Lion Dancing 2008 and more

Wow, you would think after CNY things would slow down a bit.....but no we are still going full blast!  Wednesday I was out with my buddies and Kei Lun dedicating the new Intercontinnetal Hotel in downtown San Francisco.  My buddies and I often referred to as the " three amigos".......Marvin is from the old Luk Mo Kung-fu School...one of Chinatown's oldest Choy Lay Fut School, Glenn from the famous Golden Lions of the 60's...it was the first prototype lion dance club in Chinatown......they brought lots of people to perform and danced with multiple lions...all dressed in kung-fu black.  Most young people in Chinatown have never heard of these groups, but they were the pioneers of martial arts and lion dancing in the 60's.  Things always go in cycles.....not too long ago I was the young wushu upstart in the Chinatown Martial Arts Community...now  I am one of the old guys!  For this performance I was the buddha......always fun as you get to tease your audience and demonstrate your martial arts............not seriously but for fun!!  The Hotel staff was very gracious and attentive..........we performed for their staff training meeting...........so everyone was in a great mood and had an enjoyable time.

SF Wushu Team at Chinese Education Center

Friday, the San Francisco Wushu Team was invited to perform for the students at Chinese Education Center in the heart of Chinatown.  It is a school for newly arrived immigrant kids from China and Hong Kong.  They needed no introduction to the CNY Celebration.......as they all were very familiar with the tradition.  We had though a momentary crisis.............as we did not have any lion dancers...........unless you count us old guys!!  If I had to dance it.......we would be the oldest lion dance team in Chinatown's History!!  Fortunately, rising to the occasion was Kevan (aka Ghostpalm)................he and Dale did the Lion!!  He did an excellent job.....no camel Lion!  Kevan.......you rock!!   The rest of the team also performed wushu for the kids...............Glenn and Corey showed how taiji is used at full speed, and Marvin demonstrated the rarely seen Miao Dao..........a four and a half feet weed cutter used by the Miao minority as a fighting weapon.  Glenn and I also did a Chen Taiji shadow boxing routine........you are each doing a set in response to your partners movements.  Cass (aka CF) did her nanquan and nandao...........the girls in the audience enjoyed her showing that wushu was not just for the boys.  Thanks to everyone who performed that day you all did a great job!!  Well, the weekend is coming up.......and it's time for the Collegiate Nationals....next time! Cya all!