|
|
|
|
Mountain boxing
I almost passed out just after this picture. Too much in one day. Thanks to Lucia for the photo! |
|
|
|
Day 0
I had this picture taken by my American colleagues outside a typical downtown store in Kaohsiung. |
|
|
|
Day 0
Just after I met the American contingent. From left to right - John Scott, Jim Ransom, Me, Brian Bruning and Mark Small. |
|
|
|
Day 0
Master Chen treated us to a very fine banquet on our first night in Kaohsiung. |
|
|
|
Day 1
First training! (Taken just outside the main gates to the Confucian temple where we did our training.) |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 1
Self portraits never look good. |
|
|
|
Day 1
A picture of the courtyard in front of the temple where we did most of our training. My good mate and senior John Forza is in the foreground. |
|
|
|
Day 1
We were treated to a rare demonstration of top class Chen style taiji by Master Chen's friend and colleague, Master An (far right). His brother is on my left. Unfortunately I didn't video his remarkably powerful and elegant performance. |
|
|
|
Day 1
Our lunch room at the temple. |
|
|
|
Day 2
At the end of Day 2 we finally found a decent restaurant which we monopolised for most of the trip. The food was exquisite. From left to right: Darren Sampson, me, Mark Small, Bill Mioch, Lucia Ondrusova, Gunter Bohenzky and John Forza. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3
Katie Rizzuto managed to get into more pictures than anyone there. Full of fun and mischief. She joined a local morning dance group for this photo. |
|
|
|
Day 3
Most people were unprepared for the fact that we would be training in bright sunlight all day. Luckily I brought a big supply of suncream. |
|
|
|
Day 3
We covered applications on most days. Here James is taking us through some applications of the material we were learning that day. |
|
|
|
Day 3
James Sumarac showing a breakout with Jim Ransom. |
|
|
|
Day 3
I volunteered for this photo - but all you see is my hand! |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3
Ditto! |
|
|
|
Day 3
Poor "Big John" Scott copped most of the demonstrations. |
|
|
|
Day 3
Including some smacks. |
|
|
|
Day 3
And punches... |
|
|
|
Day 3
We covered xingyiquan "kun" or staff - a lovely but demanding and acrobatic form. Here Master Chen is demonstrating applications of some movements. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3
More applications with Jim Ransom... |
|
|
|
Day
And more applications... |
|
|
|
Day 3
And more applications... |
|
|
|
Day 3
And more applications... |
|
|
|
Day 3
And more applications... |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 3
Master Chen shows Roy Harding some finer points of bagua (I think!). |
|
|
|
Day 3
Me walking the bagua circle. |
|
|
|
Day 3
Master Chen correcting my form. |
|
|
|
Day 3 (night)
Relaxing at the Cabana Jazz club. I'd had far too much to drink. |
|
|
|
Day 4
The monks from central Taiwan who were called in to conduct the bai shi ceremony. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
A picture of the shrine to Chen Pan-Ling. |
|
|
|
Day 4
This picture shows the bai shi candidates nervously awaiting the start of the ceremony. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Bowing 3 times to shrine of the ancestors. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Another angle. In front is our senior John Forza. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Another angle. I seem to be last in the bow! |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
Swearing the bai shi oath. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Me watching "Big John" Scott go before me. |
|
|
|
Day 4
My turn. |
|
|
|
Day 4
We bowed 3 times to Master Chen. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Whereupon he placed the bai shi medallion around our necks. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
Then we posed for an official photograph of "Father and Son/Daughter". |
|
|
|
Day 4
Master Chen with his adopted brother and sister, James and Shou Mei Sumarac. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Me with my new "Uncle" and "Auntie"! |
|
|
|
Day 4
After the ceremony I said goodbye to Master Chen's older brother Lao Shi Chen Yun-Chow who we all came to adore. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Master Chen and me after the ceremony. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
A visit to a very special Buddhist temple. Watch the videos - you won't believe it. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Another self-portrait. Note the thousands of Buddhas in the background. |
|
|
|
Day 4
James and Bill on the endless steps up the mountain to the main temple. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Meeting the nun/abbess who served as our guide. It's the first time I can say I have ever met a truly spiritual person. It was as if she had pure joy glowing from within. A remarkable and inspirational individual. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Me with my best buddy Big John. One of the special friendships I forged on this journey. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
With the abbess just outside the main temple. |
|
|
|
Day 4
One of 3 massive, gold-leafed Buddhas in the main temple. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Darren and I pose in front of a huge drum inside the temple. |
|
|
|
Day 4
The tour included a free calligraphy class. My calligraphy sucked, but the experience was something else. |
|
|
|
Day 4
The nun took this photograph. A person of many talents. She asked if we had missed the inauguration speech of President Obama and advised us to look it up on Youtube! |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
Another self-portrait. Ho hum. |
|
|
|
Day 4
The photo shows me in front of a beautiful and peaceful garden. The picture fails to capture the tranquility. |
|
|
|
Day 4
A massive Buddha statue dominates one corner of the temple complex. Several stories high, it has a light shining from the forehead. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Me and my good mate Roy. |
|
|
|
Day 4
At the end of a long day we were treated to a sumptuous vegetarian feast at the temple. One of the best meals I've had - and I'm a confirmed carnivore! |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 4
Oh I just love those self-portraits. |
|
|
|
Day 4
Here's me sandwiched between the 2 Johns, with Master Chen, Hal Mosher and Besufekad "Dennis" Dereje on my left and Gunter, Lucia and Karen on my right.
