BEST COMPETITION EVER!
I thought my competition days were well and truly behind me but, for the second time in 14 years, I was ambushed! The last time I had competed was in 2011 at the 2nd International Wudang Wushu Association Health Conference and Competition. Prior to that, I had been competing in 2 or 3 events each year either here in Australia or overseas in Asia. I was in Wudang in 2011 for training, but my time there happened to coincide with the competition and everyone in every school in Wudang was training for it. There were two other Australians in Wudang at the time: Ben who was in a five-year instructor program at my first school and Amber from NSW who was training at my second school. We three were the rag-tag Australian team, marching into the stadium, with all the other countries, under Australian flag! It was a hoot!
Competition in China is different to the way we compete in Australia - well, actually - in the west. In the west, we’re battling each other for sheep stations, as the saying goes – win at all costs, denigrate our opponents, cry foul and register disputes if we disagree with our scores and especially at the elite level of competition. There is criticism of styles and uniforms, and we keep our fellow competitors at a distance in case we become too friendly and ‘lose our edge’. I found this in competition at all levels – local, state, national, selection trials. Mostly, people were kind, but jealousy and ‘professional’ superiority were the standard, even within the student body of martial art schools. It’s a sad state and such a waste of energy.
What I have found competing in China is quite the opposite. There’s a wonderful sense of camaraderie. Everyone is there to do their best. Not to beat another person but to beat themselves. The competition is not about sheep stations, egos or having the best outfit. It encompasses those great qualities of generosity and care for one another. If a button is undone, someone will notice and do it up for you. If you’ve forgotten a move in your form, everyone will coach you to pull it together again. People are chatting in their lines as they wait for their turn on the mat. There is an unspoken credo that we all rise together and it’s a beautiful thing! Of course, some do take it far too seriously and will usually not do very well. It seems a daoist attitude - enjoying the flow of the day and the time with other Tai Chi people - will serve you better than vying for a sheep station…
This time, in 2024, it was an absolute joy to see so many familiar faces and chat with people I had trained with or competed with in Wudang all those years ago. It was amazing we were all still coming back! It was easy, too, to make new friends with people from all over the world – most had a smattering of English but if not, we made conversation anyway. Tai Chi is a universal language.
The competition ran over 4 days with a magnificent Opening Ceremony at the recently renovated temple in the Wudang township of Laoyin, and two full days of competition, running from 8 in the morning to 9 at night. The Closing Ceremony was for international competitors only. Coming from the Five Immortals Temple, we were considered a local team on this occasion and missed out…!
Competitors numbered from 4 to 6 on the mat at a time and as the day got longer, routines were cut short with the burst of a whistle and we were ushered off the floor for the next 6 people to come on. And no wonder! This year’s competition saw 168 teams put forward 1650 competitors from all over China and the world. It’s an awesome experience! I would encourage anyone to join in if they have the chance.
Which leads me to the question…
Would anyone like to go to the next competition in Wudang, China?
I would love to take a group over to compete and experience the whole shemozzle that goes with such a huge event. Your level of experience means little against your level of enthusiasm so however short or long your Tai Chi practice has been, you are most welcome to join the team and enjoy the whole experience as I have done for so many years now.
Our team from Five Immortals Temple was made up of 10 people from 8 different countries. We all learnt the group routine in the first 2 to 3 days of training. We then practiced our legs off until we could do it in our sleep and practiced a whole lot more so we could do it in unison. But the most awesome part of this is that five of our team had little to no experience of Tai Chi before we began. And to our great surprise, we won with the highest score in our ranking, taking home a big gold plaque to hang in the temple’s living room. Just goes to show, eh, what a couple to three weeks of training can achieve…
If you’re excited by the idea, please send an email to legatotaichi@gmail.com with your name, name of your school, and the routines you know.
If you have any questions, please ask but, as I said, full details are yet to come.
This could be your once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the challenge and excitement of international competition. It would be so much fun to go with a big Australian team. We’ll have a ball! So don't hold back!
Don’t forget to email me as soon as you can!
For colleagues with your own schools and classes, if you’d like your school to be involved, give me a call and we’ll work out a plan.
0437 949 919
legatotaichi@gmail.com
details to come…
At this stage, we have no dates or costings. The organisers will let us know in good time of all the details. I do know the competition will be held in October next year so pencil that in until we have confirmed dates. We will spend two weeks in China – competing, resting, shopping (great weapon shops in Wudang), and exploring the well-worn paths and ancient temples up in the mountains.
Accommodation would be 3-4 star, shared or single rooms with ensuites.
For now, I’m after expressions of interest with a list of Tai Chi forms that you know. That way we can work out the most common forms between us and work this into a 3.5 minute group routine (or two). You are welcome to enter individual events as well so pull out your best and start your practice regime now! We better factor in new uniforms, too!