Page 4 of 8 FirstFirst ... 23456 ... LastLast
Results 46 to 60 of 107

Thread: Give it up to the elderly!!!!!

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    CA, USA
    Posts
    4,900
    They're saying she took up kung fu to recover from a stroke. So I take that to mean she hadn't practiced it prior to her stroke. Even at her age, MA were not necessarily a part of her childhood education. Perhaps she simply had an innate, previously hidden potential for flexibility/kung fu already within her.

  2. #47
    Hi Jimbo,

    I do understand that. But given the demands in China under Mao, I do not think there was any way that she could avoid any exercise during that time. She had to do something, even if it just basics (jibengong(. And that is what she is displaying. Still, I am happy for her. That is how you fight. They are presenting the story as if she never did anything along those lines in her life. In China? Under Mao? I don't think so.

    mickey
    Last edited by mickey; 03-22-2016 at 02:07 PM.

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Zhang Hexian, 93

    90-Yr-Old Grandma Keeps Healthy by Practicing Kung Fu
    May 30, 2016
    By Ying Lei Editor: Rong Chen


    Zhang Hexian (front) has daily Kung fu practices with locals in Ninghai, east China's Zhejiang Province. [chinanews.com]

    Zhang Hexian, 93, a renowned Kung fu master who started training at the age of three, keeps physically fit and rarely need to visit doctors, was recently the focus of a report in Qianjiang Evening News.

    Zhang lives a disciplinary and peaceful life in Ninghai, east China's Zhejiang Province. Often, she gets up at 4 a.m. and practices Kung fu for about two hours. Afterward, she cooks herself breakfast.

    Zhang usually helps in the fields late in the morning and walks a distance of three kilometers to the market in another adjacent town, shopping for food, and then walks back home in the afternoon.

    Diseases or illness are seldom bothering Zhang. Even if she catches a cold sometimes, Zhang usually has a quick recovery after a good and sound sleep.

    Zhang has a healthy appetite for food, especially seafood, as she can eat up a whole plate of eight crabs by herself in summer. She refuses to take healthcare products. Ordinary food, she insists, is enough for her body.

    Zhang's 53-year-old son Feng Chuanyin says his mom always crosses her legs while sitting up straight, which is a habit Zhang has kept for many years.

    There are several appliances in her yard for daily Kung fu practice. She always gives tips to locals on Kung fu during her morning trainings.

    Zhang says she was born into a family of Kung fu, in which her ancestors founded a faction of bearing their family name Zhang in the area.

    It is alleged that the faction of Zhang Kung fu is inclusive no matter what the gender, age or name of the person, even strangers can join the daily practice.

    Zhang believes that the aim of practicing Kung fu is to build a strong body and fight against evil. It is not a tool for abuse or for attacking others. In addition, Zhang is always willing to help people in need, gaining a respectful reputation in town.

    Right now, this grandma is delighted to see the birth of her family's fifth generation, which is considered to be her biggest happiness at the moment.

    (Source: Qianjiang Evening News / Translated and edited by Women of China)
    This is one badass Grandma
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    490
    Salute to the elderly in the first video clip shown. Forget their KF level at the time. At least we are sure they do not walk with the aid of a stick.



    Regards,

    KC
    Hong Kong

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    More on Zhang Hexian

    Follow the link for a short vid of Zhang in action.

    Published time: 1 Jun, 2016 11:43
    Kung Fu grandma: Chinese woman shows martial arts skills



    A 93-year-old Chinese woman, Zhang Hexian, can overwhelm most people in Kung Fu despite her age. The Kung Fu master showed off her skills in the village of Dongyuan on Tuesday, demonstrating great physical shape in martial arts. Her son, Feng Chuanyin, also a practitioner of Kung Fu, assisted her in the ‘fight’ on sticks.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Slightly OT

    No Kung Fu...Pork!

    Is this the oldest woman in the world? Great-great grandmother from China celebrates 119th birthday

    Fu Suqing, from China's Taiping town, turned 119 on August 21
    The long-living woman was born in 1897, as her ID card shows
    Fu's family members said her secret to longevity is to eat pork
    In Guinness World Records, the world's oldest living woman is 116

    By TRACY YOU FOR MAILONLINE
    PUBLISHED: 09:44 EST, 22 August 2016 | UPDATED: 09:58 EST, 22 August 2016

    A great-great-grandmother from China celebrated her 119th birthday yesterday.

