so I found myself sitting in the McDonalds on the second floor until it was time to board. I again found myself shoving my way through another crowd just to get to the train. Crazy, I tell you.

On Jan's recommendation, he mentioned that the soft sleeper is the way to travel in China. He said the hard sleepers, though 220 yuan cheaper, are not the safest place for westerners because your luggage is out in the open. Also, you can't sleep comfortably because are sharing a car with 66 other people and no privacy. So opted for the soft sleeper when I arranged my ticket a few days ago. I'm so happy I took his advice because I only share a small room with 3 other people and we are closed off to the corridor. I even have a small area where I can store my luggage without fear of having it stolen. There are also vendors that walk the corridor selling beverages, fruits, nuts, snacks and romen noodles. It's almost 11pm now and I've been in my sleeper alone which has been a blessing. Im enjoying the solitude because it gives me the opportunity to read and also update my video journal. I only have 14 more hours before arriving at Wudangshan where someone is supposed to pick me up.

Journal entry from Monday...
Last night a couple joined me in the soft sleeper. I had just turned out the lights and was getting ready for bed when I the door opened. In came this couple and they looked alittle shocked that they were sharing a room with a westerner. I said "ni hao" and they both just starred at me, like was an animal at the zoo. They didn't say a thing; they just put their bags in the over head compartment and laid down. The gentlemen had the top bunk and snored all night long. It was worst the the signature Fleshman snore; I wanted to punch this guy. With only a few hours of deep sleep, I was up at 6am and laid in the my bunk. I was able to sleep for the next 2 hours because the guy woke up and decide to sit in the corridor. The rest of the day I spent either in the corridor or pacing around the train. The couple eventually opened up and the wife said "hello" to me. They even invited me to play cards with them (chinese rummy I believe).

I arrived at Wudangshan at 1249pm and seemed a little lost because Master Yuan said that there would be someone there to pick me up. Welll I walked out of the train station and these 2 women approached me and wanted me to stay at their hostel. They kept insisting and I kept telling them "bu yao" (i dont want that). Then I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was a student from the school. He had a piece of paper with my name on and asked me if I was 'luigi". So we proceeded to walk to the school, which was about a 15 minute walk from the train station. Jian took me into Master Yuan's office and poured me some green tea. We talked about what I came to study and he told me that I would meet Master Yuan later. Jian gave me the training schedule and asked if I wanted to begin today. "Of course," I responded. That's what I came here to do. So at 250pm all the students met in the entrance of the building and we walked together to the temple. I immediately realized that I was not the only foreigner at the academy and that made me feel better. There are about 20 foreigners training anywhere from 1 month to 5 years and from all parts of the world. So the training began with basic stretching and then it was off to line drills. We did the basics for an hour and the next hour is spent on your own, practicing what Sifu has taught you. Since I was the new guy, I had to learn the basic form. They noticed that I had kungfu training and said that I would pick this up quickly, and I did. I learned the entire basic form in a matter of minutes. So over this next week, I will begin learning taiji 28 and then some other forms as well. I will speak with Sifu Yuan and ask him if I can learn the tai yi because I saw these 2 Canadian girls practicing the form and it looked rather interesting. One of the chinese students told me, during the line drills, that my kungfu look strong and I had good form. He was impressed with my style. The cool thing is that I just jumped in the afternoon training like I've been here for months. I can only imagine what my body will feel like after a weeks time here. Training is from 6-7am, 8-10am, and 3-5pm. We have breakfast at 730, lunch at 1230 and dinner at 6pm with a mediation at 8pm. The rest of the time is spent practicing what you learned. We train every day of the week except Thursdays.

