Kung Fu Tai Chi Winter 2019

I have always cherished the diversity within the martial arts world. We have readers from all walks of life - young and old, women and men, rich and poor, educated and illiterate…well, maybe not completely illiterate because after all, magazines are meant to be read. We get all sides of the political spectrum too - Democrats and Republicans, right and left, capitalist and communist, patriots and rebels, majorities and oh so many minorities. Given the influence of Kung Fu Tai Chi and KungFuMagazine.com upon my own personal social media, this martial diversity exposes me to a constant stream of antagonistic political rants, especially on my facebook feed. It’s disconcerting, but I take some solace in the fact that the bulk of the flame wars seem to have migrated there and…

The 1st World University Wushu Championships, held August 2–5, 2018, in Macau, was the first of its kind. The hosting organization was the International University Sports Federation (FISU), which hosted the 29th Summer Universaide held last summer in Taipei, Taiwan. The Summer Universaide is second only to the Olympics in terms of size scale, so having Wushu included in its Games is tremendous. Last year Wushu made its debut in the games and this year they held their own championships (a requirement for sports in non-Unverisaide years). Twenty-five countries and a total of 104 athletes participated in the championships this year in Macau. Representatives from the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) and FISU were on hand to watch the event, hopefully impressing them enough to see a future Wushu in these…

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?59403 Kung Fu Bullfighters Bullfighting is a Kung Fu training method practiced by the Hui (Chinese Muslims) in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province that allegedly dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Called guanniu (掼牛), the bull is not killed like in Spanish bullfighting. It is wrestled to the ground akin to Steer Wrestling (Bulldogging) in American Rodeo. The main distinction is that instead of having two mounted cowboys run the bull down so one can jump on it, the Kung Fu practitioner wrestles alone the bull from the ground. The notion of a martial arts master fighting a bull evokes Grandmaster Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate, who knocked bulls out in demonstrations. Guanniu was revitalized by Han Haihua when he gave a demonstration at the 1982 National Games in China. It…

Between June 27 and July 5, 2018, the 5th Annual Chen Zhenglei Tai Chi Symposium and 20th Annual International Tai Chi Advanced Workshop, and the 8th Annual Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu Elite Tournament, took place in Chenjiagou, Wenxian County, Henan Province, China—birthplace of Tai Chi and of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei. The event was expanded to include a lavish celebration of the grandmaster’s 70th birthday. An estimated 2500 people attended throughout the week to celebrate, compete, test, and train. People came from Mexico, Peru, Spain, Iran, France, Germany, Canada, USA, Singapore, Great Britain, as well as all over China. June 28 was the first full day. Anticipating a very hot day, the first events began early, starting with the Ceremony to Honor the Ancestors at the Chenjiagou Temple, followed just down…

The 7th World Junior Wushu Championships was held July 9 to 16, 2018, in Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. Marking the first time this biennial event has been held in the Americas, it was very well received. The event opened with a special welcoming ceremony featuring speeches by Mr. Marcus Alves, President of the Brazilian Wushu Confederation; Mr. Leandro Cruz, Sport Minister of Brazil; and Mr. Daniel Dionisio Madeira, President of Brasilia Wushu Federation. “It was clear how much these championships meant to our Brazilian hosts,” said Eugene Moy, USA Taolu Coach. “Their dedication and tireless work left a lasting impression on us. In return I hope we, the participants of the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships, have done our part to show the Brazilian public a good and…

IN 2018, the longstanding San Francisco Bay Area annual Northern California Chinese Culture-Athletes Federation (NCCCAF) tournament joined forces with Grandmaster Lily Lau’s Eagle Claw Cup. The tournament was held on August 11 at James Logan High School in Union City, California. In his welcoming speech, Master Ben Zhang, Director of the Wushu for the NCCCAF, said, “As the ‘soul’ of Chinese traditional culture, Kung Fu has become one of the most important cultural bridges, connecting people from countries across the world.” Grandmaster Lily Lau reciprocated in her welcoming speech, saying, “Since 2009, the NCCCAF has been hosting this tournament to promote Chinese martial arts and culture. This provides a perfect chance for all Chinese martial artists from around the world to compete, share knowledge, meet old friends and make new…