    According to her identification card, the elderly woman, named Fu Suqing, was born in 1897 - the same year the UK's Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.

    Although Chinese media claim Fu to be the oldest living female in the world, an Argentinean pensioner named Celina del Carmen Olea reportedly turned 119 on February 15 this year, making her six months older than Fu.


    Famous: Fu Suqing is seen during her birthday feast as she turned 119 years old yesterday


    A big birthday party! The pensioner celebrated the occassion with more than 200 guests

    Fu Suqing was born on the 19th day of the seventh month on Chinese lunar calendar, as her identification card shows.

    Her birthday fell on August 21 on the Gregorian calendar this year.

    The pensioner celebrated the occasion with more than 200 guests at her home in the Taiping town of Chengdu city, south-west China, reported the People's Daily Online.

    More than 20 large round tables were set up by Fu's family to accommodate large groups of guests.


    Party food: A traditional local feast, called 'Nine Large Bowls', were prepared for each table


    Happy Birthday! The long-living woman, from China, has six children and 68 offsprings

    One of Fu's great-granddaughters, Leng Ting, told a local reporter: 'Most of the guests are family members and friends. They occupy more than 10 tables.'

    A traditional local feast, called 'Nine Large Bowls', were prepared for each table. The feast included nine steamed meat dishes, such as pork ribs, beef and turtles.

    Fu's family members revealed that the secret to her longevity is to eat meat, especially a local dish called twice-cooked pork, which is Fu's favourite.

    The birthday star, who wore a navy blue coat, attended the feast accompanied by her second eldest daughter, 83-year-old Xu Shuhua.

    Fu reportedly ate a small chuck of carrot and two pieces of ham on her birthday feast.

    The long-living woman has six children and 68 offsprings. Her oldest great-great grandchild is 23 years old.

    Fu's great-granddaughter, Leng, said they almost lost count of how many children Fu has now.

    Leng said Fu has got five new great-grandchildren in the past two years, the youngest of whom, a boy, had been born four days before Fu's birthday.


    Now that's old! According to Fu's ID card, she was born in 1897 during China's Qing Dynasty


    What a big family! Fu was pictured holding one of her great-great-grandchildren in 2015

    Fu's daily life is taken care of by her second eldest daughter, Xu Shuhua.

    Xu said her mother enjoyed eating twice-cooked pork and used to eat it in every meal.

    But in the recent six months, her mother's appetite decreased, which worries her.

    She said: '[My mother] has stopped eating meat and the portion of her meals becomes really small. Sometimes, she only drinks soup.'

    Xu also said her mother eats mostly mushy pea and steamed pumpkins nowadays and sleeps most of the day every day.

    However, she has not been able to find out what causes these sudden changes.



    Although Chinese media claim Fu to be the oldest living female in the world, an Argentinean pensioner named Celina del Carmen Olea (pictured) reportedly also turned 119 this year


    Celina Del Carmen Olea (pictured with her family), from Buenos Aires, claims she was born on February 15, making her six months older than Fu

    According to Guinness World Records, the world’s oldest living person is a 116-year-old woman named Emma Martina Luigia Morano.

    She was born on 29 November 1899 and lives in Vercelli, Italy.

    Ms Morano has followed the same diet for around 90 years, said Guinness World Records.

    She eats three eggs per day - two raw and one cooked - along with fresh Italian pasta and a dish of raw meat.

    Jakki Lewis, a spokesman from Guinness World Records, told MailOnline: 'We have many applications from people who claim to be the oldest male or female – this category is split into gender.

    'However, we ask for a great deal of paperwork and proof to substantiate claims and to satisfy our official guidelines.'

    The spokesman added: 'We also have a number of expert gerontologists and consultants investigating for us to ensure our facts are correct.'


    The world’s oldest living woman is 116-year-old Emma Martina Luigia Morano (pictured) from Italy, according to Guinness World Records

    Robert Young, a senior consultant for gerontology at Guinness World Records, said in order to validate a person's longevity claim, a set of paperwork is required.

    They include the original proof of birth, a recent identification card with the date of birth and photo as well as mid-life documents such as a marriage record.

    Mr Young added: 'For a claim to the age of 119, we would like a family tree that helps to show how the person fits in.

    'Additionally, we would need information on parents, siblings, and children, as well as places of birth, residence and death.'
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    A centenarian

    HBD Genevieve Byars!

