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Thread: Info on Wudang

  1. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    'Get a haircut!' sez the Shaoliner to the Wudanger.
    HOLY CR*P!!!! The guy in the last picture there with the sword is a friend of mine (and training partner) from Kunming!! China's really a small place after all.

    I'm sending the link to him now.

  2. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShaolinDan View Post
    HOLY CR*P!!!! The guy in the last picture there with the sword is a friend of mine (and training partner) from Kunming!! China's really a small place after all.

    I'm sending the link to him now.
    Maybe we'll see you next...
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by TaichiMantis View Post
    Maybe we'll see you next...
    You already have: http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezin...p?article=1092
    Though, I guess it's cheating, since I wrote it myself.

  4. #64
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    Dude, get a haircut!

  5. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by PalmStriker View Post
    Dude, get a haircut!
    Ouch! Very well played.

    For what it's worth (and to get a little bit on topic), 'authentic' or not, my friend had a really great time training there. And I can say from seeing his gong fu before and after that the quality of instruction he got was certainly good. He's a very experienced TKD guy with just a little bit of CMA training and before he went he really looked like a TKD guy doing gong fu forms. Two months later, everything was smoothed out and really looked like gong fu--I was very impressed by how much he'd learned and how well he'd learned it in that time.

  6. #66
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    only boxing known from wudang is hong quan

    LOL

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  7. #67
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    You laowai really stick out sometimes.

    Quote Originally Posted by ShaolinDan View Post
    HOLY CR*P!!!! The guy in the last picture there with the sword is a friend of mine (and training partner) from Kunming!! China's really a small place after all.
    Nothing like a laowai longhair to give Chinese press exactly what they want - sophisticated masters showing foreign barbarians the light. You know, when I was first traveling to China, they would give you a haircut at the border if they didn't approve.

    Quote Originally Posted by PalmStriker View Post
    Dude, get a haircut!
    Gene Ching
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  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Nothing like a laowai longhair to give Chinese press exactly what they want - sophisticated masters showing foreign barbarians the light. You know, when I was first traveling to China, they would give you a haircut at the border if they didn't approve.


    That's fine on me, but my friend's the only one in those pics who doesn't have long hair.

  9. #69
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    Nice Vid on Wudang Training

    This is a Chinese series called Kung Fu Quest 2...much better than the American copy cat reality shows like Fight Quest.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBPzaxP2Cvs
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  10. #70
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    random ttt

    武当山Wudang Mountain
    2014-12-08 15:35:48 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Qin Mei


    A group of photos of "Sister Wudang"(武当妹妹wǔ dāng mèi mèi) went viral online. The photos show Zhang Lijuan practices martial arts and plays Guzheng, a traditional plucked-string musical instrument, at the Changchun Daoist Temple in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Dec 4, 2014.

    Zhang, born in Jishou, Hushou, Hunan province, became fascinated with martial arts at an early age. In 2007, she got enrolled at the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy. She made a sensation in 2009 when her photos were published online and won the name of "Sister Wudang".

    Wudang and Shaolin(少林shào lín ) are considered as the two main sects of Chinese martial arts.


    Wudang Mountain 武当山 wǔ dāng shān

    Located in the northwest of Hubei Province, Wudangshan Mountain covers an area of more than 30 square kilometers. Wudangshan has 72 peaks with steep valleys and beautiful scenery. The main peak, Tianzhu Peak (Heaven Column), is 1,612 meters above sea level.

    [Photo:nipic.com]

    Wudangshan is known as a sacred mountain of the Taoism(道教 dào jiào). Famous Taoist masters in history used to reside here. It was as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that people built the Five Dragon Temple. In the following dynasties, the buildings on the mountain were expanded. There are now 36 palace halls, which were built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). These buildings are the largest existing Taoist complexes, in which various sculptures, scriptures and Taoist items are of high cultural and artistic value.

    Wudang chuan (武当拳 wǔ dāng quán) translates as "Wudang fist." Whereas Shaolin includes many martial art styles, Wudangchuan includes only a few arts that utilize the focused mind to control the waist.



