Sun-Link-Sea

In January, 2008, we went on a training trip up into the mountains with the whole Chang Hong Kung Fu group. We visited a place called San Lin Hsi, which translates into something like "Fir Woods Stream".

The place is known for its flowers and trees, many of which only grow at its elevation of 1600m.

On this trip, we focused on the practice and use of straightsword. Here, Master Chen demonstrates an application for the group.

Instructor Ray Lu practicing San Tsai Jian, or Three Powers Sword.

The group, practicing a southern sword form, Hong Men Jian.

River and Alastair, hard at work perfecting technique.

Our Hsinchu group, minus Paula (behind the camera).

At the end of the trip we stopped in Lugang, where Master Chen had grown up. He took some time to demonstrate a few movements with the straightsword.

Young Forest Temple

We took our first trip to the Shaolin Temple in the summer of 2002. Located within the Songshan Mountains in Henan, China, it's considered the birthplace of both Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Regardless of how touristy it is these days, its ancient origins and remarkable history keep it a pilgrimage site for many modern-day kung fu practitioners from all over the world.

We stayed the night near the temple and heard shouts of training coming from the courtyard outside our hostel at 5 a.m. Thousands of young students train at not only the temple, but also at numerous schools located in the nearby town, Dengfeng.

When they asked for volunteers, Tsai Yu-Hsin and I could not resist. Here we are, failing at our attempt to pull the bowl from the young monk-in-training's abdomen. It seemed pretty impressive at the time, but there was, however, a bit of a trick involved....