    Tai Chi helping woman reach 100th birthday
    100-year-old dancer practices Tai Chi to stay mobile. (August 30, 2016)

    John Bartell, KXTV 8:08 PM. EST August 30, 2016



    An ancient form of martial arts could be the key to a long life.

    Its working for a Sacramento woman who is turning 100 years old next week. She contributes her new found mobility to Tai Chi.

    "I feel great! It makes me feel young and I am good at it," said Genevieve Byars.

    Byars lost her mobility more than a decade ago.

    "I used to be a real good dancer," Byars recalled.

    In the 1950's she was a regular dancing audience member on the Lawrence Welk Show.

    "I met a lot of boyfriends then, but they dint treat me right," Byars said. "Some got fresh!"

    Byars' son Donny McCollum got her started on Tai Chi 4 years ago. Now she takes regular walks around the house. McCollum says his mom is getting so good at Tai Chi that he set up a punching bag for her.

    Her birthday is on Monday. The goal is to celebrate by going dancing.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #53
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    RIP Fu Suqing

    When someone passes at 119, can you really say it was unexpected?

    The world’s ‘oldest’ woman dies unexpectedly at 119
    By Yang Meiping | September 5, 2016, Monday



    A 119-year-old woman who was identified by social media as the oldest person in the world died yesterday, Chengdu Economic Daily reported yesterday.

    Leng Ting, Fu Suqing’s great granddaughter, said: “It happened very suddenly… we did not expect her to pass away so quickly.” Born in 1897 in Jianyang County in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Fu turned 119 on August 21.

    She had six children, spawning 68 family members over 5 generations.

    Fu, who spent her entire life in Chengdu, lived rather frugally, wearing a simple headscarf and casual clothes made of coarse cloth.

    She was robustly healthy well into her twilight years, effortlessly picking navel oranges in her yard, according to neighbors.

    So what was the secret to her longevity?

    Strange as it may seem, she said it was eating lots of pork, and the fattier the better.

    She did, however, shift to a more vegetable-based diet later in life.

    “She no longer ate pork so much and turned to well-stewed beans, pumpkin and sweet potatoes,” said Leng.

    “She spent most her time sleeping. Even when she was sitting in the living room, her eyes were closed.”

    Long added: “But her death is still surprising to us, as her physical condition significantly improved several days ago.

    “She ate two pieces of pork on Friday night.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Canada!
    Posts
    23,110
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    When someone passes at 119, can you really say it was unexpected?
    If you covered the bet at 120, yeah...
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  10. #55
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Li Liangui

    There are slideshows and a vid if you follow the link.

    REUTERS THE WIDER IMAGE



    China's Kung Fu masters
    Beijing, China Kim Kyung-Hoon
    Added today

    For 50 years, kung fu master Li Liangui has been contorting his body into eye-watering positions while practising one of the more unusual and less popular Chinese martial art forms.

    The 70-year-old is an expert in suogugong, or body shrinking kung fu, where practitioners dislocate their bones to help them achieve unlikely positions and feats.


    The svelte Li, who has a long, wispy white beard, has travelled the world promoting the brand of kung fu, performing for members of the royal family in the United Arab Emirates and appearing on television at home.


    But his promotional efforts have not proved as successful as he would have liked. "As soon as I'm gone, this thing will be gone completely. There won't be anyone else practising it. This is a really, really great regret, it's really a loss," Li told Reuters.

    "We've carried it on, we've promoted it abroad, but while the flowers have blossomed within the wall, the fragrance is only smelt outside," he said, using an expression to mean it is only appreciated abroad.

    There are hundreds of differing fight styles that are classed as kung fu, which soared in popularity globally following a series of films featuring U.S.-born and Hong Kong-raised actor Bruce Lee, who died in 1973.

    Another form, wushu, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee but failed last year in its bid to be included in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

    Li, though, felt suogugong was best despite his concerns about participation numbers, which are unknown.



    "Suogugong includes almost everything, it's the most comprehensive form of classic Chinese martial art that boosts health," he said.

    "It includes throwing, hitting, kicking and grappling. It's very complete. If it could be passed on (to future generations), that would be the best, but where can you pass it on to?"

    For Li, kung fu is a way of life. For many others it is a form of self defence or a way to keep fit.

    Xing Xi, a shaolin kung fu master who spent 10 years studying before opening his own martial arts academy on the outskirts of Beijing, felt young people lacked the commitment of previous generations.

    "There are many, many young people who have potential with kung fu," he told Reuters.



