We took time to talk amongst ourselves and stroll amidst Bei Hai Park.
May the days ahead bring us growth in training, maturity in character and strength in character.
VS Wushu, jiayou!!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
VS Wushu Team: Beijing Training Trip (Tour to Bei Hai Park)
After a long training day, we went to visit Bei Hai Park to take a walk to relax and stroll away the days tension.
We took time to talk amongst ourselves and stroll amidst Bei Hai Park.
May the days ahead bring us growth in training, maturity in character and strength in character.
VS Wushu, jiayou!!!
We took time to talk amongst ourselves and stroll amidst Bei Hai Park.
May the days ahead bring us growth in training, maturity in character and strength in character.
VS Wushu, jiayou!!!
VS Wushu Team: Beijing Training Trip (Day 4)
Today was our first day training with wushu athletes of the SCH Sports School. We were led by Coach Yang.
When we started out our warm-ups, I was already impressed with the dedication and self-motivation of the group. With hardly a word from Coach Yang, the youngsters started on a comprehensive series of warm-ups:
This to them is just basic warm-ups-- 基本功 but the level at which they do the basics is astounding. As they did their butterfly jumps and progressed into 540 and 720 turns, it was obvious that there is a huge gap between them and even our national team athletes. Just take a look.
But when the turn on the pressure, then we really, really see what 'professional' means. Our boys struggled to keep up but it is obvious that even for those in our team that have gone for selection at a National level in Singapore that we are no where near them. Check out their 旋风腿- this is a basic jumping kick seen in Changquan but look at the finese that these kids execute. Even our own VS warrior, Jingo was speechless:
But I haven't told you the whole truth yet- these athletes are 3 tier athletes.
First tier athletes are Beijing state representatives, 2nd tier athletes are vying for places in the first team and can compete if there are vacancies.
3rd tier athletes are not good enough to represent state for competition.
Yup. These are only 3rd tier athletes who are going through their daily routine.
You take any of these kids, on any day, blind fold him, send him for competition here in Singapore and he'll still 'own' all of the kids in his age group.
Lest I be seen as pessimistic and discouraging, I'm not. One of the most obvious difference between our Singaporean VS students and the Chinese here, is not skill. While that difference is apparent and obvious, what is really different is their attitude.
No need for Coach to shout, cajole, scold. Just a firm instruction and they literally 'own time, own target'.
No one tells their coach there that he doesn't feel like training cos no mood.
No one sits down on their backside and chat while Coach is training someone else- they are always moving and working
No one slacks. There was no single 'slacker' in the class
You know why?
Because first tier athletes have better living conditions and better food- you get the chicken breast and drumstick
2nd tier athletes stay in more crowded conditions and eat normal food- you get the chicken wingl
3rd tier athletes stay in bunk beds and eat...- well, they get the chicken backside.
Sounds funny? But it's true. You fight for everything you want here. You prove your worth because only then can you claim your entitlement. In a way, this is meritocracy at its best.
So what am I hoping and trying to say here? Boys, when you read this back in Singapore after our trip, know that while you envy your Chinese friends; it is you who are the priviledge lot-- you can always choose to quit wushu, because it is only a CCA. You have your parents to fall back on, to provide for you, to make it easy for you to pursue your interest in Wushu or any other pursuit.
But for these kids, wushu is their life- it is all or nothing for them.
So in the words of our ex-Victorian, President Nathan:
"Be Kind, Be Grateful and Be Engaged"
Be kind to your team-mates because you can never succeed alone
Be grateful to your parents, you owe everything you have to them
Be engaged in whatever you do so that you can be something more.
One day, when your achievements are embossed in stone for all the world to see, like Coach Di, I will be the happiest teacher in Singapore.
（Can you find Coach Di Guangwen's name here on the Board of Fame?)
When we started out our warm-ups, I was already impressed with the dedication and self-motivation of the group. With hardly a word from Coach Yang, the youngsters started on a comprehensive series of warm-ups:
This to them is just basic warm-ups-- 基本功 but the level at which they do the basics is astounding. As they did their butterfly jumps and progressed into 540 and 720 turns, it was obvious that there is a huge gap between them and even our national team athletes. Just take a look.
