The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain

I have written this article for anybody who would like to visit Hong Kong to experience Tai Chi Chuan training in the Far East.
I was there in April 2005 and had the opportunity to observe and train with a cross-section of Tai Chi Chuan practitioners.

A bit of background
Hong Kong is on the coast of China's mainland. The territory, which includes Hong Kong island, Kowloon, New Kowloon, New Territories and 235 islands in the south China Sea, has a land area of 400 square miles, 40% of which is made up of 21 country parks, and a population of about seven million.

Hong Kong is a mix of the ultra-modern and the traditional. The city is clean, safe and well run. Its vibrant population loves the pursuit of money and wealth and has a huge appetite for all things western.

I went to Hong Kong to visit my wife's family, who live in Kowloon, catch up with some friends and to do some Tai Chi Chuan. My wife and I landed in HK at the beautiful Chek Lap Kok airport and after the usual family stuff that happens at airports when you meet relatives, we all caught a shuttle bus to Kowloon and our holiday began. As my wife is HK Chinese, I get to live as a 'local' for the two weeks we stay with my mother-in-law. This involves meeting lots of family members and friends for dim sum, meals out, shopping, sightseeing and relaxing. I love it all.

I also like to do a bit of Tai Chi Chuan when I'm there. Usually this involves training on my own, but this year I was given some contact names from my Sifu Dan Docherty, and made a concentrated effort to check out what was on offer.

My two guides did a great job of showing me around HK; they are both Tai Chi players of between fi ve and 15 years experience in different styles to me. So what were my experiences of Tai Chi Chuan in HK?

Are you mental?
First of all none of my family or friends in HK do or know anyone who practises Tai Chi. Martial arts are for the old, the thugs and the crazy.

When you ask people about Tai Chi, they say 'that's that slow dancing old people do in the parks to keep themselves fi t' and ask you why are you doing it as your are not old. Also If you say it's a martial art they laugh and say 'its too slow to work, try Wing Chun.'

The public impression of Tai Chi is like Morris Dancing in the UK; you kind of know what it is, but you have never done it and don't know anybody who does. Like in the UK, most people don't practice a martial art, and especially not Tai Chi, to stay fi t and healthy.

Modern ways
Western style fi tness is much more popular. The corporate gym culture is huge: Jackie Chan has his own super chain around HK, yoga is massive, western boxing is fashionable, golf has always been popular, and all the teenagers play soccer and basketball.

People want to relax and enjoy themselves and try many different ways to do this. The closest most HK people get to martial arts is watching it on TV.

People of all ages are prepared to study very hard to gain the academic qualifi cations that will advance them in their chosen careers and the importance of education is instilled to HK kids at a very young age.

Parents will give total fi nancial support and by western standards spoil their kids rotten, but unlike in Britain, these kids are under huge social/family pressure to achieve good grades. Failure is not an option and, sadly, suicides are very common. Children and adults alike don't have the time, inclination or the need to study a martial art.

Martial arts are just not as important to a highly educated and ambitious population as they were in the 1970s: life was also a lot more dangerous in those times. The threats you are likely to now face are in the boardroom, not the back streets of Mong Kok.

True lies
The reality of practicing tai chi in HK is very different to the image we have in the UK. For example:

• Nobody wears mandarin suits when training, except the tourists.
• Standing-pole Chi Gung is only done by the very old and sick.
• Very few players are under 50 years old.
• Nobody practices under trees; the birds make a mess of your clothes.
• Tai Chi Chuan is not practiced as a martial art, its just exercise.
• Many teachers will sit about drinking and or smoking, while getting the senior students to teach. Most are very lazy.
• Every one you meet is a 'master' or even a 'grandmaster' and all have practised for more than 40 years, even if they look 20 years old.
• Many 'teachers' only practise/teach competition forms and sword. Gold medals are important if you are going to teach in the west.
• Absolutely everyone without exception will cheat at free pushing hands, using mostly laughable hard style techniques to try and kill you. Save that stuff for actual San Shou training, which they don't do.
• 'Softness' is often talked about, but very few have any idea what it is.
• Many teachers love to have a foreign student, as they're easier to rip off.
• The more you search for the spiritual side, the more money you will need to spend. That's a lesson in itself.
• You will defi nitely meet one or two real masters, but they only come out on the weekend or at night.

Real skill
All the government-run early morning classes are fantastic, if you are over 60 years old. They are held six days a week, Monday to Saturday for two hours, and concentrate on hand forms and sword practise at most housing estates around HK. The people have a fun time, as it's very relaxed and very social. The form standard is high as is the level of fi tness. The styles vary, mostly Yang, Wu and Chen. Nobody I spoke to at these classes practised pushing hands or martial applications.

Victoria Park at the weekends is packed with martial arts classes; Tai Chi is very popular with lots of opportunities to push hands. The age range is slightly younger at 40-50years old. But be ready for anything if you take part. I nearly got involved in a push hands match for money with a few bare chested old triads, I heard later that they don't lose.

One group don't practise any hand forms. Only free pushing hands and some crazy looking Chi Gung. They were excellent, especially one gentleman who had amazing technique. It was a pleasure to train with him.

The standard was particularly high from a wu style group. They all trained very martially. The female students in particular were very skilled and extremely tough.

Other classes, while being of a high standard I could only watch. I wasn't 'Chinese' enough to train with them. It was suggested that my guide and I were spies from another school.

What was interesting is that in many free pushing hands bouts, most players are like wet dishrags, very yin but no yang (no balance of force). They have poor technical ability, no understanding of the 8 forces and using the void. I was one of only 3 westerners training at this park and we didn't lose very often.

I also trained at a private roof-top class late in the evening near Wan Chai. This wasn't strictly a tai chi class more a general kung fu class. But both the teacher and students had a very deep understanding of the martial aspects of tai chi and could demonstrate them with flair and great humour. Their skill in other kung fu styles was also very impressive.

I did have a fun chat with a Wing Chun teacher at his class on Nathan Road. He was built like a tank and very strong. He practiced an interesting wooden dummy form, which was very fast and powerful. Also, he didn't rate Tai Chi as a fi ghting art as it is practised today; he thought it was much better in 1970s.

Smoke and mirrors
Martial arts in HK are a business, like everything else there. If quick, easy money can be made it will be. It is a case of buyer beware, except it may be a very long time before you realise you have been conned.

This may raise a few eyebrows, but I believe the standard of Tai Chi Chuan in Britain is higher than in HK. This is due to most instructors being more open, honest, hardworking and enthusiastic. The teaching is more organised, students are much younger and train a lot harder.

The Far East will still be a Mecca to some; the wish to fi nd the kung fu movie style master is a dream to many. It's not something I dream about, I have the truth a bit closer to home.

Ian Kendall is a full time tai chi instructor based in Brighton. He has practiced and taught Practical Tai Chi Chuan for over 10 years. iankendall@hotmail.com