    "But what we need more are those who can settle in, so it goes from a hobby to being so deeply into it that kung fu becomes a part of our body and part of our life."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Poa Shen @ 92

    [IMG]https://broadly-images.vice.com/images/articles/meta/2017/01/20/manhattans-92-year-old-kung-fu-master-is-simply-the-best-1484945474.jpg?crop=1xw:0.26666666666666666xh;0xw, 0.17425227568270482xh&resize=2000:*&output-quality=70[/IMG]

    Manhattan's 92-Year-Old Kung Fu Master Is Simply the Best

    by Anna Furman
    JAN 20 2017

    When LES-based artist Laura Nova met Poa Shen, a woman who practices and teaches her form of kung fu in Nova's neighborhood, the pair became instant collaborators.

    Across the country, women and female-identifying artists are organizing art protests to raise money for organizations like Planned Parenthood and plant the seeds of resistance against Trump's anti-women agenda. After New York-based artist Laura Nova caught wind of the Nasty Woman exhibition in Queens, she enthusiastically pitched a performance piece featuring her 92-year-old neighbor and collaborator, the kung fu master Poa Shen, or Boyee, who practices and teaches on the Lower East Side, Nova's neighborhood. The pair met while Nova was conducting her "Moving Stories" project, an interactive walking tour for senior citizens that integrates storytelling, exercise, and memory.

    Because of the overwhelming number of performance proposals for the show, organizers asked Nova to instead consider donating a two-dimensional work. So she picked a photograph of Poa wearing a powder blue tracksuit and demonstrating one of the 36 postures in her practice. It was so striking I had to know more. I spoke with Nova about her friendship with Poa, collective memory, and about the threats facing the vibrant Lower East Side community both she and Poa call home.



    BROADLY: Can you share some background on the "Moving Stories" project and how it came about?

    Laura Nova: I've lived on the LES for the last 13 years and have been working in my community for much of that time, doing projects like "Feed Me A Story," a video cookbook centered on my neighbors' personal stories.

    In 2015, I noticed that there were all these tour guides coming through our neighborhood, supposedly the experts in food, architecture, and Jewish history. I kept thinking, Who are these people? They don't live here. So I sat down with a neighbor of mine and told him I wanted to do location-based stories with fitness tied in. Since seniors are the true experts [on the neighborhood], I wanted to work with them.

    Creating community-based public work that is intergenerational is important to me. The community actually is the expert, and the people that use the work become not just users but active makers themselves.

    How did you first meet Poa?

    I was leading a walking group, and Poa stumbled upon us and joined in. She speaks Cantonese and Mandarin so she didn't participate in the storytelling workshops that I coordinated with The Moth, but later, I found a translator, met with Poa individually, and developed a relationship. Now we train together and go for dim sum sometimes.

    After "Moving Stories," I approached her with an idea to make a short documentary video about Luk Tung Kuen, the form of kung fu that she practices, and educational exercise posters showing the moves.



    I'm so curious about her classes. Where does she teach and how do workshops normally run?

    She teaches groups of seniors at Little Flower Park on the LES and in Chinatown near Chatham Square. She won't work for money, but if it's part of an organized workshop, she'll ask for donations to be given to the Educational Alliance (EA). (She lives in senior housing that's attached to the EA on East Broadway.) Luk Tung Kuen translates to "six circulation fists," so there are 36 postures in total. It's not a fighting practice; the philosophy is to promote a health and well-being practice that helps with the circulation system.

    Poa's so passionate about teaching her art form; it strikes me that there's this powerful woman whose strength and drive to teach defy her age. I wanted to capture her forceful and indomitable spirit. She's such a small person with amazing flexibility. I think that the photos speak without words; her language is expressed through each physical movement.

    What kinds of visual references—fine art, comics, etc.—did you have in mind when you photographed her?

    I mean, she is Wonder Woman. She's 92 and can touch her toes, kick up, and balance. I was thinking of superheroes that are very poppy in color. What I recall from the Linda Evans series, which was way before my time, is that it was as much about her physical strength as it was about her mental fortitude.



    She's wearing an amazing powder blue tracksuit in the photo. Is that her own, or did you her?

    She was wearing a pink jumpsuit that day, but I asked her to change, because I thought blue would pop against the really reduced, white background in my backlit studio. I wanted to emphasize her super human-ness and capture her like a superhero action figure.

