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Chapter 2 - The road to tai chi: Seek the divine art of Bagua Zhang from immortal mountain wizards (13 episodes) Click here for Chapter 1 ⇒ -- Chapter 1 Episode 1 - Departure - Across the Sea
A week had passed since arriving in Taiwan, and I was gradually getting used to the different environment. One day, the acquaintance of mine (the Taiwanese trade official) contacted me and introduced me to an eminent Tai Chi master. Being new to Taiwan and unfamiliar with the geography, I decided to visit the master's house with the help of a map and my acquaintance. I was truly excited by the fact that I was about to meet an "authentic Chinese master”. What would he be like? My mind was filled with the image of Old Man Chen, whom Oyama Masutatsu had fought in Hong Kong and admitted to losing only once in his life, also the image of Master Sun Lutang, the author of Xing Yi Quan Xue: The Study of Form-Mind Boxing, which I loved and read until it fell to pieces. He must be a slim, mysterious old man with a long beard, living in an old-fashioned house, sitting on a sandalwood chair in a quiet, incense-filled room, and surrounded by an aura of mystery, like a hermit. I was convinced that a true master of Chinese martial arts had such an air and I had come to Taiwan to meet such a master. I could hardly contain my excitement at the thought of finally meeting my long-awaited master. However, when I managed to find the house, the excitement died down for a moment. What stood there was a white-walled house that looked like a "common" or "ordinary" house, the kind you might find anywhere, or at least the kind where hermits would never live. I was disappointed inside, but I thought to myself, "what matters is the master himself!” I finally rang the chime. There was a slight pause before the door opened. The image of the hermit-like Master, who does not panic when the doorbell rings flashes through my mind. I felt my expectations, which had been lurking a little, grow again. The door opened with a creaking sound… What appeared there was the exact opposite of what I had envisioned! A man with refreshingly short hair, no long chin beard and a big drum belly.... He is not a flattering slender person. And instead of an aura, he was clad in an athletic shirt and shorts...! It was a perfect holiday look, without a shred of mystery. Moreover, it turned out that the reason why he took so long to come out was because he was taking a nap. My vision of the old master disappeared in a blink of an eye, but I felt a sense of familiarity with his appearance, which somewhat resembled my uncle's. This old man...no, this master was Master Lee Jin Chuan, the fifth generation of the traditional Yang style Tai Chi Chuan lineage, from Yang Luchan (first generation) to Yang Jianhou (second generation) to Zhang Qinlin (third generation) to Wang Yen-Nien (fourth generation). I pulled myself together and immediately decided to tell him the original purpose of my visit. It is quite rude in retrospect, but I told the traditional Tai Chi master that I was interested in Bagua Zang and would like to be introduced to a Bagua Zang master. It was a reckless request to ask him to introduce me to a master of another school. I was prepared that he might be angry for me visiting him when I wanted to learn the style other than his. However, Master Li was not offended, but rather, he was pleased that I had come to Taiwan to learn the martial art! He even told me, "Stay here and learn Tai Chi until you find a Bagua Zang master. His generous heart and personality, which graciously accepted a sudden visitor from Japan, were the very essence of the great softness of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan. I had no way of knowing at that time that his personality would save my life many times in the visits to masters that awaited me. Thus, while learning Tai Chi from Master Li, my second Tai Chi master, I began my days of anticipation in search of a Bagua Zang master. ～To be continued Please check the links below. THE ESSENCE OF CHEN STYLE TAICHI 【New!!】 https://youtu.be/X10sVQ8_kNg?si=NivDVoMB1_JuK6ov THE ESSENCE OF CHEN STYLE TAICHI 2 【New!!】 https://youtu.be/SWYWdsO3uKw?si=PFqwl3g5A5E2WQb3 Tai Chi "Peng Jin" power by Endo Seigen - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yeaJJzZZKck HOW TO MASTER KUNG FU IN CHEN STYLE TAI CHI - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yCzSTn-sQ-Q HOW TO MASTER KUNG FU IN CHEN STYLE TAI CHI 2 - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xdnbdH4d1sQ Instructional DVD on tai chi by Seigen Endo (in Japanese) https://www.hiden-shop.jp/smp/item/tic1d.html Autobiography of Seigen Endo (in Japanese) https://webhiden.jp/book/mb-tic1/ |
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