Departure
from the Akron/Canton Airport
A View of
the Great Wall
Zhen Hai Kou: The Guardian
of Baji Country
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Introduction
On July 1, students
of the Wu Tang Center for Martial Arts, led by their teacher, Master
Tony Yang, embarked on an extensive Year 2000 tour of China. Accepting
Master Yangís invitation to travel with our Wu Tang school were also
two students from the Center of Body-Mind Harmony of Tallmadge, Ohio.
The trip was initially organized to attend the Qingdao Martial Arts
Tournament. However, the 16-day excursion included a 3,000-mile plus
trek through the Hebei, Henan, Shandong, and An Hui provinces. Stops
included Cangzhou, home of the baji/pigua martial arts system, Xulu
village in the Henan province, home of the Chen Qing-zhou (old style
Chen taijiquan), and the majestic setting of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)
in the An Hui province.
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Cangzhou, Hebei Province
Entering the
Cangzhou Temple |
After
a hearty meal in our Beijing hotel and a good nightís sleep, the next
morning some of the group headed out for a tour of China'í Great Wall,
Badaling section. Others reconnected with close friends residing and visiting
Beijing. That night food was taken at the famous Beijing Quan Ju De Kao
Ya Zi restaurant. Kao ye zi is the famous Beijing Duck and is the "specialty"
of the house.
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The Temple
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Grandpa
in the Back Area of the Temple
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Painting
of the Temple
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Another Painting of
the Temple |
Master
Yang and Formal Student Bob Figler Showing Basic Baji Posture |
Master Yang Demonstrates
Baji Postures |
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Early
the next morning the journey to Baji country began. Cang County, Hebei
province, is the home place of our Grandmaster, the late general, Liu
Yun-Qiao. As we entered into the Hebei province, on of the first cities
we passed was Tianjin. Tianjin is a heavily industrialized city with a
special significance for the students of Master Yang. It was here, in
1936, that GM Liu soundly defeated a champion Japanese swordsman. This
incident helped establish GM Liuís martial arts prowess among many of
the elderly martial arts masters of the region. |
Group
Picture of Baji Posture |
After driving for many hours,
we arrived at Cangzhou, Hebei province, and visited the famous Lion,
Zhen Hai Kou and temple. Zhen Hai Kou is one who controls (suppresses
the demons) of the harbor, meaning that the lion is somewhat of a protector
of the area. The area is a tough place, reminiscent of Luke Skywalkerís
childhood home (Star Wars). There is a saying in the region that
if the men of the village are not available to take up your martial
arts challenge the women would be more than glad to stand in.
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