    She always dresses, by the way, beautifully—very tailored, with jewelry, everything. So in the documentary video, she dressed up, in a sense, for the video.

    How did she react to these photos?

    She doesn't always like the photos, and she didn't like the one [in the Nasty Woman show] because her mouth is open. She was counting in Chinese and calling out the names of the poses. I'm excited to revisit the photographs with Poa and the translator to see what she has to say, philosophy-wise, about each movement. I might add text to the photos to note her feelings and the meanings behind the postures.

    Why did you pick this photo, specifically, for the Nasty Woman show?

    I thought it was well suited for the mission of the exhibition, because, you know, is she a "nasty woman"? I thought she repesented some of the double meanings of "nasty woman," since she's a wise elder but also fierce and physically active. Initially I proposed to have Poa actually perform, teach, and do a routine at the opening, but the organizers had too many performances lined up already.

    I know that predatory real estate developers are always a concern for historic neighborhoods, especially ones with significant immigrant communities like the LES and Chinatown. What are the biggest issues that Poa and her neighbors face?
    There's a lot of major development going on in the neighborhood, which is why I got involved with storytelling and community-based work. The seniors are either dying or are actually going to be pushed out. There's a big housing complex going up on Delancey Street and three mega-tower luxury buildings going up on South Street and East Broadway. There's a real shift in this area; the infrastructure is going to change, and the influx of immigrants living here is going to change with it.



    There's a nursing home nearby that was landmarked and then it was sold to developers. Because of zoning laws, they can erect buildings on both sides of it, but they need to buy the air rights to build them even higher. These mega-towers are going up right in front of housing buildings, so that people who've lived in the neighborhood for 30, 40, 50 years will not just have their views obstructed, but will have reduced access to natural light and clean air. It's really sad.

    Sustaining the neighborhood has always been part of these story-based projects I've been doing, to give people a voice that wouldn't necessarily have one otherwise. Poa, like many of her neighbors, has an active community board, but her voice isn't necessarily heard. I'm trying to amplify those voices.
    Interesting that this is shown as 'art'. We do shoots like this all the time here. Maybe we should re-frame our work.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #57
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Zhang Hexian

    'Kung Fu Granny' has been honing her martial arts skills for the last 90 years
    BY ALEX LINDER IN NEWS ON FEB 13, 2017 10:00 PM



    Meet Zhang Hexian. She started to learn kung fu when she was just four years old. Now, 90 years later, she's better known as "Kung Fu Granny."



    Even at 94 years old, Zhang still maintains a daily training regimen of practicing her martial arts moves, sometimes even showing off her skill with a staff for fellow villagers in Liyang town in eastern Zhejiang province.



    Zhang is also credited with being the town's defender, keeping it safe from various scoundrels and bullies.



    Best to watch your step when visiting this granny's village.



    Or anywhere in China, really. Never can tell who is actually a kung fu master.

    [Images via NetEase]
    Wonder what her style is...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #58
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Zhang Hexian continued

    Here's all her past posts:
    1
    2
    3

    Across China: "Kung fu Granny" becomes Internet celebrity
    Source: Xinhua 2017-02-17 21:00:38
    NINGBO, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A stick in hand, 94-year-old kung fu granny Zhang Hexian fights local bullies and protect her fellow villagers.

    The granny has long been well-known in her hometown, Ninghai County, eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Recently, she has become a celebrity on Chinese social media, with some netizens saying that they wanted to be her disciples.

    Zhang started to learn martial arts from her father at the age of four. "My father would teach me kung fu skills even when in bed," she says.

    Every day, she gets up at 5 a.m., practices kung fu moves, and has some porridge or noodles for breakfast. She grows vegetables, chops wood and cooks meals by herself, since her husband passed away several years ago.

    Kung fu has brought her good health.

    "My mom has never been to the hospital, and would recover from occasional colds after some sleep," said Feng Chuanyin, Zhang's son. "She never takes health products such as vitamins or supplements."

    Video clips and pictures of her practising kung fu have went viral.

    "My dear granny, You are so great!" read one post on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like service. The netizen wished she would live more than 100 years.

    "Granny, do you still want to have disciples," asked another netizen. Some netizens even said they wanted their children to learn kung fu from her.

    Kung fu has not only brought her a strong body, but also romance.

    At 14, she met a man named Feng Yongkai, who was four years older than her. He was a kung fu student of Zhang's father.

    They would practice kung fu together in the mountain, gradually falling in love before getting married.

