ISSUE QUARTERLY
JOURNAL OF WUSHU IN 01 AUSTRALIA JULY Wushu Herald
AUGUST ISSN 2202-8137 SEPTEMBER
2 0 1 3
What’s inside Australian Our community news Wushu Calendar events Community From the Board Portal World news
The new Wushu Herald
which replaces Wushu News Tai Chi Series: Juming Museum, Taiwan is our contribution to the
Wushu community in
Australia.
We hope that it will continue Wushu * Tai Chi * Kung Fu * Qigong
to be the source of
information and education about Wushu, in all its forms. Dear Wushu and Tai Chi practitioners, locations and discover (or re-discover) the beauty of As a platform for sharing the nature and the path of Tao. Alternatively you might welcome to the first edition of our new thoughts, ideas, experiences decide to test yourself at the competitive international
and achievements we hope Australian Wushu publication! Wushu/Tai Chi stage or see others doing so. If so, you
will find the information about some of the forthcoming it will foster open discussion, domestic and international Wushu/Tai Chi events in facilitate the finding of We are very excited about this new publication! And this newsletter very interesting and valuable. common ground and help us we hope that our readers will be excited too as we all grow stronger together. want to share the information and the stories with the We would like you to know about people’s
whole Wushu community. achievements and aspirations, see them going through
transformations and tests and help them. It is our During the last three months quite a few things community that we are interested in, our similarities happened in Australia and internationally – you will find and uniqueness that makes us strong. We want to the information and reports on some of them such as hear your views & stories regarding your or perhaps the Hong Kong competition in May inside this issue as your colleague or friends’ Wushu/Tai Chi practice & usual. skills. Many of you would have made New Year resolutions Do you have something important to say about our earlier in the year. If your resolutions included setting field of interest? Do you have a story to tell or personal goals for developing or refining your Tai Chi experience you would like to share with our readers? and/or Wushu skills and techniques or paying more The ancient art of Wushu Your contributions and your photos are always attention to your health then maybe some of the that translates as “Martial welcome. It is your publication, after all, for you and upcoming events would be very useful for you, your Arts”, is being practised in about you as a part of the greater Wushu community in friends, colleagues and your family. all its forms such as Tai Chi, Australia! Traditional and Competitive If you are adventurous you might decide that this is the
Wushu, Qigong, Bagua, Xing time to travel to mystical and renowned Wushu/Tai Chi
Yi, Weapons Play (Sword, Editorial Board
Broadsword, Sabre, Cudgel,
Spear etc.) and many others. 2
EYE ON IT Upcoming events in Australia
July 2013:
Tai Chi Sword, Fan, Tai Chi and Duan Wei Intensive
Workshops - learn something new, improve your skills and refine the forms as well as Reports from Wushu & Tai Chi NSW better prepare for the competitions. Wushu & Tai Chi NSW is well Earlier this year the committee of the performed one of the new Saturday 27 July, 2-6pm, Epping known for providing continuous Wushu & Tai Chi NSW announced standardised routines for Yang Style Community Centre, 9 Oxford St, support and help to all the the prize for the best performance Tai Chi and later shared her skills Epping, Main Hall. For further Wushu and Tai Chi which was won by Miciah Guglielmi with the Tai Chi Fan performing information and cost please visit practitioners in NSW. Amongst from Newcastle based Tai Chi group. www.auswushu.com.au. their activities are festivals, Academy. Recently he participated in Bookings are essential. The Secretary General of the competitions, conferences, the International Traditional Wushu Australian International Cultural information sessions, training Competition in Hong Kong where he Exchange Organisation talked about of the state team, professional won a few medals. the planned activities both in New International development courses, etc. Australia and China. Standards for There were a lot of Here is the report on one of Yagiz Aksoy, the vice- Health Qigong prizes and trophies their events. president of to win for the Macquarie Wushu participants. In 2003, after years of scientific and Tai Chi Club told Wushu & Tai Chi NSW (in Everyone was research, the Health Qigong the audience about cooperation with Macquarie thrilled with the routines were released: Ba Duan the club and its University Wushu and Tai Chi group performances Jin, Yi Jin Jing, Wu Qin Xi, Liu Zi achievements. Club) organised another successful from the Macquarie Jue, designed to fit the needs of NSW Annual “Wushu-Tai Chi-Qigong University and the modern world. Health Qigong This was an exciting day of gathering Day” that took place on Saturday 4 Eastwood Tai Chi Group as well as was recognised as one of the together, learning and sharing for May 2013 at the Central Coast Youth the Central Coast Wushu school Traditional Sports Events by the NSW Tai Chi and Wushu Club, Niagara Park. students. China Sports Administration. In practitioners and friends.