    At the first national martial arts tournament organized by the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928, participants were separated into practitioners of Shaolin and Wudang styles. Styles considered to belong to the latter group - called Wudang chuan - are those with a strong element of Taoist neidan exercises. Typical examples of Wudang chuan are Taiji chuan(太极拳tài jí quán), Xing Yi chuan and Baguazhang. According to legend, Taiji chuan was created by the Taoist hermit Zhang Sanfeng, who lived in the Wudang Mountains.
    Nothing like a cute female follower to make your temple go viral ...
    Gene Ching
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  11. #71
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    ttt 4 2016!

    Haven't heard much from Wudang in some time. And this isn't much really either, but it's pretty and good fodder for our Sword Hotties thread.

    Enthusiasts perform Kung Fu at Wudang Mountain
    (People's Daily Online) 08:56, April 20, 2016










    Photo shows an enthusiast performing Chinese Kong Fu on Wudang Mountain. Wudang Mountain, located in Shiyan in western Hubei, is both a famous scenic spot and the Taoist Holy Land in China. The ancient architectural complex on the mountain was listed by UNESCO as a World Culture Heritage Site in 1994. (Photo/people.cn)
    Gene Ching
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  12. #72
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    What's going on in Shiyan Lake nowadays?

    Clearly I have been practicing Tai Chi incorrectly. I should be surrounded by hotties in a beautiful setting, not by myself in the suburbs.

    Tai Chi master leads lake performance
    2016-04-27 16:19Ecns.cn Editor:Yao Lan










    Wu Jianhua (in black), a master of Chen-style Tai Chi, leads a show with other practitioners at Shiyan Lake in Changsha City, capital of Central China’s Hunan Province, April 27, 2016. (Photo: China News Service/Yang Huafeng)
    Gene Ching
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  13. #73
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    An overview from Shanghai Daily

    There's an embedded vid that I didn't copy over - Dancing Crane by Guan Yongxing

    Wudang kung fu
    Source: Shanghai Daily | February 12, 2017, Sunday | PRINT EDITION


    Left: Two Taoist priests practice Wudang kung fu in front of the Purple Heaven Palace on Wudang Mountains in Hubei Province. — Wang Yong

    Tai Chi master Guan Yongxing performs at snowy Mountain Wudang today. He imitates a dancing crane, which is a Chinese symbol of longevity. (Program Code: 090934617022100010 Source: Shanghai Daily)

    WUDANG kung fu is one of the two most representative styles of traditional Chinese martial arts, the other being Shaolin. It’s a popular saying in China that “In the north, Shaolin kung fu is king; yet in the south, Wudang kung fu rules.”

    Unlike its northern counterpart, which is known for its “external” form of martial arts and integration with Zen Buddhism, Wudang kung fu is an “internal” martial art based on the philosophy and canons of Taoism, an indigenous Chinese religion.

    Wudang kung fu is named after the Wudang Mountains, a sacred center of Taoism and home to a complex of famous Taoist temples. Located in central China’s Hubei Province, just south of Shiyan city and north of Shennongjia Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wudang Mountains are considered by Taoists as the most ideal place in the country to achieve taihe or “great harmony,” the pinnacle of Taoism.

    The first Taoist temple, Five Dragons Temple, was built here during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Further structures were added in the following centuries, particularly under the sponsorship of Chinese rulers who were pious Taoist followers themselves, such as Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

    Soon, Wudang Mountains drew many believers to practice Taoism here. One of them was Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary 12th century Taoist figure and the man widely credited with founding Wudang kung fu.

    There are various historical accounts about Zhang’s life. One tradition claims that he was born in Shaowu in southeast China’s Fujian Province in 1247 and lived for more than 200 years. He is said to have served as a government official for a short period of time in his youth, but later left his office and gave away his wealth and began to travel the country as an ascetic.

    Zhang eventually settled in the Wudang Mountains and lived there as a reclusive Taoist priest, healer and sage.

    Zhang spent much time studying Taoist philosophy and medicine. To prolong his lifespan and achieve immortality, he advocated the so-called Taoist “inner medicine.”