    Zhang's kung fu has even helped her deal with robbers. Once coming across three robbers on a mountain, she shouted "Dare you come and fight me?" and brought down two of them before they could even react. The third, realizing he had no chance, quickly ran off.

    Kung fu has given her strong arms, making her able to do large-pot cooking. Considered the best cook in her village in the 1970s, she once cooked as many as 52 dishes for a single banquet. Now in her nineties, she is still able to thread a needle by herself.

    Practicing kung fu is a tradition in her family. Zhang has taught her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren kung fu.

    "We practice kung fu for health reasons and self-defense," said Feng Chuanyin. "My mom tells us that attacking others is absolutely unacceptable."

    In good spirits, Zhang said that she wanted to teach kung fu to younger generations and pass it on.

    Editor: Xiang Bo
    Bild
    Yesterday at 4:07am ·
    Mit dieser Oma legst du dich besser nicht an! Die 94-Jährige Chinesin ist Kung-Fu-Meisterin.

    https://www.facebook.com/bild/videos/419822501694017/
    Play
    -0:51
    Mute
    Additional Visual SettingsEnter Fullscreen
    269K Views
    1.7K Likes215 Comments285 Shares
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #59
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Still trending

    Worthy of note - we knew about Zhang Hexian back in May '16.

    I'm going to split this off into its own indie thread now. After 89 years of practice, Madam Zhang deserves her own thread here.

    Kung fu granny, 93, becomes internet sensation in China
    POSTED 11:50 AM, FEBRUARY 21, 2017, BY WQAD DIGITAL TEAM

    (CNN) — She may be petite, but Zhang Hexian can pack a punch.

    It’s one of the many martial arts moves she’s mastered in her 89 years of practicing kung fu. The 93-year-old grandmother recently became a social media sensation in China after photos of her practicing kung fu went viral.

    For Zhang, kung fu has been a part of her life for almost as long as she can remember.

    “I started when I was four years old,” she tells CNN. “It’s my family tradition that has lasted more than 300 years.”

    Zhang, who lives in China’s southeastern Zhejiang province, says all her family members have learned kung fu, which instills discipline and strength. She recalls how she’d wake up in the morning and start practicing in bed whilst the covers were still over her.

    “I was born in 1924, at a time when China was at war with other countries,” Zhang says. “So (kung fu) was also a good way to learn self defense.”

    The type of kung fu Zhang practices originates from Fujian province and encompasses 15 different styles.

    Each style has about 36 moves. She says it takes about three years to fully learn one style. Zhang has mastered all of them — but recalls the hardest part was at the very beginning.

    “Most difficult was learning to squat firmly, because it made my muscles so sore,” Zhang says. “I remember being so sore, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom. And we were a poor family, so after practicing I’d be starving and we’d have nothing to eat.”

    Despite that, Zhang stuck with the practice every day, even well into her golden years — waking up every morning at 5 a.m. to exercise. Her favorite type of kung fu involves using bamboo sticks to fight an opponent.

    She credits kung fu, plenty of sleep and a healthy diet of mainly vegetables and a little bit of meat for keeping her healthy, pointing out that she’s never had to go to the hospital.

    “To have good body, you need to exercise and keep a positive attitude,” she says. “It’s also important to help others as often as you can.”

    Many of Zhang’s family members have moved away over the years, so they don’t often get together to practice kung fu. Zhang filled the void by teaching her neighbors.

    And of her new found internet fame, Zhang remains quite modest.

    “I never thought about being famous,” she said. “If people love kung fu, my family can teach them. We have been teaching people around here — but I never imagined we’d get the attention of others around the world.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #60
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Meena Raghavan

    Meena Raghavan = Meenakshi Gurukkal = Meenakshiamma, yes or no? The 'amma' in Meenakshiamma means 'mother' if I'm not mistaken, but she looks different in the vid. Gurukkal means teacher, like Guru. Raghavan is an Indian surname. Pardon my Hindi.

    Great Big Story

    January 14 ·
    ..
    At 74, Meena Raghavan is the oldest known practitioner of Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art from southern India. Since she was 7 years old, Raghavan has trained with the best of them. Now, she runs a school where she proudly trains boys, girls, men and women alike.


    https://www.facebook.com/greatbigsto...8738503095243/
    Play
    -2:18
    Mute
    ..

    1.4M Views
    7.3K Likes 301 Comments 6.1K Shares
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •