SPECIAL EVENTS/
Silver Spring Fiesta Asia Street Festival- Sunday May 7- 9am- 6 PM-Downtown SS- Update- UNFORTUNATELY CANCELED
Asian Heritage Festival- Saturday May 20, 2017 – 11 am -7 Pm- WDC- UNFORTUNATELY CANCELED
CLOSED Monday May 29th for Memorial Day
TIEN SHAN PAI LEGACY TOURNAMENT
Judges Paul Ramos and Eric Putney participated in the tournament along side competitors Kenneth Traeger, Rodney Schmidt and Andrea Koo. Linda Krakauer also attended to observe and take pictures. Both Kenneth and Rodney competed for the first time and entered the beginner Yang Tai Chi empty hand division. They both did very well with Rodney finishing just out of medal contention. Andrea competed in Advanced Yang Tai Chi empty hand and sword form, as well as performing Bagua in the Other Internal division. She earned a bronze in Sword and took gold in both advanced Yang and advanced Other Internal divisions. The event began with a Masters Demonstration where Paul Ramos demonstrated Liu He Ba Fa (6 Harmony, 8 method fist) as part of an all internal martial arts display. The tournament was well organized with a good number of competitors and well qualified judges. We look forward to participating in next years’ event.
Rodney- Tai Chi form
Kenneth- Yang Tai Chi
Andrea - Tai Chi Sword
WORLD TAI CHI DAY
As is our custom we celebrated World Tai Chi and Qigong Day again this year. This annual event has taken place since 1999 and we have joined the international community in having free Tai Chi since the very first year. At 8:30 am we met at the Takoma Park Gazebo where about a dozen students practiced and worked their empty hand forms as well as some push hands basics. We returned to the DX about 10 am to do some free style push hands and to train in the internal self-defense class.
The Tai ji Festival was also held that day at Cabin John Park at the David Chen Memorial Tai Chi Court. Demonstrations started at about 1 pm and lasted for a couple of hours. Several mini- workshops took place at pavilions in the vicinity. It was a very warm and humid day but there was much to see and many talented and appreciative teachers, students, and spectators there who seemed to enjoy the festivities.
WU SHEN TAO 3RD ANNUAL PICNIC
We are looking to have this year’s picnic at our usual place in Silver Spring at the Indian Springs Recreation area. It will most likely be arranged for the last weekend in June.
We normally invite friends, families, students and teachers from the area to attend and join us for food, demos, games, and impromptu live music performed by the attendees. There is usually a push hands group, a discussion group, and a play area nearby for children to climb and run around in. There is an indoor facility with bathrooms and a kitchenette and open areas outside for cooking, playing, and enjoying the weather. It is always a lot of fun and we encourage you to keep the last weekend in June available to come join us. We will update this newsletter during this month with the final particulars
UPCOMING EVENTS AND TOURNAMENTS
Wu Shen Tao will be performing demos and two local Street Festivals this month. They are the Silver Spring Fiesta Asia Street Fest which takes place in downtown Silver Spring between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Streets this year on Sunday May 7th from 9 AM -6 PM. We will participate by showing Kids and Adult Kung Fu to the crowds who attend.
The next event will be the Asian Heritage Festival Street Fair which is held in WDC between 3rd and 6th Street NW on Saturday May 20th. The time of the event is 11 Am -7 PM.- UPDATE-UNFORTUNATELY CANCELED THIS YEAR!
Both of these events display the variety of dance, culture, martial art and foods of the various Asian peoples. There are many vendors selling all sorts of foods, crafts, clothing, and other interesting goods. These are fun events and although we have not yet been given the times that we are to demonstrate we look forward to these events each year. We will update this post when we know which times we will be performing.
Other events we will participate in are:
Wu Shen Tao Picnic- date TBA in June
Kuoshu Championships- July 29-31, at the Hunt Valley Marriott
Capitol Classics/ China Open -August 5 2017 at the Gaylord Hotel, National Harbor
Chris Pei Tournament- October Gaithersburg Marriott
MAY SWORDPLAY CLASS
This month’s swordplay class will take place on Monday May 15th, 2017 from 7:30-9PM. Please plan to bring eye protection (and groin protection as necessary).
NEW WEB SITE UP- PLEASE SIGN IN!
Our newly designed web site is up and running at present. Although most of the information has been set up; small additions to text, video, and pictures will be added to make the school’s curriculum and goals more accessible. New elements to the site include a sign up contact page for those wanting to receive our newsletters and announcements, we’ve also added more videos to give examples of the various arts that we teach. Schedules of our Takoma Park as well as our Gaithersburg locations are now online. We plan to get the members only page set up soon. This page will allow members access to areas of the site where one may find articles, videos and archival information concerning the programs taught as well as historical information related to internal martial arts. We also plan to have online payment options available for those persons seeking to sign up for introductory classes, or to buy uniforms, books, or to pay for classes. We also humbly accept suggestions as to how we may improve the site so that it may be easier and more usable to current and future members.
FREE COMMUNITY PUSH HANDS -
Our weekly Community Tai Chi and Push Hands Open workout is alive and well (25 years and counting). We hold the Free Community Workout, 3 blocks away, at the Roda Movement Center which is located at 7014 Westmoreland Avenue (just off Carroll Avenue) in Takoma Park, MD. It is located just behind the Gazebo located on Carroll Avenue and across from the House of Musical Traditions. The workout takes place on Thursdays from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Feel free to contact us at longmen987@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
-American proverb
Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.
-Swedish Proverb
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
-Robert Collier