2008 the 1st Health Qigong Cheryl Lee, the director of Australian
Tournament was held and by The programme for the day included Tai Chi Institute engaged everyone in
2011, 25 countries competed in practicing Tai Chi and Qigong as well the Qigong warm-up exercises and international events that promote as demonstrations and group and Damon Bramich demonstrated his For more information on Competitive cultural exchange and encourage solo performances: Yang Style Tai exceptional skills in traditional Yang and Traditional Wushu (Kung Fu), the practice of Qigong for health, Chi and Wushu Fan, Wushu straight style sabre duel and push hands. Tai Chi and Qigong events in NSW fitness and personal growth. sword, Shaolin Cudgel, Bagua, Xing- please contact Yi, 32-forms Tai Chi Sword, and [email protected] or NSW and Victoria are the first The Head Judge, Professor Sun Han many more demos from participating [email protected] states where the workshops on Xiang from Wuhan University (China) schools. new standards have already been conducted in 2012/2013. 3 EYE ON IT Upcoming events in Australia
August 2013:
15th WTPA Competition –
Everyone is invited to
participate in Taijiquan and
Wushu competition, see the
masters demonstrations and
Qigong group performances
and enjoy the day!
Sunday 25 August,10 am-4.30
pm, Monash University Sports
Stadium (Clayton), Victoria.
For further information and
registration please visit
www.wtpa.org.au
or contact the organisers on First time visit of Tai Chi Master from UK! [email protected]
Master Tary Yip, founder of the Deyin Taijiquan Style routine for strength development and study the
Institute in UK, will be coming to Sydney in October true Sun Style traditional form and its applications. September 2013:
2013 to conduct two weekend workshops. This is the (written by Paul Cheah) Tai Chi Sword, Fan, Tai Chi first visit to Australia for Master Yip who regularly and Duan Wei Intensive For further information please visit conducts teaching seminars and has judged Wushu/ Workshops - learn something www.auswushu.com.au or e-mail Tai Chi competitions in UK and Europe. He is a new, improve your skills and [email protected] or [email protected] disciple and son-in-law of the famous Tai Chi master, refine the forms as well as
Professor Li De Yin and is his Tai Chi assistant in their better prepare for the Workshops: extensive travels and when teaching Tai Chi in China. competitions. 1) 24-forms Simplified Tai Chi – 5 October
2) Xing Yi – 6 October Saturday 7September, 2-6pm, Master Tary Yip is recognised as a 6th Duan Level 3) Sun Style Tai Chi (part 1) – 12 October Epping Community Centre, 9 Master by the Chinese Wushu Association and 5th 4) Sun Style Tai Chi (part 2) – 13 October Oxford St, Epping, Main Hall. For Duan Master in Health Qigong. He is an expert in further information and cost Southern Praying Mantis Style, Xing Yi Quan, please visit Traditional Yang, the Beijing Competition Forms and www.auswushu.com.au. the Sun Style. He can trace a lineage to the 24 Forms Bookings are essential. and Sun Style as Professor Li’s uncle created the 24 forms and Sun Lutang’s daughter stayed with them as a close family friend - babysitting Tary’s wife!
This is an opportunity for all Tai Chi practitioners and teachers to learn more of the secrets and intentions of the creator of the 24-Forms, learn the basic Xing Yi 4 EYE ON IT Traveling abroad and training in China Wushu and Olympic Games September 2013
Australians love travel and very often they mix pleasure with studying something they are Why did Wushu not make it into Olympics? passionate about.
