The China Adventure Travel Blog

The Reflection of the Mirror Within

Together in Forward Motion

Wutai held so much more than sight seeing. On November 11^th, 2011 we visited the Jinge Temple, which is also known as the Golden Pavilion in the Wutai Mountains, which translates to “The Five Peaks”. These mountains are considered to be the first of the five great mountains in China. The temple was built for the monk Amoghavajra who was an Indian master of esoteric Buddhism in honor of the deity Manjusri whose name means Gentle Glory. Manjusri was a symbol of wisdom through experience and was also recognized as the protector of the Motherland (the people).

Let me explain the relevance and significance of our visit and subsequent meditation and visualization at the above temple. Eleven is a number associated with change or new beginnings; it is a master number, ten being the perfect number, eleven is one greater. It is also associated with peace and light. Its influence is to lift ignorance and reveal great purpose. The martial arts has always employed the use of numerology as a means of not only providing significance and meaning to it’s curriculums, but also instilling a universal language of numbers that influence us all, both substantially and insubstantially, through weak and strong forces.

We arrived on the 11^th day of the 11^th year of this millennium and entered at the 11^th hour, a day thousands of years in the making. When viewed mathematically we see: 11+11+11+11 = 44 and 4+4 = 8; because the number eleven is referred to as a master number it can not be added 1+1. 8 is acknowledged as the number of accomplishing the impossible, and not only establishing deep seeded goals, but attaining them. When the numbers 8 and 11 are associated together an influence of clear purpose followed by hard work surfaces – nothing is impossible in this context as long as the goal is to bring balance that stems from an unselfish intent.

During our meditation we each took the time to imagine our potential, not as a vision but as a feeling to consolidate the experiences of the past in order to understand our present so that we may progress into our respective futures “together” or as Sensei Platt says “together in forward motion”. The very fact that we were present at that instant at this location was truly an auspicious moment to be alive- the temple, the numbers, the people, everything was in alignment; and as martial artists we “seized” the opportunity.

This was a powerful encounter that changed the way I personally view my life and how I choose to approach it. It gave me hope and a drive to pursue a prospect that I never before may have thought possible: To overcome the impossible, to acknowledge my gifts and work to share them with the world through my training.

The day wasn’t finished with its surprises. That evening we were presented with a full moon, which represents the reflective energy of the yin, or in other words, an energetic mirror into which we may see our individual purpose reflected, and then act upon it with true focus and intent with subtle but powerful direction. At 9pm we trained in a Tiger form to affirm our energy as we moved in to our new lives. The tiger is documented on the Chinese compass as the symbol to the west. Even in present day we often view the west as the progressive side of the world while the opposite is known as “The Far East” or “The Old World” or the past, in this case influencing the future.; again tying in with the energy and influence of the numbers and there meaning. Coincidentally enough, the color that denotes the animal is white, thus it is known as The White Tiger – white also associated with the moon, specifically in this case, the “full moon”.

With all the pieces in place we trained under a full moon influence, also associated with a completion cycle WOW. After finishing we stood under the light and meditated; I had no idea at the time how significant this very act would be. Through training we learn that energy beneath our feet flows into what is called our “Yong Quan” point, also known as the bubbling spring, which is found at the middle of our foot, a meridian point along what is called the Chong Mai (a central governing vessel) that ends in the crown of the head. By focusing on the white light of the moon above and the green, blue of the earth below we learn to invoke a feeling of harmony and well being within. Under this positive influence our mouths are filled with saliva, which signifies the elixir of life. It is no coincidence that when we are excited or happy we salivate and when we feel threatened or scared our mouths end up parched. To finalize the unending coincidences, we opened our eyes once again to find that we meditated at the 11^th hour of the evening cycle, which was not planned, really cool.  Coincidence or not?

