My Wushu Blog

The Beijing Wushu Team are getting ready for a small performance, so we all stayed to watch. I wasn’t sure if taking photo’s was allowed, but then I noticed Patti was recording it. The only problem with this demo is that our classes have been moved from 9am ( which I originally thought was unbearable ) to 8am ( which literally is hell ). So it’s an early bedtime for all of us.

Li Neung Miao laughing at us for taking his picture

"Tiger" (they say thats his name) doing a neat straight sword set

Wu Di getting ready to do his cool spear set ( which appearently I am unable to capture properly )

Yang Bei Bei's broadsword set ( she's the one who taught some of us the souther broadsword set )

LNM making as many people as deaf as possible

mike Wushu China Trip, Shi Cha Hai, Wushu

It has been a very nice weekend to recover, plus the Beijing Team is back from their competition so Wu Di has been attached to Mark’s hip. Its pretty funny to watch those two. So besides lots of resting up, we’ve gone to a few nice places to eat, went to a VERY large electronic’s “store”

The Fry's of Beijing

Which resembles a large computer show in the US, except all day every day and the store is 5 stories high. After that we went weapon shopping:

Wu Di was translating and giving recommendations

back to eating

The Chinese food here is of course very good, and they have a lot of lamb, so far the best is kabob style with I think a curry spice. Very good.

We also had He Jingde visit us, he retired from the Beijing Team around 2000, now he’s in Las Vegas performing in “Ka”.

Two very talented wushu athletes

mike Wushu China Trip, Shi Cha Hai, Wushu

Not much happend yesterday (minus the very extreme training), but tonight we went out to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe,

Shahuab cannot take a normal picture

nothing else besides that, so check here for more: http://www.m87-blackhole.org/photos/China+Trip+06/page/3/

mike Wushu China Trip, Collin, Hard Rock Cafe, Shahuab, Shi Cha Hai

The internet connection here has been down for the last full day, but not much besides training anyways.

It was kind of odd to first walk in the main wushu hall, it felt like I was walking onto a movie set. I’ve watched countless wushu clips of the Beijing team in that same location. Practice was good, we do one morning class (9am – 11:30) everyday, then we alternate an evening (7:30pm – 9 ) and afternoon ( 2:30pm – 5:30 ) every other day. Its grueling, really hot, but at least when we walk outside, its nice and refreshing.

So mostly we practice, eat, sleep, practice, eat sleep… Most of out class went to shopping, Mark, Johnny and I stayed behind to have another class to learn a new southern broadsword set.

Coach Zhang and Patti practicing Pushing Hands

This is where we stay, its like a greenhouse

they're even growing rice

other pictures can be viewed here: http://www.m87-blackhole.org/photos/China+Trip+06/

mike Wushu China Trip, mark, Shi Cha Hai, Wushu

Hurray, Beijing!

Shi Cha Hai, a sports institute

The flight from SFO was pretty boring, and long, but I had a very hyper 4 year old sitting in front of me to keep me awake. Her name was Odelia, and it took 5 attempts to get a picture of her since she thought it was a game.

4 hours of peek a boo

I dont think she stopped moving the entire flight, she was constantly peeking over and giggling at me.

I arrived at the school (Shi Cha Hai) around 8pm, and everyone there was pretty happy to see that I showed up. So we went out to eat and then I went to bed.

The room I shared with Mark

Sunday some of us went to the Great Wall, it had been nice and cloudy since I got here, so it was pretty humid and warm but the smog and overcast kept the bright sun to a minimal. I only feel a little crispy.

This is concidered a 'clear day'

I was also amused with this large ant

Big Ant

Patti then took us shopping at a large mall, but I forgot my camera; no pictures available. It was a nice mall but a lot of the stores have strange way of checking you out. First, you tell the sales associate what you want, then they fill out a little form which you give to a cashier ( usually a small distance away). The cashier inspects the form, takes your money, stamps the form (giving you two carbon copies), and then you can go back to the sales associate. Once you show them your reciept they then give you the desired item(s).

other pictures can be viewed here: http://www.m87-blackhole.org/photos/China+Trip+06/

mike Wushu China Trip, Shi Cha Hai, the great wall, Wushu