Training in the Park

Training in the Park
21-05-2008
Location: Beijing
Written by Koen van Westbroek, translated by Ester van Dam
All pictures except last 2 by koen van Westbroek

ofcourse we do a lot more the shopping and sightseeing. We came to China to train with Xu Laoshi in TianTan park.
The day usually starts with greeting our teacher and the other students, then it is time for stretching, usually followed by Qi Gong. Xu Laoshi often checks our hands and/or legs after Qi Gong to see if they are nicely red and warm. Then he will decide what we are going to do that day.

The things we train are:


• The eight postures


This excist of walking in circles around a tree holding our hands in different postures. There are 8 postures and per posture you have to walk both left and right way around the tree. This is mostly to build up strength, relaxation and body structure.

• The eight palms
With this execise we walk again around a tree, only less circles in only one posture. The focus is on changing directions, the changes exist out of several technique that exist of punches, kicks,pushes etc.followed in a sequence

• Chen Style TaiChi 24 Form
Unfortunately we do this not often enough. It is a shortened form from the Chen Style TaiChi system. This system characteristics are its fluent movements and the use of Fa li= explosive force in the forms.
• A Bagua Form (Sipingquan)
This is a straightlined Bagua form, without any of the characteristic circle walking. We did not have enough time to learn the whole form so I (Koen) have only been able to learn a small part. Hopefully Ester will learn more, so when she returns can show me the rest. I definitely want to keep practicing this for the next time.

• Push hands (Tui Shou)

We practice a lot of push hands. We have been shown many techniques but also engage in free push hands with the students of Xu Laoshi. The students I had to push against are becoming bigger and better all the time. Xu Laoshi wants us to push according to the Dutch competition rules. Chinese style push hands allows almost anything you can throw, move, grab and apply qinna (joint locks).


We can see that the Chinese students find all these rules pretty strange and now and then couldn’t help it to use a small joint lock. I find Chinese style push hands much more interesting so on Sunday I started pushing back according to the Chinese rules. My opponents were very enthusiastic and it became a totally different game. I flew through the air several times and landed on the floor.



That it can be a bit rough was shown by my arm that evening. It was portraying all possible shades of blue.
On the photo you can see what can happen when you do an afternoon of Chinese style push hands..

Too bad it was the last training day for Natasja, Maarten and me. There is a saying goodbye dinner planned at Xu Laoshi’s house on the last evening. Ester has the luck that she stays two more weeks