    He once said: “To cultivate the mood before cultivating the medicine; to cultivate the character before cultivating good medicine; when the mind is steady, the medicine will come naturally by itself; when the mood and character have been cultivated, good medicine will be in reach.”

    Inner strength

    In the book entitled “Epitaph of Wang Zhengnan,” Huang Zongxi (1610-95), a renowned Chinese naturalist, political theorist and philosopher, claimed that Zhang Sanfeng also created Taoist internal martial arts, which include both Tai Chi Chuan and Wudang kung fu.

    The internal and external are key concepts in traditional Chinese fighting arts. The difference is the source of the energy applied.

    For instance, a fighting movement may be exercised by external muscular and structural forces, or by controlling the circulation of an inner force called chi (“life energy”), which can be accumulated by physical and spiritual exercise and flow through a relaxed body.

    Zhang’s Tai Chi Chuan and Wudang kung fu were allegedly created according to Taoist ideology, which holds that the Tao, the everlasting source, pattern and substance of everything in existence, suggests naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity as well as softness, quiet, unification and harmony. And these elements are present in the movements and skills of Wudang kung fu.

    The initial purpose of Zhang’s Wudang kung fu was to maintain fitness. The movements and skills of Wudang kung fu were designed to improve blood circulation, relax muscles and joints and cultivate physical and mental health.

    Later, it also became a fighting art for self-defense. Its strategy is to fend off hard attacks with soft movements, defeat the strong in a yielding way, confront the active with stillness, beat the fast in a slow manner and strike out only after an opponent has struck first. It emphasizes defense rather than offense. This is because Taoism promotes peace and harmony, rather than conflict; so Wudang kung fu is meant for protection, not destruction.

    Wudang kung fu has three main styles, namely, baguazhang, Tai Chi Chuan and xingyiquan.

    Baguazhang, literally “Eight Trigram Palm,” is named after the trigrams of “I Ching” or “Classic of Changes,” an ancient Chinese divination text and one of the key ideological foundations of Taoism. Circle walking is the customary movement of Baguazhang.

    Tai Chi Chuan combines slow, deliberate movements, meditation and deep breathing. It is today chiefly a mind-body practice to help treat or prevent health problems, as well as delay aging.

    Xingyiquan, which translates literally to “Shape-will Boxing,” is the oldest of the Wudang internal martial arts. It concentrates on the mind and the shape of the body, rather than physical strength and heavy handed force. It is primarily composed of five basic fist movements, all exercised at short range.

    Some documents indicate that xingyiquan was created in imitation of the fighting techniques and spirit of 12 animals — such as the tiger, monkey, snake, eagle, horse and bear — to tap into the natural instincts and fighting abilities those animals possess.

    Wudang kung fu remains popular in China today, and like its northern counterpart Shaolin kung fu, it is also being practiced in many other places around the world. In 2006, Wudang kung fu was written into China’s first national intangible cultural heritage list.
    Gene Ching
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  14. #74
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    Zhong Yunlong in People's Daily

    The disappearing art of Chinese Wudang-style Kongfu
    (People's Daily Online) 15:43, July 06, 2017

    Traditional Chinese Kongfu lost its practicality after the end of the cold weapon age. Wudang, one of the most famous forms, is trying to carry the tradition forward in a new age.
    Zhong Yunlong, born in 1964, is 14th generation Wudang Sanfeng Sect. He came to Wudang when he was 19 years old and exchanged Kongfu arts with other sects on behalf of Wudang. Zhong returned to the Purple Cloud Temple, the base of Wudang, five years later to deal with challengers from other places.


    (Purple Cloud Temple)

    The last person who challenged him was an Italian fighter some 23 years ago. Claiming to be the founder of martial arts in Europe, he was thrown to the ground and slightly injured. Measures were later put in place to prevent future injuries. Without an actual combat atmosphere, however, fighters cannot learn from each other, and Wudang gradually became a form of exercise for self-entertainment.
    According to Zhong, Wudang used to have 11 branches, but now only has six. “The most important reason for their disappearance is the strict rules of inheritance. There used to be more than 400 sects in Taoism Kongfu, but most of them were lost over time.”
    Wudang swordsmanship exists only in legends, because today’s swords are made of iron and are wobbly, so they are only suitable for performances or collection. He has collected various swords, all of which are unsatisfactory, expect one: a rusty sword made in the 1980s has companied Zhong till now.