|
|
|
|
Day 5
This position is one of the many "killer" postures in the Feng quan (Mountain Top Boxing) form. |
|
|
|
Day 5
At night time we retreated to our favourite restaurant. From my left are Hal, Dennis, Wendy, Shou Mei, Master Chen, Lucia (hidden), John Forza and John Scott. |
|
|
|
Day 5
Just another wafer? Photographers Lucia and Gunter reenact the infamous scene from Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life". |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 5
After our meal we retreated to the (by now) infamous jazz club where Katie and Glen celebrated their 30th birthdays. The pictures shows Ron James carrying Katie, Pauline Bennett-Stevens and James. |
|
|
|
Day 5
Lucia and Katie. |
|
|
|
Day 6
Lucia took these posed photos of me performing the Yang Taiji sword form. |
|
|
|
Day 6
Another posed photo. A very acrobatic and demanding form that Master Chen said was "the Mother of all Sword Forms". |
|
|
|
Day 7
John Forza and I in the bus on day 7 - going to a Hakka village. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7
John Forza outside a traditional pottery kiln. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Me outside the pottery kiln. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Typical Taiwanese countryside. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Posing outside a Hakka People museum. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Inside the museum. Note the traditional rainjackets on the walls. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7
James, Darren and I took a liking to the traditional Hakka music and couldn't help breaking loose with some "cool" dancing moves. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Group photo outside the museum. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Jim was complaining of a sore, blocked ear brought about by earplugs which were in turn brought about by Brian's snoring. I suggested an ear candle which Jim tried (successfully) in a little Hakka village market. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Another angle of Jim's candle experience. |
|
|
|
Day 7
In the streets of "Hakkaville" (I don't remember the name of the town). |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7
In the British Consulate where dummies were set up to show the signing of a treaty. The dummy on the right is me. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Another dummy, my buddy John Forza. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Relaxing after a decent plate of English chips. |
|
|
|
Day 7
I decided to explore the former prison cells below the consulate. The ceilings were so low you had to crawl through. |
|
|
|
Day 7
More cells. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 7
More cells... I lost my sunnies here, but retrieved them via the window which led out into the restaurant courtyard. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Sunset over Kaohsiung. |
|
|
|
Day 7
Another sunset pose. |
|
|
|
Day 8
An emotional day of revision, wrap-ups and goodbyes. Here I am with Master Chen. |
|
|
|
Day 8
Master Chen took this picture. The writing on the post refers to directions to the toilet block. |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 8
From right to left: Terry Price (a gentleman and master if ever I met one), me, Dennis and Christos Georgiades from Cyprus. |
|
|
|
Day 8
Me and the Rochester boys, Brian ("the Snorer") Bruning and Jim ("the Candle") Ransom. |
|
|
|
Day 8
Goodbye to my good mate Bill Mioch who was no doubt looking forward to seeing his lovely wife Olivia and baby daughter Sabrina. |
|
|
|
Day 8
I'm still a ladies man...
From left to right
(back row): Karen, Pauline, Lynne Boyce
(front row): Shou Mei, me and Vicki Katte |
|
|
|
Day 8
A final group photo... |
|
|
|
|
|
Day 8
Saying a painful goodbye to "Big John". |
|
|
|
Day 8
And another painful goodbye to "Old John". |
|
|
|
Day 8
With the charming Wendy Bucciarelli and ultra-talented Dennis. |
|
|
