Tiger Claw 2014

The Tiger Claw Elite Championships was this last weekend as was San Jose's Tai Chi-Kung-fu Day.There were nearly 300 competitors and many old friends on hand to Judge.

I t was always great to see the elegant Master Grace Wu from Kansas, her grandfather was the great Wang Zi Ping, an important contributor to the development of Modern Wushu.

Coach Han Ming Nan, Wu Bin and Emilio were on hand.  Emilio and Matt Wong revised all the Wushu rules we use.....including those used for CMAT and the Collegiate Nationals. Good job!

Coach Wu also performed this year!  We are at the Ceasar Chavez  Plaza getting ready for the 24 Tai Chi big group performance.  Coach did the Tai Chi form too!

Grandmaster Jiu ji Ling's Team did the lion dance to open the festivities. 

Everything ran smoothly this year, tho there is still some parents and coaches who are not clear on the difference between traditional and contemporary Wushu.  Especially schools that are hybrids that teach a mixture of forms or create there own "traditional forms".  Traditional forms must have a lineage and be combat applicable.  I once asked Grandmaster Jackman Wong about this question.  He noted that actually each generation masters often modified or changed forms.  But he said that one should not change the intent of the move nor change its name.  It's ok to add moves but not subtract them.  In many forms I teach I have not changed the move only changed the take off from a traditional one to a contemporary one.  But the form has not changed.....a jump front kick is still that, just the take off is from modern Wushu.

Well I am winding down this semester and getting ready for finals.....have a good summer......