Rovere.com

[nianfong]

http://www.rovere.com/training/taiji.pdf
near the end will be the statement about who the writing was for. the very last bit, by the chop will be the writer's name.

it's hard to make out...　should be the upper left-most line. the line just to the right says it's celebrating something, and the last word of that line says 奉 which means "to present".

that upper left most line says something like:
绱　（ｓｈａｎｇ４）　ｏｒ　響　（ｘｉａｎｇ３）
武
吾
九
雅
（ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ)

the last few words don't make any sense, but the first 2 are probably the colonel's given name. probably xiang3 wu3, though I don't know if those cahracters are right.

wuyizidi would have better luck than me. my grass script reading is not too good.

[nianfong]

http://www.rovere.com/training/taiji.pdf
near the end will be the statement about who the writing was for. the very last bit, by the chop will be the writer's name.

it's hard to make out...　should be the upper left-most line. the line just to the right says it's celebrating something, and the last word of that line says 奉 which means "to present".

that upper left most line says something like:
绱　（ｓｈａｎｇ４）　ｏｒ　響　（ｘｉａｎｇ３）
武
吾
九
雅
（ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ)

the last few words don't make any sense, but the first 2 are probably the colonel's given name. probably xiang3 wu3, though I don't know if those cahracters are right.

wuyizidi would have better luck than me. my knowledge of the formal forms is not too good.

[edededed]

Hmm - thanks for trying, interesting. I thought the first might be 常 or maybe 尚, but yours look closer... Was hoping the second was a strange way to (somehow) write hsiang, but, no banana, I guess.

[Muad'dib]

It's funny, but I think if the situations were reversed, none of the people involved would have hesitated to jump all the fuck over Omar. I think Mr. Rovere should get a fairly large level of respect for being understanding of the "whys" behind Omar's statement.

[DeusTrismegistus]

I am glad things worked out and we can all be a big happeh family

[edededed]

Don't mention "Happeh"...

[rovere]

Thank you very much for the apology, I really appreciate it. To clarify what others have been trying to read on the scroll.

Xiang -- has several meanings such as: admire or longing; looking forward
Wu - martial

The other characters no one can read say literally "My big brother, graciously read" This is a term of respect used by classically educated older Chinese.

By the way please stop saying I don't know any Chinese. I studied both mandarin and oracle bone translations as part of my degree in archaeology. My wife is Chinese and my father-in- law was a published poet and teacher of Chinese literature and history. I admit that my Italian and English and French are much better but I have a knowledge of both mandarin and cantonese.

[rovere]

I forgot to address the "gung an question". The back of the gi actually says "#1 Police Tae Kwon Do" -- referring to the fact the Shanghai academy is the #1 Police academy (i.e., designated as opposed to "we are the best"). Only one instructor actually claimed to know TKD, but it was not taught at the academy when I was there - they taught among other things, sanda. (However, I do have approx. 100 photos of me getting twisted up and on the ground in chinna class .) Also, if you notice, none of the students in the background are wearing gi's -- they are wearing Chinese uniforms.

I have scanned a clear picture of the writing on the back of the gi from one of the photos. As well, I scanned a photo showing clearly the Chinese flag on the left sleeve and the Public security patch on the left breast of the uniform (from several hundred photos I have plenty to choose from.) For all non-believers I also scanned the business card of my contact at the time-- Vice-Principal of the Academy.

I have plenty of info on my contacts in Beijing and Anhui (I still keep in close contact with the Anhui government boys).

Just because I had the opportunity to do something you didn't doesn't mean I'm a fraud. If people still think I am full of shit, regarding this matter I can post those photos on my website.

Enough said on my part.

[Darthwing Teorist]

It is good to see a conflict being resolved peacefully and relatively politely.

[nianfong]

oh, 吾兄, 雅 (something)

[Wuyizidi]

Fong,

The top portion of last line reads "嚮武吾兄雅瞻" - "Xiang4 Wu3 my older brother [to] peruse [in] elegant leisure". The end inscription starts on the line to its right. The entire inscription reads "[hand] copy of Essence of Thirteen Posture Practice Explained hereby offered to Xiang4 Wu3 my older brother [to] peruse [in] elegant leisure.

兄 - in everyday usage, you can refer to a friend who is older as "older brother".
雅 - elegance, here elegant leisure, is used a lot in inscription for gifts. For example my grandfather has a fan that is a gift from his students, and the word used there is 雅玩 (wan2 - play). Also, things like books, painting, calligraphy, fans are symbols of cultural refinement.
瞻 - classical Chinese meaning to look. In this context it means to casually look, peruse. This is a copy of a famous Taiji Quan classic. Therefore in theory, it's something that the master/expert receiving it should be very familiar with. So it's not something new for him to study very seriously, carefully. Rather, it's something that he has long treasured inside, now presented externally in a aesthetically pleasant form he can appreciate in his leisure.


Wuyizidi.

[ashe]

Fong,

The top portion of last line reads "嚮武吾兄雅瞻" - "Xiang4 Wu3 my older brother [to] peruse [in] elegant leisure". The end inscription starts on the line to its right. The entire inscription reads "[hand] copy of Essence of Thirteen Posture Practice Explained hereby offered to Xiang4 Wu3 my older brother [to] peruse [in] elegant leisure.

兄 - in everyday usage, you can refer to a friend who is older as "older brother".
雅 - elegance, here elegant leisure, is used a lot in inscription for gifts. For example my grandfather has a fan that is a gift from his students, and the word used there is 雅玩 (wan2 - play). Also, things like books, painting, calligraphy, fans are symbols of cultural refinement.
瞻 - classical Chinese meaning to look. In this context it means to casually look, peruse. This is a copy of a famous Taiji Quan classic. Therefore in theory, it's something that the master/expert receiving it should be very familiar with. So it's not something new for him to study very seriously, carefully. Rather, it's something that he has long treasured inside, now presented externally in a aesthetically pleasant form he can appreciate in his leisure.


Wuyizidi.

damn you the man!

[nianfong]

wuyizidi was always the man thanks a lot man. I knew that last part had to be a "typical" line of respect. and that xiang4 word is pretty obscure, I've never seen it before.

so mr rovere's teacher was 張嚮武 zhang1 xiang4 wu3

Omar, this is clearly not your grandteacher's name.

-Fong

[ashe]

wuyizidi was always the man thanks a lot man.

QFT

[cerebus]

Waitta minute, I thought Wuyizidi was a woman...... ?