In my life I have repeatedly been told that everything happens for a reason, but I have always heard this statement after a negative occurrence. How is it that on this most auspicious day we find everything happening for positive? There are moments that change our lives and moments that define them, yet how many moments can we say that have happened because we decided to finally take charge? In my case, going to China, which in itself seemed impossible; I could have made many excuses not to come, work, family, finances and other, but I didn’t, I trusted my sensei and I got on the plan or this case the plane, thank god. We live day to day, sometimes in complete ignorant bliss or merely existing, unaware of what is really happening, or even worse, unaware of our purpose. On this day I felt like I finally broke out of my cage. I felt hope for the world and for life, hope for myself, my fellowman, our mutual future. I felt like for the first time that nothing was unattainable and no matter what obstacle stands before me, like a tiger ready to pounce, I will fight my way through; because I CAN. I didn’t feel reborn or enlightened or wiser. I didn’t feel braver or stronger or tougher. I felt on this day that I am willing to tackle the impossible, to get involved and to contribute to the world by taking charge of my life. It was very simple. I merely opened my eyes and took a step forward. Something wonderful happened, a change, a subtle shift in me, and perhaps my fellow Karate-ka as well. All great happenings begin by a simple unselfish gesture, a bold first step: “together in forward motion”.

“The way is in training”.

Picking Up Momentum

We departed Beijing to continue on to Shanhaiguan using the Fast Train through the South Beijing station. The name itself means First Pass Under Heaven, and Lalongto or , where we visited is known as the Dragon’s Head, or the beginning of the Great Wall. The significance of this area is where the change from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to the Qing(1644-1912) dynasty occurred. Spanning just over 26km, it continues to play such an integral part of a monument that spans over 4000km.

This location begins in the Bohai Sea and stretches inland over some of the roughest terrain. This segment was built 900 years ago during the Ming Dynasty. It was here at the Dragons head that we trained a form called Neihanchi, which appropriately reflects the defensive nature of fighting with your back against a wall. Training this kata on this historic memorial really amplified the powerful linked techniques done in a very strong and rooted posture known as the “horse” stance, movements that energetically reflecting the linked bricks that form the wall.  This segment is the only place where the Great Wall of China meets the ocean. This section most commonly visited in Beijing has been restored to accommodate commercial traffic; to see the original wall we traveled further North East.

Day 4 began with an early morning where we drove a few hours out of the city to visit a sector that few have ever walked in modern day. Unlike the Wall in Beijing, which has been reconstructed a number of times through the years this section was off the beaten path. There were no tourists, vendors or people other than us. In fact the road that provided access had only been completed a few months prior to our arrival. The air was crisp, not a cloud in the sky and the energy was absolutely amazing. We climbed up a decaying façade and arrived at a guard tower 600 feet above ground. You could really feel the history and age in the bricks and earth beneath our feet. We continued to ascend along the side of a small mountain. From the top of our next climb the expanse of the Great Wall could be seen for miles and it was truly a majestic sight. After a lengthy hike we found a relatively flat area that overlooked the rolling nature of the monument over the mountains in the distance and it was here that we stopped and trained Qi Gong. After a few minutes everyone commented on a strange and wonderful power surging from the wall itself. Some felt that it might have been from the ancestors responsible for its evolution.

After a few hours we descended the mountain and visited Xiao Hei Kao, a small village a few minutes walk away. We were welcomed by a man known as Master Liu, a very famous photographer who was responsible for 6 million dollars in road access and preservation, linking the near by ancient towns that house the ancestors of those who built the wall. The inhabitants were the direct descendants of the people from Southern China who constructed this man made wonder.

The following day we visited the Summer Palace. This is where the Empress Dowager Cixi would escape to during the hot summer months. After exploring much of the grounds we arrived at Longevity Hill where we trained at the Garden of Clear Ripples, a name given to  it by a monk who once worked on the premises. It was here where we trained under a warm Beijing sun and into the setting sky. Once again, the energy was incredible and the beauty that surrounded us penetrated into our spirits.

We left for Taiyuan to visit the Jingci Temple. It is here where we got to see first hand the many of the ancient national treasures such as the Nanlao Spring, which maintains a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius all year round and the Zhao Cypress, trees that are over 3000years old.  In such a short time we have been surrounded by majesty, beauty and wonder. China is an adventure that is taking us far and wide. It is truly a cultural experience that opens the way a person can see the world. The adventure continues and there’s still so much to see. Opportunity favors those who are quick to seize it, and we are seizing and living every moment possible.

