When
I was in my first year as a Sho Dan in Isshinryu I began my study in Yang Long
Fist T’ai Chi Chaun with Ernest Rothrock. I was starting to visit many schools
of competitors I met at karate tournaments and training with them too.
But I had been interested in T’ai Chi since an
independent study I made in college on Taoism and this was my first chance to
learn this.
After
9 months training with Rothrock Laoshi, I had another idea. Often at those
tournaments I would be called on to judge Chinese stylists, and I was realing I
did not really know what I was being asked to judge. One day before my class I
approached Laoshi and asked him if it would be reasonable to learn some Chinese
forms so I could become more knowledgeable on how Chinese systems work.
He
thought about it and then agreed. He then turned to a list behind his desk and
asked me what form I wanted to study. As the list had hundreds of forms listed
on it, I responded I have no idea. (The list was of the forms he was working on
at that time.)
So he asked me again which form did I want to study. Again I responded I had no
idea which form would be a good place to start. Then I asked him why not choose
a form for me.
Then
he looked at the list and finally picked one. “I am going to suggest you study
Dune De Kuen a Northern Shaoin form. Roughly equivalent to what might be a
beginning black belt form in that system.
I
agreed having no idea what I was getting into. I had not studied the basics of
that system. But class after class I worked on getting that form. About a year
later I finished.
Roll
forward another year, and other form studies later, I told him I was going to
attempt competing with that form as a tournament in Baltimore that had separate
Chinese divisions. When he heard that, then began much more focused work on the
small details of that form.
Later
he and I drove down to Baltimore, Both of us were going to compete in separate
divisions. He in a Chinese masters lever division. Me in the Chinese black belt
forms division and me in a karate black belt forms division.
In
my Chinese forms division I successfully completed my form, and my scored were
about in the middle of the pack. I did what I wanted to do, deliver a credible
performance.
Again
move forward to the December 1984 when I would be moving to New Hampshire for
work, Dave Belsky, who then ran the Wilkes Barre Pa school, volunteered to tape
the forms I had learned so I might remember them. For I had studied about 20
Chinese forms. Again not to be an expert but to gain knowledge of Chinese
systems. I had studied from Northern Shaolin, Northern Praying Mantis, Northern
Eagle Claw, Pai Lum and forms used by the Chin Wu Association. Hardly was I an
expert, but I enjoyed the work they represented.
This
is my performance of the first of those forms, Northern Shaolin Dune De Kuen
Subsequently
You Tube came around and I have found Chinese performances of the same form, abet
with small differences as any system has.