Wushu practitioners have In 1990, the International Wushu All countries had a chance to
Every year, different groups of always aspired for Wushu to Federation was formed one of the participate in this tournament subject
Tai Chi and Wushu practitioners become an Olympic sport. purpose of which was to promote to their qualification by the results of go overseas, see new places, However, this dream was competitive Wushu. It has more than the 2007 World Wushu visit old friends, participate in shattered in May this year when 140 countries in its membership and Championships. Some countries, competitions or simply spend the International Olympic runs world championships. The including Australia were given time training with masters of the Committee (IOC) declined the IWUF has put a lot of effort to push wildcards. art. proposal which was a the Wushu into Olympics. In Australia, it was awarded to Susie devastating news for many. Parnham from Melbourne, a student
The International Wushu Federation of Master Tang Lai Wei who was a China has always wanted to have the In September, they will have a has been promoting Wushu as a member of the famous Beijing ancient art of Wushu to be included few opportunities of experiencing potential Olympic sport for some Wushu team together with Jet Li. in the Olympics. In 1936, China the magic of Tai Chi in different time. The year 2008 presented the Susie did her best and scored almost selected six men and three women to locations in China. opportunity to show Wushu in an 9 out of 10 for Tai Chi. go to the Berlin Olympics and Olympic competition environment demonstrate Chinese martial when Wushu Tournament Beijing Yulong school based in arts. Among the artists were Wen 2008 was held from August 21 to 24 Melbourne offers the journey Jingming from Hebei Province and during the Olympics. Although, through the “Mystic Mountains of Lu Yuhua who later worked together according to the contract signed the East commencing 11 at the Wuhan Physical Education between the IOC and the host city, September with the Qigong and College. no international or national sports Taijiquan training opportunities The second attempt to show case the competition is allowed in the Olympic while the Australian International Wushu to the world was 1974 host city during the Games or one All Wushu practitioners still hope that Cultural Exchange Organisation famous historic White House tour. week before or after, the IOC one day they will see the Wushu is organising a Tai Chi and History labelled it "ping pong specifically permitted China to sport in the Olympic family. The Qigong retreat in Hangzhou diplomacy," since the first organise the Wushu tournament at question is whether everything (near Shanghai) commencing 23 ambassadors had been ping pong the same time as the Olympic possible is being done to achieve this Sept 2013. For more information players. Games. goal. The answer is probably “Yes”, and details please contact the however, it is obvious that it was not respective organisations: They even could use medal design, enough. We asked a few key people http://www.aiceo.org award presentation & ceremony, etc. from the International Wushu
identical to the Olympics. Wushu Federation and their response (if teams were allowed to stay in any) will be published in the next athletes' village. issue of Wushu Herald. That was as close to the Olympics as
possible… To be continued... 5
EYE ON IT Upcoming events in Australia
October 2013:
Four workshops by Master
Tary Yip - learn something
new, improve your skills and Australian Wushu Community - Success Stories refine the forms.
Bookings essential
In June this year Maggie Alexander Congratulations to Master Alex NSW Team of Wushu and Tai Chi Workshop 1: 24-forms
was named as the NSW Woman of Galvan who was recently inducted athletes participated in the First Simplified Taijiquan
the Year by the Information and into the Hall of Fame by the Italian International Traditional Wushu Saturday 5 October,10.30 am-
Communications Technology (ICT) Chin Woo Association. Championships that was held in 4.30 pm, Epping Community industry. She said: “It is really an Hong Kong on 15-19 May. All Centre, 9 Oxford St, Epping, honour and I am thrilled to be Australian competitors brought back Alex Galvan is the Head of Sydney Main Hall. For further recognised by my peers in such a medals. Miciah Guglielmi (pictured) Vision and has been teaching Martial information and cost please visit significant way.” was placed second in the yang sabre Arts for fifteen years. In 1997 he was www.auswushu.com.au. and received the highest score in the instrumental in organising the Global Workshop 2:Xing Yi yang traditional 28 form. Both him We will bring you the story of her Energy Field Tai Chi Festival which and his teacher Damon Bramich got Sunday 6 October,10.30 am- success in the next issue where we became an annual event in Sydney. the third place in the two man sabre. 4.30 pm, Dance Studio, UTS, plan to publish the interview with 15 Broadway, Ultimo. Maggie and her advice to our Alex is passionate about Tai Chi as
readers. She helped hundreds of an exercise that increases personal Well done! The team was supported For further information and cost
people during her career and now is energy, improves health and allows by Wushu & Tai Chi NSW that please visit
one of the business advisors to the individuals to control both their organised some financial assistance www.auswushu.com.au. Wushu and Tai Chi NSW. mental and physical responses to and additional training for the team. Workshop 3: Sun Style stressful situations. traditional Taijiquan (part 1)
Saturday 12 October,10.30 am
-4.30 pm, Epping Community
Centre, 9 Oxford St, Epping, The Tai Chi Australia Chief Instructor Master Han Jin Song has recently been Main Hall. For further awarded an 8th Duan Wei by the Chinese Wushu Association. This is the information and cost please visit second highest grading in the world that can be obtained under the Duan Wei www.auswushu.com.au. System. He had to complete a grueling series of written and oral examinations Workshop 4: Sun Style to pass his grading. traditional Taijiquan (part 2) Master Han Jin Song is now only the second in Australia and one of a Sunday 13 October,10.30 am- hundred or so masters in the world to achieve this level and to be recognised 4.30 pm, Dance Studio, UTS, for his unwavering dedication to promotion of Wushu/Tai Chi both here and 15 Broadway, Ultimo. overseas.
For further information and cost
please visit
www.auswushu.com.au.
