My Recent Taichi and Kungfu Adventure in Yangshuo China Part2

in martialarts •  6 years ago 

MY TAICHI AND KUNGFU ADVENTURE IN YANGSHUO CHINA PART 2

China has incredibly diverse landscape and Eco system, Its a shame there is so much pollution there and also strict Visa requirements, if that wasn't the case i think it would be a major tourist destination in the world. I have been to China 6 times now but i haven't seen much of China since most of the time it was for either Training Kungfu or competing in kungfu competitions.
This time was mostly about enjoying the environment while learning a new art. The main focus was on learning Chen style Taijiquan, A style of taiji that mixes soft movements with some strikes and push hands for a complete self defense system. here is a great quote that shows what Chen taiji is all about.

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On the off times when i wasn't training we would do some adventuring and lots of bike riding. We explored some old abandoned caves like this one below.

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Also ancient villages in the country side like Fuli town just 1 hour outside of Yangshuo

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Everything was going really well when one day i decided to train harder by doing more hill runs up and down the side of the mountain, followed by some box jumps on top of a rock. Then suddenly disaster struck. I heard a gun shot behind me on my left ankle and i fell to the ground. Right then and there i knew what had happened, i had ruptured my Achilles tendon once again, i knew then that my trip was over and my training was finished. Luckily my roommate was close by and drove me to the hospital. Here is what it looked like

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They wanted to do surgery but i did not trust the Chinese medical system so i told them to put me in a cast so it can heal naturally. I knew it would heal since the last time it ruptured it i opted for non surgical and it healed pretty good.
Later on i decided not to fly back to Canada but to stay in china until my visa expired after 6 weeks. Which means i had to be healed enough in 6 weeks to be able to limp out of China on my own 2 feet, which was my goal. It was a long and rough 6 weeks but i had more time to study mandarin and also enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

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Everyday i would wake up, eat then study mandarin, have lunch, do some exercises and walk with my crutches in the afternoon and in the evening i would often play games like cards or majhang, sing karaoke around camp fire or watch movies.

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I would also spend a lot of time in cafes and also trying local foods

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I meet many great friends that i still keep in touch with today and look forward to seeing them all again one day when i return. Over all despite the injury i had a great time and it definitely was a trip of a lifetime.

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