Right Out of the Gate

When I signed up for this trip to China I knew that I was in for an adventure, but what I did not know was how fast this adventure would move.  It started out at Pearson airport two days ago when 19 of us stepped onto a plane that would take us 13 hours across the world. As we landed in Beijing a collective sigh of relief was shared as we all climbed aboard our tour bus in anticipation of a hot shower, a warm meal and the prospect of a comfortable bed. Our tour guide, Kevin, however had other plans. Within an hour we found ourselves in a dining hall eating some of the strangest foods I had ever encountered, ranging from a root that resembled a sea slug, to tofu that resembled luncheon meat. I soon started to worry when they finally told us that everything that we we`re being served was vegetarian, and for those of you who know me, I am a carnivore at heart. Nonetheless, the food was absolutely delicious, flavourful and surprisingly filling. What followed next created a snowball effect that would establish the amazing adventure that I call `The First Two Days`.

We we`re honoured with a Taiji demonstration that shattered all my previous preconceptions of what we call Tai Chi. This isn`t that Tai Chi that I had grown to know in Canada. This was dynamic, fast, fluid, graceful and absolutely powerful. The demonstration was a story of the creation of Taiji and how it came into being. Although none of us had any idea of what was being said, the message was clear: This ain`t your grandma`s Tai Chi. There was music, flips, splits, weapons spinning all over the place and a villain dressed as a Chinese Batman. I sat there, mouth agape, eyes wide open despite the overwhelming fatigue and enthralled with the grace and majesty of a martial art that I had always found `boring`. In this instance, I was very happy to be very wrong. After the show we we`re introduced to the troupe that had performed and took our first opportunity to test out our trigger fingers when we took our group photos. I knew at that moment that this trip was going to be nothing short of epic.

A few hours later, after a terrifying bus ride through some of the most intense traffic I had ever experienced, we finally made it to the hotel. That is when I realized that I wasn`t in Kansas anymore. It took us about 40 minutes to figure out how to turn on the lights and another day how to figure out how to drain my bathroom sink. Everything is so similar and yet so foreign. Fueled on adrenaline, caffeine and pineapple juice I lay in bed wondering what tomorrow would hold and, dear mom, it was worth the wait, effort and sacrifice of the three years of planning.

I woke up at 8:30am and ate a healthy breakfast to fuel myself up for the day`s work. We headed to Tianamen square, the political centre of China, and I was once again amazed. The sheer size of it was gargantuan. Again you could hear a thousand cameras clicking away as tourists swarmed all around us. With bags in tow we headed for our destination: The Forbidden City.

Now, I`ve been fortunate to travel to a few countries around the world when I was a teenager, but nothing, and I literally mean NOTHING, compares to the scale of the Forbidden City.  It is a city built for ONE man. We crossed the first gate to the first palace where we saw a space so large that it could have easily fit 5 stadium size football fields. What I did not know was that there were at least 9 more gates to go, each as equally as big. Thank God for comfortable shoes. The architecture was mind blowing, the colours astounding and the art priceless. I had never seen anything built to such a grand scale in my life. It made Buckingham palace and the White House look like 2 bedroom apartments with one bath. Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by thousands of years of tradition and history designed specifically to not just impress but to amaze you at the potential of the human mind. The Forbidden City is so large and so vast that it spread to the mountains over 50 kilometres away. Each gate led to a separate palace designed for a specific purpose. One was where the Emperor would handle local affairs, another where he would marry, another was for his leisure, or where he would hold council meetings or just relax and remember each of these palaces had a square that could comfortably accommodate the Air Canada Centre.  My first thought was: How far did he have to walk to find a bathroom? Or what if he wanted a midnight snack? It took us 4 hours just to walk from the first gate to the last, where I was then told that we hadn’t even reached the “real” end of it. The city extended to the mountain range that would’ve easily taken an hour’s bus ride! However, due to the political revolution that occurred in China, changes we’re made and a metropolis now separates the two areas.