6
Greetings from the Feng Shui Architect
Howard Choy is a practicing architect with a passion for Taijiquan / Qigong and Feng Shui. A long time
ago he was the first President of the Australian Kung Fu Federation—the organisation that since then
Professional went through multiple reincarnations retaining one single feature—and this feature is something which its
Development first President would rather prefer to get rid of. Howard now lives in Berlin, Germany, and is well-known in for our Europe for his lectures and his magic personality. Here is his message: practitioners
In May this year, a number of As a founding member and the first President of the Australian Kung Fu Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners participated in Federation, which has subsequently been taken over politically, and sometimes the seminars organized by violently, as a personal fiefdom of one man for almost its entire life-span since
Wushu and Tai Chi NSW in 1984, it is a welcoming news to hear that at long last, a non-political and cooperation with Yulong peaceful organization, called The Wushu Council of Australia, is being set-up as an
School (Melbourne) when alternative to promote Chinese martial arts in Australia, free from the tainted
Lily Sun introduced them to history of the past and free from the aggressive elements often found in martial the Level Two Duan Wei arts. Hooray for the new Council and I wish you well from Berlin Germany, where I
New Series in Yang Style Tai am living now. Good luck and “Frei von der Vergangenheit” (Free from the Past)! Chi and Ba Duan Jin as promoted by the Chinese Howard Choy Wushu Association Shouyi Taijiquan and Qigong Research Department. Berlin.
Ba Duan Jin is translated as
Eight Golden Treasure
Brocade or Eight Bolts of Silk Howard Choy once asked his teacher in Hong Kong, the late grand master Yang Sau Chung, how one can improve consists of eight movements tai chi. His master replied: “By practising the form correctly!” That made him reflect on how it can be done. He has that were taken from the written an article on “The Four Skills of Tai Chi Quan” for “Inside Kung Fu” magazine (September 1988) where he oldest health-strengthening discussed four kinds of tai chi skills (kung); namely, function, relaxation, jin, and chi that are important when people
“folk” exercises in China that practice routines, or weapons, or push hands. Wu Tu-Nan, a well-known tai Chi master, argued that these skills will believed to be more that 800 gradually improve anybody’s tai chi. For example, “[t]ai chi is a martial art: each movement has a practical function.” years old. Understanding its practical use will correct the move when performing the form. Being relaxed is not the same as being floppy and sluggish. The mind is alert, the body is held vertical and there is no friction in the joints or tension in
the muscles. Related to the breath and chi flow is a dynamic force called “jin” that can be released at will in various
forms to a particular part of the body. Everyone heard about “fajin” but there are more different types of “jins” that are
involved with basic tai chi movements. Tai Chi is a form of moving chi kung (breathing exercise). Chi skill is shown
through the chi circulation and chi utilization. Chi is activated by the mind and flows from dan tiian where it is stored
along the meridian channels and then returns back to dan tian. Chi utilization refers to the control and use of the
great energy in people’s bodies. The understanding of these four skills mentioned here as important to all tai chi
exercises.
More on this in the next issue….. 7
EYE ON IT
You might be interested to know
Local Sporting Champion
grants – are available now
for 12-18 year old travelling
further than 250 km to the
state or national competition.
In every publication we will give engage and unite all those who a wealth of experience gained over Let us know if you need some space for introducing various wish to create a harmonious many years working with other help with application. organizations that play significant community that can work together organisations. We hope to put this roles in the life of Wushu and can realize the benefits that experience to good use in the coming BOOKS Community in Australia. Wushu can provide. years in a way that will improve the
standing of the Wushu Council in the We recommend
eyes of the national and international In this issue, we are giving the “Wushu Council Australia. The name Wushu Community; relevant floor to Michael Hetherington, the says it all. government and sporting bodies. Chairman of the Wushu Council This new, Not-for-Profit, body has Australia, the organization that Over the course of 2013 I hope that been established very recently with intends to foster, develop and this new organisation will become the aim of enhancing and extending promote the art of Wushu; much better known through a the practice of Wushu, in all its many proactive outreach program and by different forms, throughout Australia. facilitating local competitions as well
More than this, as the name as competing internationally. It will be
suggests, the objectives of the a busy year, but with good will and Conventional medical science
Wushu Council Australia can only be hard work the profile of Wushu will be on the Chinese art of Tai Chi
achieved with the participation of a definitely raised in Australia.” now shows what Tai Chi truly representative group of Wushu masters have known for
