I have recorded in print the extraordinary 2012 CACMA Tournament achievement of our now "Number One," Violet Anderson, both at the time and recently when videos resurfaced (thanks to Richard Martin of Fayetteville, NC's, Rou Long Ma Chinese School of Martial Art) showing clips of her solo Quan and Weapons, and her Push-Hands competition. The original postings were of limited lifetime and view, mainly confined to Facebook.  We are reposting them on a more permanent BBP page here before they once again become lost in the ethereal electronic vapor cloud.

Violet does not appreciate my boasts of her achievement in class, at gatherings, workshops, seminars, or to various encounters with strangers in the street.  This will be my final such boast as a proud and respectful teacher.  I just want to add a couple final notes.

With my personal experience of competing in two tournaments in China, as the only foreign competitor, and judging and chief judging for 18 years in tournaments across and up 'n down our U.S. landscape, I witnessed few times when one competitor sweep multiple events in the Internal or Taiji Division of any tournament.  But the singular and unprecedented achievement of a Taiji player crossing over to the External Division and competing, much less placing 2nd in both hand and weapon events, I have never witness in two decades of tournament experience.  I have witnessed many "KungFu" players entering the Internal Forms and Interactive Events (and always complaining about not placing due to judges failure to recognize that their "slow kungfu" was equal to the taijiquan competition!), but never the reverse...

And lastly, in the two videos of her push-hands competition, I have heard many comments, from taijiquan players and "civilians" alike that, "nothing is happening."  To the contrary, that you do not see aggressive charging and extended arm pushing is evidence enough that Violet has learned and is exhibiting nian and tingjin, or sticking and reading principles (the most important of the five basic push-hands principles to excel in before ever trying fajin!), and that in some small way she is paying tribute to my "Last Lesson" (and last time ever seeing Jou Tseng Hwa alive, in April of 1998) with MrJou, a semi-private lesson with DrJay, on "Going Back Fundamentals" in relation to tuishou work!

I am not being boastful in this testimonial, I am not judging her performances.  Highly competent and independent judges in two tournament divisions are concurring in her achievement.  I just happen to agree with them!