shanghai

[mixjourneyman]

Thank you Antony! I certainly will give you a call. I appreciate your advice

[shawnsegler]

not giving out last names in public just for safety reasons)

What's up with that, Mix?

I personally think everyone should post their full name. People get all psycho when they get to hide behind some pseudonym. I'm agin it.

And safety? Do you think someone might try to get ahold of you and touch you in your naughty place or something?

Safety...lolz.

Best,

S

[gzregorz]

Also Jarek told me about some heavy duty Muslim Xinyi or Tongbei guys way out in Pudong.

I also met some sambo thugs who told me that the have some good boxing at the gym near the Shanghai stadium.

Be sure to meet with Antony, he can show who has got the goods.

And remember KFC rocks!

[DPG]

Hey Mix. I'll be down to meet up. I also see Shanghai J regularly, so I'll give him the heads up when your in!

[mixjourneyman]

Shawn: Its mainly for if employers google my name. I don't want them to find out that I'm totally insane before they hire me

Gzregorz: Nice, thanks.

DPG: That sounds really cool. I can't wait to meet up with you and Jay

[Haoran]

Mix, Shanghai is the BOMB. Dude.. you have a lot of resources there Danny DPG, Shanghai Jay, Jarek, and more. I love it there and wish I were there now.

In addition to the above resorces you can check out my Bagua teacher. Ming Qianbo.
http://www.youtube.com/user/baguabill#p/u/4/tvU-pfVH5TQ

Contact me for more info if interested.

Good luck and have a great time!!

Oh, also, I studied mandarin in Shanghai and my wife, who is from Shanghai, speaks perfect manderin. No problem with learning Mandarin there.

One other thing, Shanghai Normal university is, IMO, the best school in Shanghai for learning Mandarin. You are hooked up!!

The only problem I think you might have is not wanting to leave

Best

[shawnsegler]

I hear you can get killer soup dumplings there too.

S

[mixjourneyman]

Haoran, thanks a lot! I like your teacher's videos

Shawn: love dumplings!!!!

[Michael]

Forum member Yuen Ming published a book written by Wang Bo, Songi Pai Internal Boxing of Siming (四明松溪派內家拳), who is a skillful taijiquan practitioner of many years (I have never met him and can't read the book in Chinese, so I am just reporting this, but YM knows who's who, so...). I am not certain if Wang Bo is teaching publicly in Shanghai, but the book shows him with a group of students in several pictures, including furriners. The following was scanned (OCR) from the English translation of the author's biography, pp. 166-168

On thirteenth of august 1937, Japanese army invaded Shanghai, I was five years old then. In order to escape from them, my family hurriedly went to the mountainous area of Siming Shan in the Zhejiang province. There I was confided to to my grand-mother, an extremely pious woman. Immediately she asked the monk that took care of the temple of the area, the Teng Dai Shi temple, to accept me as disciple. That event marked my life for ever. That monk was Master Huilian. He was among other things direct heir to a very old descendants of boxers called " Siming Songxi Pai Neijia Quan", the internal boxing style of the descendants of Songxi from Siming. Most of their practising were renowned for their longevity. It was not so rare that they live over a hundred years... Huilian himself was already over ninety years old and, during our hard training sessions, daily demonstrated that he was still capable of exceptional physical feats. So he became my "Shifu", master-father, and taught me, in addition to internal boxing, the martial artist's fundamental virtues and also meditation, Qi Gong, calligraphy ... and gave me the Buddhist name "Yuanxiu", source of perfection. In this way, I stayed beside him training hard to satisfy his extreme demands. I had to repeat every movement until I got its essential comprehension. Every technique had to be integrated so that its execution became as natural as the respiration that goes with it. In that way, millimetre by millimetre, I acquired the entire knowledge of the style:

— "Ji Ben Gong", basic posture exercises or stretching exercises
— "Qing Gong", lightness exercises
— "Tie Bu Shan", iron shirt
— "Dian Xue", strikes on vital points
— "San Shou 108", a compilation of a hundred and eight techniques to
work first one by one, then linked in the form of a taolu, a continuous series or enchainement
— "Ge Shou", empty-hand counter-attacks, thirty-six movements to practise with a partner
— "Yun Xing Quan", cloudy shape boxing, ninety-nine and thirty-six, series of movements for the form of the body and for health (the ninety-nine movements are those presented in this work)

At the same time, I learned from Huilian's friend Tiny Dust, "Yi Chen", a Taoist monk. He taught me the handling of the thirteenth pilgrim stick, "Shi San Bian", the three forms of the Wudang sword, "Wudang Jian Yi, Er, San Lu" as well as the fan of the carefree attitude from Sirninq. "Siming Xiao Yao San". That time of study period and monastic life was prolonged during eight years.

On 1945, set off on the road to go to meet my master's brother in practice, I got lost on my way and was took in by a "Xiang Ma", a kind of traveling brigand, named Zhang Song Shan, the Monkey King. This last-mentioned became in a way my adoptive father. He was an expert in external boxing style, formerly called "Chang Quan" boxing or long boxing style. With him I learned various reinforcement techniques as the "Tie Bu Shan", the iron shirt, the"ling Zhong Zhao", the specific reinforcement of the head and of the genitals but also the" Di Tang Quan", the tumble boxing style, the" Hou Quan", the monkey boxing style and the "Xiang Ma Dao", the brigand's sabre. He trained me to the" Pal Da", fight and combat too.

