1
2
3
4
Cane competition
LaoMa competes with cane during his stay in China. This was a regional tournament and he competed in in Wuchang,Hube and actually placed first! But only because he practiced to the posted time limit. Trophy was a yellow and orange pillow towel that had "Shanghai" written on it in ... English! A prize for Chinese people in 1987!
Ding Hongkui at 91
Ding Hongkui, 91 years old at this picture and reaching the end of a 60 year career of teaching at this same Snake Hill Pavilion. The foremost authority in China on Tang Pai, an almost 1400 year old Martial Art System. He never allowed himself to be called anything but Ding YeYe... Grandfather Ding... Fortune surely smiled on me to be able to study under this great man, and be called both his first Foreign Student and Closing Student. (Snake Hill Pavilion was--it is now a mah jong parlour--at the very place on Snake Hill where the 1911 Republican Revolution of Sun Yet- Sen began the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty!)
Black Bamboo Pavilion Taijiquan gives classes in tai chi, tai chi weapons, push hands and shufa (chinese caligraphy) in Durham, Pittsboro, Raleigh and the surrounding area.