Attn: RAF, more details please.

[count]

We are sorry we could not get to the Wu Tang tournament this year. I have already heard some good things. We promise to come next year. How was the event this year? Please give us the details and highlights. Did everyone miss us?;)

[RAF]

Count, I wish I could give you the details but my job was to do the Yang taijiquan head judge bit.

Taijiquan takes one thousand years to finish.

From my perspective the tournament was primarily baji and tanglang quan. I watched most of the baji competition and all of the those guys are really getting good, Ma Long's students, Kurt Wong's students and I am not sure who Master Su's students.

David Chin's demonstration of the Kuang Ping taiji blew me away and I really never saw a Yang style taiji played with such superb fajing and applications.

The bagua was the same and nothing new appeared (deerhorn, da dao) Altough I think one of Nick Gracecin's students did a large spear bagua performance from the Fu style.

Anyway, it was good and I got to spend some time with Ted Mancuso.

I hope you guys can come next year, along with others. I think the baji competition would be pretty stiff.

Later.

[count]

LOL, tai chi take a thousand years to finish. How about that Mantis workshop? Were there a lot of decent workshops this year. What did Master Su bring this year? Would you say that the growth is continuing and the interest was as good as in the past or better? We'll bring the Baji/Piqua guys next year. I told them all that competition was the best last year and they all want to bring it next year. It seems that Jason's annual Thanksgiving weekend workshops will be covering Baji this year too. Anyway, congrats to Tony and all you guys on another sucessful year.

[RAF]

The turnout was smaller than most years. The US Consulate turned down 22 of our 25 VISA applications from China.

Sun De Yao, the meihua master from Qingdao did a seminar on Meihua Zhao Yao #1 and everyone liked it. No other seminars were given. They had some lite contact fighting and I think they are going to do full contact every other year.

The weather was great and some got to see the leaves changing colors.

Like I said, the drift of this is Baji/Pi gua/Praying Mantis. I don't think the internal arts will play much of a role in the future. They had some pushing hands contests.

We missed you guys and look forward to when you or anyone else can make it.

[Brad]

I ended up watching football all day(some good games, lol). It felt a little odd not competing this time, but honestly I've done so much traveling/Taiji competition this year, I was starting to get sick of seeing so much iof t ;) I've pretty much stopped doing Yang style entirely(at least for awhile), lol. Wish I'd gotten to see the Baji/Piqua competition though :(

[Nexus]

Why did you stop your Yang style practice Brad?

[Brad]

I decided I like Sun better. I've never really enjoyed practicing Yang style(at least the competition form) that much. So now I mostly just do basics, but no actual routines except my Sun style form. At least for a little while.

[RAF]

Count and others:

Here a few photos from the tournament.

http://www.wutangcenter.com/tournament.htm

Over the next couple of weeks, we will post more photos of the events.

Sun De Yao's meihua praying mantis is one of the best I have ever seen. He teaches excellent applications, too.

Enjoy!