On 1949, at the time of the communist troops power-taking, we were compelled to abandon our den and to scatter. Then I could go back to the Siming area in order to see my master again, the monk Huilian. I stayed with him during six months during which he could bring to me the needed corrections to my practice of the internal style, But already weary of his earthly life, the master hoped to withdraw in isolation to leave this world in peace. He passed away meditating after a long fast in 1952. He was a hundred and six years old. As for me, following the advice of Zhang Song Shan, I went to Shanghai with a letter of recommendation for Master Doung Zhongyi. He was an expert with whom I could practice the "Tan Tui Shi Er Lu", twelve leg techniques, the "Tongbei Quan", boxing of the strength that go through the back and also improve myself in the art of "Qi Na", the dislocation techniques.

Meanwhile, the Monkey King met us. He was forced to hide and I had to meet all his needs. I transferred half my salary of police instructor to him. Despite all my efforts the situation became too dangerous for him and he was obliged to go back on the road. Hardly disturbed not to have been able to help more this man that did so many things for me in the past, exhausted by overwork due to work and training I fell badly ill.

It's in these conditions that I met a doctor that practiced "Taiji Quan", supreme top boxing style. I was very astonished by certain similarities with my practice of the" Neijia Quan", particularly the search for muscular loosening. As soon as my state of health allowed me to, I decided to explore that new path.

The Master and doctor Yuan Tiejing agreed to initiate me to the Yang style of "Taiji Quan" and to "Tuishou", the pushing hands techniques and also to the theory of the Chinese medicine and its application in the use of the pharmaceuticals, acupuncture and massage, He also demonstrated me that the "Qi" developed through practice can be use for curatives purposes.

After that the meetings followed on. At first Master Jiang Rongqiao from whom I was given" BaGua Zhang", the palm of the eight trig rams, and the "Xingyi Quan", boxing style of the intention's form, ancestor of the "Xingyi Quan", boxing on the intention of the heart that is widespread nowadays. Then, thanks to my friend, the famous practising and historian Gu Liuxin, I was introduced in Beijing at Chen Fake's place, seventeenth generation of the Chen's Clan from whom I learned the forms "Yi l.u". first path and "Er l.u". second path or "Pao Chui", cannon fist and the characteristic "Tuishou" of his style.

For the Yang style, I also followed Tian Zhaolin, disciple of Yang Shaohou, Zhang Haidong, disciple of Chen Weiming and Zhang Mingyu, second generation of Yang Chenfu.

Afterwards, I learned with the old teacher Gu Ziliang, disciple of Wu Jianquan, the founder of the Wu style of "Taiji Quan", the Taoist "Qi Gong", the game of the five animals and also the whole Wu style of "Taiji Quan": empty hands, sabre, sword and pole.

But the year 1959 was a new real outstanding turn in my life of research. I had heard about a Master that practised an out of the ordinary "Taiji" and that had seen through the mysteries of the "Hua Jing", energy of transformation. This Master was Chang Yunjie who had received from his father the transmission of the old form of the Mandchou Quanyou, himself disciple of Yang Luchan. Until his dead ten years later, I went without a break thoroughly into all the aspects of the "Quanyou Laojia", old Quanyou's form, as well the energetic as the martial aspects: "Tuishou". "Sanshou", hands separation, close combat or ground fighting.

Today, approaching the seventy-five years old, although I still daily revise the Chen and Yang styles, the" Bagua" and the "Xingyi", the heart of my practise remains the "Neijla Quan" and the "Quanyou Laojia" whose principles are similar on a lot of aspects. However my standard is still inadequate and it's with the hope of being able to keep on improving that I present here my modest experience.


publisher's information:
http://www.daoistresources.com
ISBN: 978-988-99288-0-3
Three-In-One-Press

[Yuen-Ming]

In case anybody is around I'll be in Shanghai and actually visiting Wang Bo on Mach 12-13

Best

YM

[Michael]

One of the best things about RSF is meeting people face-to-face, so if you're curious about CMA history and peeps, YM has done a lot of primary research. 'Nuff said

[Slim]

...miss China.

[mixjourneyman]

Got my nomination from the university today.
Looks like as long as nothing serious goes wrong in the next four months I will be going to Shanghai.
This is a good thing

[Haoran]

I am envious. Your Uni is right close to ZhongShan park. Line 3, and line 2 subway lines. If you need any other help be sure to ask. Oh, here's one for ya, I always carried a book back around my neck. Kept a roll of TP in there as well as Stall Door Hooks. Often times there is nothing to hang your coat or bag or whatever when attending bathroom duties. This is especially important in the winter months.

There is a group of Wu stylists that meet in People's park on the weekends, a popular Xingyi guy in Zhongshan park, LuXun park is cool to see as well on the weekends (on Dalian road across from SISU).

Need any help let us know.

Have fun!!

[mixjourneyman]

Thanks for all the helpful info!

If it is ok, I would like to contact you to get more info about Shanghai in general