Kung Fu Tai Chi Summer 2019

One of the many benefits of being part of the Chinese martial arts is our community. We’ve coined a term from fiction for it – Wulin (武林) – which literally means ‘martial forest’. The Wulin cuts across race, nationality, social class, gender, political parties and practically all other affiliations. It unifies us all under the banner of our art. And if you’re in it for life, it even crosses time. When our Publisher Emeritus Gigi Oh heard that Grandmaster Fu Qingquan was coming as part of the Belt and Road tour (see page 20), she got very excited because they befriended each other a quarter century ago. I didn’t know him, but I knew of his grandfather’s reputation, so Gigi suggested that I interview him. It became this issue’s cover story…

I love going to tournaments and seeing the school pride amongst teams. Competitors, families, and their friends all sit together and cheer each other on. Most stay long after their individual divisions are completed, hanging out all day with their teammates to support those with later competition times. Many schools are great about promoting team spirit. Their students and their families are all wearing uniforms, jackets, and shirts with the team and school logos. It’s very bonding and it’s a great way to promote your school. Whether you’re a school owner or a school student, every martial arts school is a private enterprise, so if you want your school to thrive, you must help it be economically viable. This means you should support it not just with your own tuition fees,…

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71174-Qigong-Regulation The Oklahoma Qigong Practice Act Last January, Tulsa Republican Senator Dave Rader introduced Senate Bill 190, the “Oklahoma Qigong Practice Act.” The bill proposes to establish the Oklahoma Board of Qigong (OBQ) which would oversee licenses for anyone offering Qigong as a cure for medical conditions. In the bill, Qigong is defined “as practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and classic Chinese medicine (CCM) modalities included under the umbrella of qigong for the therapeutic purpose of promoting, maintaining and restoring health, including the treatment of dysfunctions of the body involving pain, but not to include the practice of acupuncture or martial arts.” This would impact Qigong teachers with a $300 licensing fee, and violations could incur fines up to $5000. http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71188-Jackie-Chan-Green-Hero Jackie Chan: Green Hero Jackie Chan has long been a champion of environmental…

November 23–26, 2018: The Philippine Kong Han Martial Arts Club hosted the 29th annual convention of the International South Shaolin Wu Chu Chuan Federation in Manila, drawing 220 foreign delegates from Australia, China, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sweden, Taiwan, France, Singapore, USA, Vietnam and the home country Philippines. In cooperation with the Philippine Department of Tourism, they experienced the holiday Christmas spirit as well as Philippine culture, food, hospitality, history, and folk dances. Held at the Rizal Park Hotel, the convention officially inducted new Federation Chairman Abbot Shi Chang Ding (also Chief Abbot of Quanzhou Shaolin Temple). The convention also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Philippine Kong Han Martial Arts Club. Thanks to club chairman Eric Go Kaw, Grandmaster Henry Lo, and all the officers and members of…

From February 7–19, 2019, the American leg of the The Belt and Road China Tai Chi Culture World Tour visited three major metropolises: Silicon Valley, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Five illustrious masters demonstrated and taught Tai Chi at two-day workshops in each city. This World Tour was in Europe in February and March of 2018. It held workshops in Berlin, Budapest, Venice and Vienna, attracting students from Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Peru, Poland, Russia, Spain, and the Netherlands. The Tai Chi masters who came to the United States included Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei (Cover Master July 1999, 9th Duan recipient and one of the “Four Great Buddhist Warriors (si da jingang 四大金刚)" of Chen Tai Chi), Grandmaster Yang Jun (Cover Master May+June 2015, 7th Duan recipient…

ON March 23 and 24, the 27th Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament was hosted by the University of California Martial Arts Program at UC Berkeley. This year’s CMAT was dedicated to the late Grandmaster Wong Jackman (see page 28). “Wong Jackman was, of course, one of my teachers,” revealed Sifu Bryant Fong, CMAT Tournament Chair and head coach of Cal Wushu. “He was from Hong Kong originally and graduated from Jing Wu Academy. I went to learn from him because I injured my shoulder. I tore my rotator cuff. The doctors told me, ‘You can’t ever do anything again.’ This was in my late twenties. Used to be I couldn’t even lift my arm. So I went to see him about learning Tai Chi. After two years of Tai Chi,…