practitioners in a climate that is non- centuries: regular practice leads
discriminatory and non-partisan. to more vigor and flexibility,
better balance and mobility, and The Wushu Council already a sense of well-being. Cutting- comprises Wushu practitioners, with edge research from Harvard Did you know? Medical School also supports the long-standing claims that Q: I teach Tai Chi / Wushu. Do I have to be a government-accredited instructor? Tai Chi also has a beneficial A: No. As explained by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), the government does not accredit any instructors. Howev- impact on the health of the er, it operates the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS) to make sure that people with no proper professional heart, bones, nerves and qualifications are still able to satisfy some minimum requirements for coaching. All National Sporting Organisations (NSO) are muscles, immune system, and encouraged to develop and submit their training courses for approval by the ASC. In the past, such a programme for Kung Fu the mind. This research was run by the Australian Kung Fu (Wu Shu ) Federation (AKWF) for the AKWF coaches. As advised by the NSW Office of provides fascinating insight into Fair Trading, the AKWF now is in the process of deregistration. There is no evidence so far that since July 2013 any other the underlying physiological organisation has a legal contract with the ASC to perform the role of the NSO for Wushu. The ASC advised that currently mechanisms that explain how none of the nearly hundred National Sporting Organisations in Australia has such a contract due to the review of the govern- Tai Chi actually works. ance and the process of recognition. It is unclear when this process is to be completed. 8
Upcoming Events Worldwide
• International Wushu Tournament – Hong Kong, August
Hong Kong International Wushu Competition including “Future Stars” the 4th International Children Wushu
Competition, the 4th World Wing Chun Competition, the 3rd International Taekwondo Competition, and the
International Health Qigong Demonstration will be held in Hong Kong from 5–8th August, 2013 . For more
information please visit http://www.hkwushuschool.com/eng/news and let us know if you are interested.
Professional • Emei International Wushu Festival – Emei Shan (Mountains), August
Development The festival will be held in Mt Emei and Leshan Grand Buddha scenic area, which is believed to be the cradle of
Emei, 8-15 August Emei Wushu with its unique forms over 3,000 years, is among the top 3 Wushu schools along Next SMA (Sport Medicine with Shaolin Kung Fu and Wudang Kung Fu, so it is considered a gem of the Chinese martial arts. The main Australia) ASICS conference of activities of the festival include grand opening and closing ceremonies, traditional Wushu competitions, Golden science and medicine in Sport, Summit Wushu forum, swords challenge tournament, healthy gourmet festival and Buddhist cultural activities. The will be held on 22-25 October, in golden summit of Mt Emei is expecting more than 1000 martial arts masters from China and all over the world. It is Phuket. NSW conference will an international Wushu event and is held every two years since 2007. take place on 2 November.
Details are on www.sma.org.au • International Tajiquan Competition – Jiaozuo, August
Next Issue Will be held in China, 22-26 August
th Closing date for the next • 12 World Wushu Championships - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October—November newsletter will be 21 October. Will be held in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 28 October – 6 November Please send us your stories,
your thoughts, share your • Other Important International Tournaments in 2013 information or concern, or tell
what you have achieved or going 1. 1st Brazil International Wushu Championships (July 24 – 28 Cuiabá city, Brazil)
to organise. Your contributions 2. Wushu Tournament of the 9th World Games (July 30 – August 6, Cali, Colombia) are welcome! 3. 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games (September 27-October 1 Rieu, Indonesia)
4. Guangxi ASEAN Wushu Festival (November 6 - 10 Guilin, China)
5. Argentine Wushu Championship (November Buenos Aires, Argentina)
6. 2nd Sportaccord Combat Games (October 22 – 27 St. Petersburg, Russia) wushu herald 7. 3rd Lusofonia Games (November 8-10 Goa, India)
Wushu Herald is a publication of the Wushu 8. 6th International Sanda Championships (November 16-17 Georgia) Council Australia and AusWushu
th All rights Reserved 2013 9. Wushu Tournament of 17 Bolivarian Games (November 26-29 Lima, Peru)
ISSN 2202-8137 10. Baltic Open Wushu Cup (November 28 – December 12 Tallinn, Estonia For more information on Wushu Herald please contact the editorial board or the secretary of the WCA. • Additional invitations received Post: PO Box 406 Broadway NSW 2007 1. XIII International “Wushu Tournament - 2013” (November 23-24 St. Petersburg, Russia)
Ph: 0422 622 797 / 0405 027 219 2. The Great Internal Chinese Martial Arts Festival (May 29 – June 1 2014, Tenerife Island, Spain). Email: [email protected] www.auswushu.com.au
The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, and not necessarily the official views of the WCA or ausWushu.
Wushu Herald Issue 01 July-September 2013 Visit us: www.auswushu.com.au I Follow at twitter I Like at facebook