But when the turn on the pressure, then we really, really see what 'professional' means. Our boys struggled to keep up but it is obvious that even for those in our team that have gone for selection at a National level in Singapore that we are no where near them. Check out their 旋风腿- this is a basic jumping kick seen in Changquan but look at the finese that these kids execute. Even our own VS warrior, Jingo was speechless:
But I haven't told you the whole truth yet- these athletes are 3 tier athletes.
First tier athletes are Beijing state representatives, 2nd tier athletes are vying for places in the first team and can compete if there are vacancies.
3rd tier athletes are not good enough to represent state for competition.
Yup. These are only 3rd tier athletes who are going through their daily routine.
You take any of these kids, on any day, blind fold him, send him for competition here in Singapore and he'll still 'own' all of the kids in his age group.
Lest I be seen as pessimistic and discouraging, I'm not. One of the most obvious difference between our Singaporean VS students and the Chinese here, is not skill. While that difference is apparent and obvious, what is really different is their attitude.
No need for Coach to shout, cajole, scold. Just a firm instruction and they literally 'own time, own target'.
No one tells their coach there that he doesn't feel like training cos no mood.
No one sits down on their backside and chat while Coach is training someone else- they are always moving and working
No one slacks. There was no single 'slacker' in the class
You know why?
Because first tier athletes have better living conditions and better food- you get the chicken breast and drumstick
2nd tier athletes stay in more crowded conditions and eat normal food- you get the chicken wingl
3rd tier athletes stay in bunk beds and eat...- well, they get the chicken backside.
Sounds funny? But it's true. You fight for everything you want here. You prove your worth because only then can you claim your entitlement. In a way, this is meritocracy at its best.
So what am I hoping and trying to say here? Boys, when you read this back in Singapore after our trip, know that while you envy your Chinese friends; it is you who are the priviledge lot-- you can always choose to quit wushu, because it is only a CCA. You have your parents to fall back on, to provide for you, to make it easy for you to pursue your interest in Wushu or any other pursuit.
But for these kids, wushu is their life- it is all or nothing for them.
So in the words of our ex-Victorian, President Nathan:
"Be Kind, Be Grateful and Be Engaged"
Be kind to your team-mates because you can never succeed alone
Be grateful to your parents, you owe everything you have to them
Be engaged in whatever you do so that you can be something more.
One day, when your achievements are embossed in stone for all the world to see, like Coach Di, I will be the happiest teacher in Singapore.
（Can you find Coach Di Guangwen's name here on the Board of Fame?)
VS Wushu Team: Beijing Training Trip (Beijing Duck @ Quan Ji De)
Tonight, I treated the boys to Beijing Duck at Quan Ji De.
It's a long standing establishment open since 1864!
It's a traditional Beijing dining house where you can have your meal and enjoy cultural performances at the same time.
Here, we see the art of tea pouring- a unique performance where the simple act of serving tea is transformed into a demonostration of skill and finese--- looks a lot like wushu too, right?
Of course, the dinner would not be complete without Beijing Duck, right?
So here, we go with our Beijing Duck served piping hot to our table!
Quan Ji De prides itself so much on the authenticity of the duck it serves, that each roast comes with a certificate! Yup, a cert for eating a duck.
Wah... Shiok sia... now you know what the original taste like, you won't settle for anything less.
Go back Singapore, when I eat Katong Laksa, I'm gonna ask them for cert too!
Our dinner was graced by the presence of several dignitaries from the martial arts community.
Seated at the extreme right, we see my own teacher and one of our VS Coaches, Dr Loh Poh Swee. On the extreme left, we can see our other VS Coach, Di Guang Wen.
Next to him is Mdm Mi Jin Pei, a senior student of Master Sun Zhi Jun, seated next to her on the right. Master Sun is the lineage holder of Chen-Style Bagua and has come to Singapore on several occasions to teach and hold seminars. I spent some time learning the Bagua Pen from Mdm Mi but my clumsiness made it difficult for me to become competent in it-- have to work harder now :)
Next to Master Sun, we have Master Wang Shang Zhi and his wife.