Next, another interesting and fabulous meal that I thoroughly enjoyed and my reputation as a voracious and adventurous eater soon became more than apparent to my friends. Dinner was proceeded by a visit to a store that specialized in Taiji attire and equipment in a neighbourhood that had us all holding on very tightly to our wallets, but what is adventure without a little danger? The store was in an apartment in an area that we in the west would call “the hood”. This was like the Compton of Beijing, and we had our own personal guard, Matt Suleimani, surveying the scene like a hawk searching for prey.

Day 2 started early. I don’t mean 7am early. I’m talking about 5am early. Once again, a hearty breakfast, a couple of coffees and then we we’re off to train in a park with a Taiji master descended from the Tien family. The weather was bleak, the rain was cold and the day was even colder but our spirits we’re high and our energy through the roof as we walked into what the Chinese consider a park and what I consider to be a National reserve. Everything in China, aside from the size of the people, is HUGE. Now when we left Kevin told us that a few people would meet us there and teach us some Taiji. I was expecting maybe 4 or 5 of Master Tien’s students to accompany him. Once again, I was wrong. There was a whole welcoming committee with banners and cameras and, hold your breath, the women’s National Taiji Champion and a Three Time gold medalist and Men’s National Champion. I’m supposed to train with these guys? A couple of Hail Mary’s, a few Our Father’s and I threw myself in, but not before I was put on stage with a few of my ryosai to perform some kata. I felt breakfast slowly resurfacing as I approached the stage. Thankfully, we all survived the demo and after being honoured by a performance by the Champions AND Master Tien, we we’re finally ready to start training. Once again Taiji shattered my preconceptions. Master Tien made it very clear that this was NOT the Taiji that we in the west are familiar with. We found ourselves in the park training Chi Sau or Pushing Hands with his students. At first it was a nice and relaxed pace. Before I knew it, I was lying in the mud wondering how I had gotten there. It seems that there is more than meets the eye. Taiji is POWERFUL. It is dynamic and it is DEADLY. The more effort I exerted, the more relaxed my training partner became and the easier it became to throw me around like a rag doll. I looked around and I wasn’t alone. My ryosai and I we’re flying all over the place like kids in a bouncing castle. Finally, after my partner felt that I had suffered enough, he was kind enough to lead me through some throws, locks and drills. It seems years of karate training has hardened my energy and now my lesson was how to relax and soften myself to receive and redirect energy rather than trying to stop it altogether.

The Chinese people are intriguing. They smile, they’re polite and they all seem quite harmless…until you train in their martial art. Yet, despite the cuts and bruises we made new friends, learned new things and took away a valuable lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Needless to say I LOVE CHINA. It is beautiful, diverse and cultural. It is confusing, difficult and there’s only ONE English Channel on TV that plays News ALL DAY.

Our next venture led us to the Beijing headquarters of TCM, more commonly known as Traditional Chinese Medicine, where a presentation of the values and wonders of the art are not only studied but also demonstrated. I watched as our speaker ran his hand over burning iron where I smelt burning flesh fill the room. He then applied a cream which, after a few minutes, completely healed his burn. Would I like to try? No thank you, but I’ll take his word for it. He showed us natural medicines to cure arthritis, headaches, bruises, burns, balance your liver, kidneys and even grow hair back.

The end of the day was wrapped up by visiting the first of the Ming Tombs where the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was buried. The place is magical. It is built in a valley that represents perfect Feng Shui. As you enter the area the mountains to the left are known as the Tiger mountains and the ones on the right are the Dragon mountains, the Guardians of the tombs. The place itself has an energy that I have never experienced. It was like the energy of the ethers we’re travelling in my veins. I felt alive, awake, alert and at peace. I now understand why the Emperor chose this place to be buried.

Finally, we we’re taken to the Sacred Walk where the guardian animals lined a path over 3 kilometres long. After two days, I have walked more than I have in two weeks in Canada. My calves burn, my hamstrings hate me and a few of us have already earned cuts, bruises and aching bodies. I predict more massages in the near future.

