China 2019 - Day 21, Wednesday, 7th August When arriving at the school in China, I squirmed a little when asked what my profession was. I felt a little awkward coming to the land of tai chi and telling them I was a tai chi instructor! I quickly added the suffix - "but I come … Continue reading Day 21 – Empty Your Cup
Tag: china summer 2019
China 2019 - Day 20, Tuesday, 6th AugustThe temperature has soared back up but I do love the training here in a humid 37C, which is said to feel more like 42C today according to my phone app! One thing I like about martial arts is that you train for imperfection, and when situations are … Continue reading Day 20 – Strength Within
China 2019 - Day 19, Monday, 5th August 2019 This is now my last full week of training (as well as two days next week) before a day and a half in Hong Kong, where I will fly home from next Friday. One of the great things about being a full time martial arts instructor … Continue reading Day 19 – Going Solo
China 2019 - Day 18, Sunday, 4th AugustLast night I awoke to a banging and scratching at my door. I've seen enough horror films to know that I should only tentatively open my door - but there was Hotpot, who let herself in and slept on my floor for the night! Think I have got … Continue reading Day 18 – The Tao of Brexit
China 2019 - Day 17.5, Saturday, 3rd AugustThere is sometimes a little bit of confusion as to what the difference between tai chi, tai chi chuan, taiji, and taijiquan is. They are all the Romanisation of the Hanzi script - just a different standard. The Wade-Giles system was developed in the mid 19th century by … Continue reading Day 17.5 – A Quick Mandarin Lesson
China 2019 - Day 17, Saturday, 3rd August 2019My day off this week began early with a 3 hour bike ride north along the Yulong river. I don't think I will ever tire of the majestic scenes of mountains, river, and rice fields. It's simply stunning. Although, you may be tiring of my photos by … Continue reading Day 17 – Making Mistakes
China 2019 - Day 16, Friday, 2nd August As I have mentioned in previous blogs, pushing hands has been a very big feature of the training here. All the way from very gentle movements to feel your opponent's energy and momentum, to tai chi wrestling where you are trying to push or pull your opponent … Continue reading Day 16 – Who are you competing against?
China 2019 - Thursday, 1st August Today has been a good solid day of training in classes and then a couple of hours push hands with Master Ping this evening. I have also had the chance to do a lot of training on my own, which is really important for progress. Over the hours, weeks, … Continue reading Day 15 – Rewards of Solitude
China 2019 - Day 14, Wednesday, 31st July As Yin transformed to Yang this morning, I was witness to a stunning sunrise over Guanxi, from the top of Xianggong Mountain (Husband Mountain!). Myself, three others from the tai chi school, and a throng of Chinese tourists with cameras bigger than my car and more complex … Continue reading Day 14 – A New Day…Every Day