    (Wudang's Sword Collection)

    “Its performance rather than community,” Zhong said, describing the present environment of Kongfu. Before, several years of training was required before one could even start learning Wudang Kongfu. Nowadays, most people are just interested in superficial moves.
    According to rumor, Zhong’s master gave him a sword book before he died. Zhong said the rumor is false. “There’s no such sword book. We were taught the arts orally.”


    (Zhong Yunlong)

    Wudang and Shaolin are the best-know forms of Chinese Kongfu. Wudang is famous for swordsmanship while Shaolin style is superior in boxing. Wudang’s swordsmanship is famous in China. It combines both hard and soft moves that change according to the reactions of the challengers.
    Nowadays, Taoists in Wudang pay more attention to tourism than Kongfu. Data shows that Wudang received 7.6 million tourists in 2016, and made 4.3 billion RMB in 2016.
    Zhong left the Purple Cloud Temple last year, despite his promise to his master that he would never leave Wudang. He did not take his sword with him.


    Wudang & our SEP+OCT 2003 cover master.
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  15. #75
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    Yuzhen Palace

    Is there really a 'world record' catagory for Taoist temple construction speed?

    World record breaking work on Yuzhen Palace complete
    12019-09-12 10:27:12 China DailyEditor : Li Yan ECNS


    Yuzhen Palace on Wudang Mountain in Shiyan, Hubei province, is seen last week. (Photo by MAO YONGSHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY)

    Yuzhen Palace, a group of Taoist palaces in Central China's Hubei province, has had all its foundations raised a record 15 meters and its buildings restored.

    The central government started the work in 2011 to prevent the World Cultural Heritage site from being submerged by a nearby reservoir for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

    The palace complex on Wudang Mountain in Shiyan, Hubei province, was built in 1412 by an emperor of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary Taoist who created tai chi. Its name Yuzhen means "encounter with the immortal".

    To raise the foundation, workers used jacks to lift three stone gates weighing about 7,000 metric tons and build up the foundation beneath them, according to the publicity department of the Wudang economic zone.

    The department said that it was the first time a building had ever been raised 15 meters for a restoration.

    At its peak, Yuzhen Palace had 400 halls and pavilions covering 5,600 square meters. Now, however, just a few of the main halls remain, showcasing the well-preserved style of the early Ming Dynasty.

    Workers had to dismantle the buildings and then restore them as close to their original state as possible on top of the new foundation. The total cost of the effort was about 200 million yuan ($28 million).


    Yuzhen Palace on Wudang Mountain in Shiyan, Hubei province, is seen last week. (Photo by MAO YONGSHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY)

    The work was designed by the country's South-to-North Water Transfer Project Office and National Cultural Heritage Administration for this diversion project's expansion.

    In 2005, the central government planned to enlarge water storage capacity of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the water source of the middle route of the diversion project. By 2013, its dam's top was raised from 162 to 176.6 meters, leading to a 66 percent increase in its water storage, according to local authorities.

    The reservoir is one of the largest artificial freshwater lakes in Asia and provides water to areas of Henan and Hebei provinces as well as Beijing and Tianjin.

    However, the expansion posed a submergence risk to surrounding areas within 300 square kilometers. So Yuzhen Palace, located about 1 kilometer from the water, needed to be saved from ruin.

    By 2013, the dam and foundation raising projects were completed. In July this year, all the other buildings were restored, concluding the foundation project.

    Cai Jianping, deputy head of the department of South-to-North Water Diversion Project Management with the Ministry of Water Resources, said that it should be celebrated that the work of Yuzhen Palace has passed technical checks, and it should be recognized as a historic moment for the palace that will help ensure its future.
    Gene Ching
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