Post by Keith on Feb 26, 2007 23:57:50 GMT -8
It was the weekend and Keith wanted to spend the first day of the weekend in Chinatown. Chinatown in Los Angeles happened to be one of the most lively places, especially if you're Asian or an "Asiaphile." Keith happened to be Asian so he couldn't be classified as one of those Asiaphiles.
Asides from this Chinatown being a tourist attraction, it had a strong sense of culture. This place was also heavily influenced by the Vietnamese. In Chinatown, there were plenty of restaurants that specialized in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai cuisine. Keith would eat a bit later. But he was in practing Tai Chi at a Shaolin Temple somewhere around Chinatown.
The Tai Chi Chuan master came from Europe for a medical conference. Keith attended this get together at the temple to improve his Tai Chi Chuan knowledge and to learn some Qi Gong. Keith was amongst a crowd of numerous practitioners going through various movements and kata.
The essence of Tai Chi Chuan was to start out soft and gradually become hard. Like gas to liquid to solid. To be like that, one would have to be calm. Which was what Keith wanted. He wanted to be calm and tranquil. However, being a transfer would be a tad bit difficult.
However, Keith would do the best that he could. The movements were swift and circular in a fluid like motion as of most Chinese martial arts. Its philosophy was to be like water. Water is the most powerful element. It can sustain life yet it can take life. Like the oceans for example. They demanded respect and you had to give respect or you'd be in Davy Jones' locker.
Which was what Keith was trying to improve, on being fluid like water. If you're fluid, you'll stand a much better chance in combat. Going to a certain high school, you'd need all the help you could get. For this routine, Keith didn't feel any tension. All he felt was calmness. Especially with traditional Chinese music playing in the background.
Asides from this Chinatown being a tourist attraction, it had a strong sense of culture. This place was also heavily influenced by the Vietnamese. In Chinatown, there were plenty of restaurants that specialized in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai cuisine. Keith would eat a bit later. But he was in practing Tai Chi at a Shaolin Temple somewhere around Chinatown.
The Tai Chi Chuan master came from Europe for a medical conference. Keith attended this get together at the temple to improve his Tai Chi Chuan knowledge and to learn some Qi Gong. Keith was amongst a crowd of numerous practitioners going through various movements and kata.
The essence of Tai Chi Chuan was to start out soft and gradually become hard. Like gas to liquid to solid. To be like that, one would have to be calm. Which was what Keith wanted. He wanted to be calm and tranquil. However, being a transfer would be a tad bit difficult.
However, Keith would do the best that he could. The movements were swift and circular in a fluid like motion as of most Chinese martial arts. Its philosophy was to be like water. Water is the most powerful element. It can sustain life yet it can take life. Like the oceans for example. They demanded respect and you had to give respect or you'd be in Davy Jones' locker.
Which was what Keith was trying to improve, on being fluid like water. If you're fluid, you'll stand a much better chance in combat. Going to a certain high school, you'd need all the help you could get. For this routine, Keith didn't feel any tension. All he felt was calmness. Especially with traditional Chinese music playing in the background.