A Walk in the Park

My Chinese reading class at the university has been cancelled this morning, so instead of practicing taiji in my little xiao qu (neighborhood) in front of my apartment, I go to Fu Xing Park. I ride my bike there and find a spot to do taiji.

In the background, I can hear retired people singing in a chorus, and in every direction there are people practicing taiji. Next to me there is a young Chinese man in his late 20s practicing taiji. As soon as I see his movements, I know he is practicing the same style as I do, wu shi, as I do. Shanghai is a center for Wu style taiji, so this is not uncommon.

I start doing my stretches and watch this guy practice. He looks like a beginner just like me. Behind me, there's an older man, probably in his late 60s. He looks at the young man and it looks like he is imitating his movements. He doesn't look like he's been practicing very long, but I figure, better late than never.

After my stretches, I go up to the young man and ask him if he wants to practice the basic form together. He asks me "Which form?" I say Wu style and tell him who my teacher is. He tells me that he practices Wu style and that his teacher is right behind us! It's the old man. In fact, his teacher is probably the most senior Wu style teacher of southern style Wu taiji in Shanghai!

We practice together and his teacher, seeing me practice, asks his student where this laowai studied. I'm sure he can tell that I am only a beginner. My new young friend tells him who my teacher is. In his lineage my teacher would be considered a "nephew." We are essential "family."

After we practice, I ask my friend to introduce me to his teacher, Zhou Laoshi, and we begin talking. A few old men join in our conversation. Zhou Laoshi asks me if I have done some other martial arts, and I tell him I studied aikido for a few years. He asks me to do push-hands, tuishou, with him so he can feel my level, but I have never done tuishou. He say, "Just do aikido." And so, I practice aikido with him.

He is what you would expect a taiji master to be. My big samurai moves are nothing for him. You expect him to fall back, but instead you find yourself falling back. There is no resistance, but at the same time he is strong. I've never explored this martial aspect of taiji, and I'm inspired.

As usual, the old guys think it's cool that I'm a laowai who does taiji. We talk about martial arts, Chinese medicine, calligraphy (shufa), and more. They tell me to come back and practice some more with them.

I get back on my bike and return home. On the way, I realize that there's no use in seeking any kind of peak experiences, of planning a "glorious life" in the conventional way. Maybe that's the way I was when I was when I was a young punk living in Upper Haight in San Francisco, but thankfully, life has its way of wearing down your rough edges (and I think I've got a hell of lot more to go!).

This morning, my Chinese class was cancelled. All I had to do was to take a walk in the park, and life naturally presented me with aliveness, warmth, and some new friends.