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RECORD OF THE FIRST CONGRESS OF WUDANG ZHAO BAO TAIJIQUAN

From 17 to 22 october 2005 the first congress of Wudang Zhao Bao style of Taijiquan took place in Wudang mountain. This was the most important gathering that has ocurred in the 400 years of history of the style, and it was a great success for Zhao Bao Taijiquan. One of the decisions that was taken was to repeat the gathering every two years, so the next congress will be in 2007.

Note: All photographscan be enlarged clicking over them.

Over all it can be said the congress was a success thoughsome aspects of the structural organization of the congress were deficient in some ways, such as the acomodation of people in hotels or the timing of demonstrations, due to the organization being overwhelmed by the unexpected masive attendance to the congress.

Several forms of Zhao Bao style were shown, such as Da Jia, Xiao Jia, Hulei Jia, Teng Na Jia, Cha Tuo Jia, etc.

ATTENDANCE

Eight countries attended the congress, among them Italy, England, France, USA (with chinese residents in USA) Our own Asociation Hispano China de Taichi- see link at bottom of the page- represented Spain.

Apart from various local authorities several well known masters of Zhao Bao Style, more than 60 teams of Zhao Bao Taijiquan and more than 800 persons attended the congress.

THE ACTS

The inaugural ceremony tokk place in the morning of 17 october, with a large attendance of authorities, famous persons, public, and media. We couldn't attend the beginning of the ceremony because we had to wait outside, to enter in well ordered group formations, with the rest of participants, when the beating of drums was over.

After the oficial speaches came the demonstrations of masters such as Zhao Zengfu, Wang Haizhou, Liu Rei, Li Sui Cheng, etc.

Master Sun Feng Xiang made a demonstration of "yue ya chan"an ancient weapon that weights more than 10 kg. There was also a show of exceptional abilities and we could see how (I couldn't get his name) the person performing them made the point of a spear rest over his eye and make it bend, he also managed to escape from a cage with iron bars, after bending them.

Wudang monks made magnificent demonstrations of their high level of gong fu.

Latyer on began the competition. It was soon the turn of one of our representatives, the event was recorded in some chinese magazines and web pages. During the next two tollowing days there was continous competitions of groups and individuals. There was also a men and women tui-shou encounter, that was a little controversial.

80 articles about Zhao Bao were presented in a contest (Zhang Xiumu was second)

The great masters of the style were elected:

Zheng Jun
Li Sui Cheng
Liu Hui Chi
Hou Zhan Guo
Wang Hai Zhou
Zhao Zeng Fu
Yan Cun Wen
Yan Qing Wu
Wang Qing Shen
Wu Ren Tang
Liu Rei
Song Wen Hua
Yuan Shi Jie
Li Shu De
Zheng Yan Shen
Yu Cheng Yong
Ji Jian Hai

The excellent transmitters of the style were selected (you xiu chuan ren), among whom was Zhang Xiumu.

There was a signature collection in support of the declaration of Zhang San Feng as the creator of Tai Chi Chuan.

Unfortunately we couldn't attened many of the conferences because they were ocurring simultaneously with the competitions in wich we were participating. In fact Zhang was in a difficult situatioin when he was executing the Zhao Bao form and was called through the high speakers to participate in another act inside the hall.

PARTICIPANTS

FOREING PARTICIPANTS

Apart from our group consisting of 10 students and our master Zhang Xiumu, the only western people participating were one representative from France, one from Italy and one from England.

Representing France: Jean-Thibaut Fouletier;
Italy: Pasquale Stefano Ciotti
England: Mike (I don't know his name)
Spain: Carles Murcia; Evaristo Farré, Fabienne Boyer, Patricia Bauli, Jesús Poblete, Marcelo Fortino, Enric Saiz, Victoria Sen, Montserrat Ruiz and me, Guadalupe Cervilla.

Mykel, from England, is a student of Liu Rei, and was living in China.

The Frenchman made a magnificent exhibition, he had many chinese friends among them Liu Jin Quan -tai chi chuan champion in Hong Kong.

The italian attempted to compete in tuishou.

We, the spanish people from de Asociation Hispano China de Taichi (HCH TAICHI) were the ones who atracted most attention in many ways, including our purple costumes, that were easely seen among all other. It was very easy to find us. Everyone wanted to be photographied with us. We were very popular.

THE LOCALS

It was imposible to see all the local people with the added dificulty that when I could concentrate in the competition, it was necesary to choose an whom to concentrate, since several groups were featured simultaneously in diferent spaces... confusing. Any way among what I saw I can mention:

The marvellous participation of Sun Wuyi, a student of Zhao Zengfu, amaged all of us (western and chinese) A litle clip of her can be seen though not of the competition, in the HCH TAICHI web -link botton of page-

Liu Jingquan, was also great, as is to be expected from him, though may be to circunstances such as bad wheather, wet ground, he was not as excelent as when he obtained the gold medal in Hong Kong.

The tui-shou girls, whose names I do not know. One short and slim, sparring with another one taller and more stronger.

The old man who after his exhibition was happy to be applauded by everyone, and demonstrated touched the ground with legs completely open and them standing on his head.

The Wudang monks and nuns, who apart than their excelent physical form introduced a touch of colour with theirs beautiful costumes, and presented us with excelent demonstrations.

THE JUDGES

There were many, dressed in black. To me they were one of the failurs in the organization. There were complaints, and among other things, they got confused with the foreign names, and also with some of the local ones. The giving of the awards was not done publicly, bu tin a specially arranged room were they gathered to give one by one, the awards obtained. Zhang went in, representing all of us, as nearly all of us obtained some award. However in the clising act some special awards were given publicly.

THE PUBLIC

Except the first day when the stadium was packed, the following days there was nearly more people on the track than in the spectator benches. Most of us were participants (about 800 people), through of course not all at the same time in the activities. Among the spectators I only saw two or three western people.

THE MEDIA

Many local and provincial media were present. The central chinese televisiion did not finally come to the event. In fact Zhao Bao style, is not yet oficially recognized. I gave two interviews, as representative of the few foreigners that asiested, and because i speak chinese. One of then was, I think for the local TV, the other one I don't know.

Jarek Szymanski, a polish man who live in China and websmaster of the well known web page "China from Inside" was there; and I was abble to interview him. The interview is presented in this section.

THE SETTING

We were not lucky with the weather. At least it was not very cold, but we had rain on several occasions, and we hard to just stand it sometimes without umbrella. The worst was to compete under the rain, though it wasn't heary rain.

The event of the congress created a great exitment in all the village.

We had the good fortune to be lodged in the hotel wich was comunicated with the stadium were a number of masters and famous people were also lodged. It was a pleasent place though the food was not of the quality expected of the place.

The last day, those of those participants who choose to were taken to visit the monasteries. We visited Zi Xiao Gong where there was a religioses ceremony taking place, with nuns singing and playing music and we climbed to Jin Ding, the summit of Wudang.

Then the farewells, the good wishes to meet again, and, specially, to return.