Fotos and Video from the previous days

Enjoy

Photos from the Beijing Zoo

Zai jian Beijing...for now

Well, my time in Beijing is coming to an end because tomorrow I take the K279 train south to WudangShan. I embark on a 20 hour train ride to one of the oldest places in China to learn more about taiji and qigong. My stay in Beijing has been a blessing. The hostel and its staff have been extremely helpful and welcoming, especially to someone who doesn't speak the language. In the past seven days, I have traveled to the Great Wall to the Summer Palace and all other glorious sites in Beijing. I have also become accustomed to the spitting (yes, spitting) from the locals. The metro has been my saving grace because I have been able to move around Beijing with ease and able to see as much as the city as possible. I feel at home here in Beijing even though I don't speak the language. The locals are so friendly and when I make eye contact, there is always a friendly gesture and a polite "Ni hao" follows. I noticed how safe this city truly is because I did not notice any crime or see many police around the streets. I think I saw more police in the banks then I did wandering around town.

Today I kept to an easy schedule of arranging my backpack for the train ride and washing some clothes. I know, sounds exciting, doesn't it? I also went to the local market to buy some fruit and snacks for the trip tomorrow. As I was walking down Dongsi Lu, three Tibetan monks approached me and wanted to ask me my name. (I'm kind of a big deal in Beijing...people know me). At first they were speaking in chinese and was able to make out a few phrases like "what is your name". It was a privilege to speak with such holy men on the streets of Beijing. They also wanted to take their photo with me so I happily agreed. I even had them use my camera to capture this wonderful moment. I have to say that this was one of the highlights of my trip. I never expected a Tibetan monk, let alone three of them, wanting to speak with me and take a picture with such a handsome guy...hahahaha.

Tonight I plan on staying around the hostel and chatting with a few of the people I've met over the last few days. I plan on returning to this hostel in January because they have treated me so well. The staff also gave me the nickname "taiji". Every time I walk into the lobby, the girls behind the counter say "Ni hao Taiji". One of them noticed my Wah Lum hoody the other night and asked me if knew kungfu. I told her that I take kungfu and tai chi lessons in the states and she was very impressed. From then on I have been known around the hostel as "Taiji".

So, Xie xie Beijing for such an amazing time in your city. I really love it here and can't wait to return in January for another week before heading home to the states.

Zai jian Beijing...for now...

Kung Fu Pandas

Kung fu Panda style does exist!! I saw it with my own two eyes today at the Beijing Zoo. I met up with my Brazilian friends this morning at the hostel's cafe and we decided to go to the zoo. It's a great value, only 15 yuan to enter plus 10 yuan if you want to see the pandas. I must say these pandas are adorable and they definitely know how to entertain the crowds. I witnessed two of them practicing their kungfu...so panda is a style!!! The Beijing Zoo had so much to offer from various shops and small restaurants to an aquarium located on the north side (110 yuan to enter the aquarium). They had the zoo separated into different sections ranging from australian animals to african animals to nocturnal animals to pheasants and so on. It was easy to navigate throughout this large piece of property.

After the zoo, I spent the day walking around Beijing in search of the silk market. The Brazilians and I found the location only to be disappointed because the silk market had no silk. It was just a large mall that sold knockoffs of Polo, Nike, Puma, etc. It was a "trap" for the tourists. What a disappointment. So we headed 6.2 km back to the hostel on foot passing through Wangfujin again (I love walking through the bizarre food market in Wangfujin). I decided to be the brave and try one of the foods from the local vendors. It was a roll (5 yuan) of sorts...not sure what was inside but I will say it was quite tasty. (Remember, this is the bizarre market, so I could have eaten worms or something like that and not know it). I could have gone for the scropion or the grasshopper but I thought I would be safe with this roll. So far my stomach is ok with it so I don't I'll get sick from the food....hahahaha.

Also this evening I met two more guys from Denmark who are traveling for the next 5 months in Asia (see previous entry). Very interesting guys and we will be heading to Sanilan Tu (bar street) tomorrow evening. This should be an adventure.

Well Im off to sleep now because its waaaaay past my bedtime. Good night and good fight!

Summer Palace

Just some photos...no journal this time. It's too late and Im sitting in the cafe with some new friends from Denmark enjoying TsingTao.

Summer Palace fotos...check them out.