Tomorrow we pack up and leave for Shanhaiguan for our first of 4 visits to the Great Wall of China. I can hear my legs protesting right now. It has been TWO days and so much has happened. We’ve become close friends, roommates and comrades. I am thankful to have such a great group of people to share this with and wait in anticipation for our next training session. In the meantime, a cup of hot tea and a couple of robaxtacets await my immediate attention. I feel like I’ve walked into someone else’s life, but I am happy to know that is really happening. Life isn’t about how long we live. It’s about how many moments we live. Stop counting and just make it count.

7 Days Away

I have loved martial arts my entire life and this is no exaggeration. I took my first karate class when I was 6 years old. I fell in love with karate the usual way that kids fall in love with karate: I watched a really cool  movie. In my case, it was “The Karate Kid”. I could relate to the story of Daniel-San. Here was a kid who moved to a new city only to be victimized by the school bully. When I was 6 years old I was the new kid in town as well and I was bullied quite a bit. I remember coming home with gum stuck in my hair which resulted in my first shaved head, or having my brand new He-Man lunch box broken before I even had the chance to open it for the first time. We moved a lot when I was younger and it was never easy be the new kid. No matter how nice you are, you can’t help but feel like there’s a target on your back and a large X on your forehead. Unfortunately for my parents, I was better at hurting myself than my bullies were.

I sprained my ankle for the first time in my life when I was 7 years old by launching myself off of my grandfathers ottoman while attempting to perform the Crane Kick. I got my first black eye when I was 8 when I tried to jump and roll over my mothers couch and banged my own knee into my own face. In my defense, my parents should never have taken me to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had so many cuts, scrapes and bruises at one point that my best friends called me “Scars”. I have always loved martial arts and I always will, but my views on it have changed, and thankfully, so has my approach.

When I was younger I wanted to be a Superhero. Someone who would fight bad guys in the shadow of the night. I pictured myself fighting off 15 or 20 “villains” all at the same time using secret techniques that had been handed to me on a sacred scroll from a master who was waiting for a worthy student. I was a caped crusader who watched the city at night, protecting it from the evils of the world. When I was a teenager I matured a little bit and set my goals  to something more realistic: Undercover secret government agent trained in every single deadly art that ever existed. I was like James Bond minus the gun and multiplied with Kung Fu.

As I approach my 30′s my love for karate has grown even more, but now for different reasons. When I was younger I had delusions of grandeur and wanted to change the world. These days I just want to help change the world and show kids that they don’t need to be bullied, and to teach them how to stand up for themselves.  In one week, we leave for China. I am once again that little boy who watched with an open mouth as Bruce Lee saved the day in “Enter the Dragon”. To me, leaving for China is like leaving for the Holy Land of martial arts. It is something that I have always dreamed of but never thought possible. I have no doubt that this trip will be as much as a spiritual experience as it is a physical one. I have waited my entire life for the opportunity to see the Shaolin monks, and even now, with ticket in tow, and bags in check, I still cannot believe that I am only 7 days away from fulfilling a childhood dream.

As the date of departure closes in I find myself training harder than usual.  Maybe its because I don’t want to be the weakest link in the chain in China, or maybe its to be mentally and physically prepared for whatever may come, but whatever reason it maybe, this much is certain: I love training and I love karate. I love it down to the deepest part of my soul. I dream karate, I think karate, I obsess about karate. To be blessed with the opportunity to study its predecessors has always been a lifelong goal for me, and now that its only 7  days away, there’s a part of me that wishes that I had more time to prepare. But I am prepared right? What else have I been doing for the last 13 years of my life? We train so that we are prepared for whenever the moment presents itself.  Sensei often tells us the story of a student who asks his Master about the difference between truth and fact.

The Master tells the student to stand at the edge of the cliff. He then says “What do you feel?”

The student replies “I feel frightened.”

The Master answers “This is fact. If you want to find the truth, you must jump.”

In this moment I feel like the student, standing at the edge of the cliff, toes hanging off the side, feeling absolutely terrified. In 7 days 20 of my ryosai and I will find out what truth really is when we board that plane. Inside of me, the 6 year old boy is jumping for joy, and my hopes of changing the world lie just one step further. For now I’m standing at the very edge, waiting for the moment till I have to jump: 7 Days Away.