Morning in the 228 park

After  a few a months break due to lockdown caused by supposed virus I have finally returend to Taipei to continue my White Crane training. I came to 228 park near Taipei Main Station at 8 am. There were already several groups of people practing different Kung Fu styles. Older people practiced Tai Chi and Bagua, it was interesting to watch sword play preformed by people who are definitely above 80 years of age. Countles decades of training are easily seen in their movements. It was quite an experience and honor to watch those people who would beem in any other place, considered grandmastes, but here they are just Kung Fu devoties, nothing more and nothing less.  Younger people engaged in vigoros training of modern Wushu and some Northern traditional styles, but I really have very little knowldge about Northern styles so I couldn't say what did they practiced exactly. Usually, park is full of people who exercise, but people were still afaried of the virus and groups were much smaller in number of the practitiones.

 

By the time I finished coffee, my teacher arrived. After a warm up we started the training. Because we had a long break teacher decided to teach a whole bunch of new things, to cover the time we couldn't practice together. On comfortable 35 degrees Celsius and humidity that requires gills for breathing the training started. Big air-conditioned training hall with matts, heavy bags  wooden dummies and other exotic  equipment is standard for practicing martial arts in the west. In Taiwan most of the schools operate in local parks and some of the most significant teachers in the past as well as today still teach in the open. Taiwanese people practice Kung Fu regardless of the weather, only typhoon can stop them. Next two and half hours were very hard, teacher was strict but patient, he was correcting my movements, explaining the underlining  principles and applications. At one moment I had ask teacher to stop showing new things because it was too much information to absorb at once.

                                 

Master Elton Chiu is one of the best Taiwanese Kung Fu teachers. Extremely knowledgeable and very patient he has the ability to pass very complicated concepts and principles effortlessly. Well educated and speaking perfect English, Master Chiu taught a number of domestic and foreign students. Despite all the knowledge and skills he generously share with everyone interested, he is a perfect example of Kung Fu Master we read about in old stories.  Humble and quiet, he keeps low profile in Kung Fu community while preserving the most traditional forms of Kung Fu, not only in technical context but also social and cultural. Being accepted as student by Master Chiu is a rare privilege and I consider myself extremely lucky to learn from such teacher. There are no words to express my gratitude to master Chiu. Hopefully, next time when I go to Taipei, weather won’t be so harsh on this poor foreigner who still can’t adapt to tropical heat of this beautiful island.