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Big martial arts carnival planned
By Xu Wenwen |
July 2, 2013, Tuesday
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THE outdoor arena was thronged by thousands of spectators eager to see middle-aged kung fu master Liu Gaoshen, one of the three best in Shanghai, defeat a young adversary to take a gold medal.
Clenching his left fist, the young man opened the attack. Liu dodged and, meanwhile, raised his palm vertically to hit his opponent's shoulder. The young man staggered backward.
But it was a feint - he was testing the master's power and skill, hoping to find a weakness. And he did. Though Liu was powerful, his footwork appeared slow and after several rounds, Liu seemed physically tired.
So when Liu aimed his right hand to chop, the young man lowered himself, took a half step forward and kicked Liu's leg.
Liu fell, in effect, losing, but still struggling. So the young man said, "Let's fight again," and as the audience cheered, the young man used a one-hand chop and the master fell once again.
The young's name was Cao Yanhai. That match was one among hundreds during the first Zhejiang Chinese Martial Arts Carnival, held immediately after the first West Lake Expo which was held in1929 in Hangzhou.
Cao eventually ranked No. 4 in those games.
On that first day of competition, 60,000 spectators showed up in a city whose population was only 400,000. That martial arts competition roused enthusiasm for kung fu throughout the country.
Now the year is 2013. The West Lake International Expo is coming up in October, followed by the 2nd Hangzhou Chinese Martial Arts Carnival - there will be demonstrations by masters of various schools, exhibitions and discussions of kung fu and Chinese culture. But no actual competitions, because organizers want to avoid any injury.
It will be sponsored by the Hangzhou Gongshu District government and the Hangzhou Sports Bureau.
The carnival organizing committee held a seminar recently to discuss the history of the first carnival and what can be expected at the second one.
"Hangzhou did not occupy a key position in Chinese kung fu circles at the time but the Zhejiang Chinese Martial Arts Carnival made the city important in kung fu history," said Zhao Rongfu, the director of Hangzhou Sports Bureau.
The Central Martial Arts School was established in Beijing in 1927, and after the 1929 Hangzhou carnival - which was co-sponsored by the central school and Zhejiang Martial Arts School - almost every province and large city founded its own martial art school.
Those schools not only taught kung fu, but also literature. They were free and received government subsidies.
"The event made the Zhejiang Martial Arts School a school as popular as Central Martial Arts School," Gao Jian recalled. His teacher was a student from the school.
"Lots of young people sought admission and the school has cultivated many talented kung fu practitioners, including Nan Huaijin, renowned master of Chinese classical literature," Gao added.
The second carnival - more of a congress - in October will promote martial arts culture and sport, as did its predecessor 84 years ago.
Demonstrations will be given by masters of Shaolin, tai chi, wu dang and wing chun. They will also take part in discussions of how to develop kung fu today.
"Chinese kung fu is not only about how to fight, but is a deep culture associated with literature, medicine and Taoism," said Jin Hui, a member of the organizing committee.
"In an age of modern weaponry, the significance of the event lies in promoting Chinese sport and culture, not simply showing people how to fight," he said.
Clenching his left fist, the young man opened the attack. Liu dodged and, meanwhile, raised his palm vertically to hit his opponent's shoulder. The young man staggered backward.
But it was a feint - he was testing the master's power and skill, hoping to find a weakness. And he did. Though Liu was powerful, his footwork appeared slow and after several rounds, Liu seemed physically tired.
So when Liu aimed his right hand to chop, the young man lowered himself, took a half step forward and kicked Liu's leg.
Liu fell, in effect, losing, but still struggling. So the young man said, "Let's fight again," and as the audience cheered, the young man used a one-hand chop and the master fell once again.
The young's name was Cao Yanhai. That match was one among hundreds during the first Zhejiang Chinese Martial Arts Carnival, held immediately after the first West Lake Expo which was held in1929 in Hangzhou.
Cao eventually ranked No. 4 in those games.
On that first day of competition, 60,000 spectators showed up in a city whose population was only 400,000. That martial arts competition roused enthusiasm for kung fu throughout the country.
Now the year is 2013. The West Lake International Expo is coming up in October, followed by the 2nd Hangzhou Chinese Martial Arts Carnival - there will be demonstrations by masters of various schools, exhibitions and discussions of kung fu and Chinese culture. But no actual competitions, because organizers want to avoid any injury.
It will be sponsored by the Hangzhou Gongshu District government and the Hangzhou Sports Bureau.
The carnival organizing committee held a seminar recently to discuss the history of the first carnival and what can be expected at the second one.
"Hangzhou did not occupy a key position in Chinese kung fu circles at the time but the Zhejiang Chinese Martial Arts Carnival made the city important in kung fu history," said Zhao Rongfu, the director of Hangzhou Sports Bureau.
The Central Martial Arts School was established in Beijing in 1927, and after the 1929 Hangzhou carnival - which was co-sponsored by the central school and Zhejiang Martial Arts School - almost every province and large city founded its own martial art school.
Those schools not only taught kung fu, but also literature. They were free and received government subsidies.
"The event made the Zhejiang Martial Arts School a school as popular as Central Martial Arts School," Gao Jian recalled. His teacher was a student from the school.
"Lots of young people sought admission and the school has cultivated many talented kung fu practitioners, including Nan Huaijin, renowned master of Chinese classical literature," Gao added.
The second carnival - more of a congress - in October will promote martial arts culture and sport, as did its predecessor 84 years ago.
Demonstrations will be given by masters of Shaolin, tai chi, wu dang and wing chun. They will also take part in discussions of how to develop kung fu today.
"Chinese kung fu is not only about how to fight, but is a deep culture associated with literature, medicine and Taoism," said Jin Hui, a member of the organizing committee.
"In an age of modern weaponry, the significance of the event lies in promoting Chinese sport and culture, not simply showing people how to fight," he said.
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