Master Wang and his brother, Wang Shang Xin are lineage holders of the Yin-Style of Bagua. A group of adults were priviledged to be taught by him and his brother while they were in Singapore. During a reccent competition, one of the members in our informal training group, Lawrence Lee performed the Yin Fu Bagua form and recieved a Gold medal for his award. On behalf of Lawrence and all the other students, I presented the Gold medal to Master Wang and his brother in honor of their generous teaching.
The boys came in to greet the various elders and teachers and spent some time talking to them. It is good for the younger generation to get to know the elders well- it is only through this constant building of rapport that we can bridge the generation gap and ensure that the art flourishes on into the next generation.
It's a long standing establishment open since 1864!
It's a traditional Beijing dining house where you can have your meal and enjoy cultural performances at the same time.
Here, we see the art of tea pouring- a unique performance where the simple act of serving tea is transformed into a demonostration of skill and finese--- looks a lot like wushu too, right?
Of course, the dinner would not be complete without Beijing Duck, right?
So here, we go with our Beijing Duck served piping hot to our table!
Quan Ji De prides itself so much on the authenticity of the duck it serves, that each roast comes with a certificate! Yup, a cert for eating a duck.
Wah... Shiok sia... now you know what the original taste like, you won't settle for anything less.
Go back Singapore, when I eat Katong Laksa, I'm gonna ask them for cert too!
Our dinner was graced by the presence of several dignitaries from the martial arts community.
Seated at the extreme right, we see my own teacher and one of our VS Coaches, Dr Loh Poh Swee. On the extreme left, we can see our other VS Coach, Di Guang Wen.
Next to him is Mdm Mi Jin Pei, a senior student of Master Sun Zhi Jun, seated next to her on the right. Master Sun is the lineage holder of Chen-Style Bagua and has come to Singapore on several occasions to teach and hold seminars. I spent some time learning the Bagua Pen from Mdm Mi but my clumsiness made it difficult for me to become competent in it-- have to work harder now :)
Next to Master Sun, we have Master Wang Shang Zhi and his wife.
Master Wang and his brother, Wang Shang Xin are lineage holders of the Yin-Style of Bagua. A group of adults were priviledged to be taught by him and his brother while they were in Singapore. During a reccent competition, one of the members in our informal training group, Lawrence Lee performed the Yin Fu Bagua form and recieved a Gold medal for his award. On behalf of Lawrence and all the other students, I presented the Gold medal to Master Wang and his brother in honor of their generous teaching.
The boys came in to greet the various elders and teachers and spent some time talking to them. It is good for the younger generation to get to know the elders well- it is only through this constant building of rapport that we can bridge the generation gap and ensure that the art flourishes on into the next generation.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
VS Wushu Team: Beijing Training Trip (Visit to Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube Aquatic Centre)
In the afternoon, we visited the Water Cube Aquatic Centre and Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium.
Here we are on our way to but tickets for our entrance to the stadiums:
At the Water Cube, we saw the need vast swimming complex:
Coach Loh and me really enjoyed ourselves there seeing how China has envisioned and constructed its sporting facilities:
Next we visited the Bird's Nest Stadium, it was HUGE!!!!
Wah, if one day the boys can perform here... then VS Wushu will really go down in history, man! What a dream, right?
We're on our way to eat Roast Beijing Duck dinner now- my treat to the boys:)!
Here we are on our way to but tickets for our entrance to the stadiums:
At the Water Cube, we saw the need vast swimming complex:
Coach Loh and me really enjoyed ourselves there seeing how China has envisioned and constructed its sporting facilities:
Next we visited the Bird's Nest Stadium, it was HUGE!!!!
Wah, if one day the boys can perform here... then VS Wushu will really go down in history, man! What a dream, right?
We're on our way to eat Roast Beijing Duck dinner now- my treat to the boys:)!
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