fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2416 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2416 ⌋

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Sorry for the length in advance. I just want to tell a story.

TL:DR-- how I was unwittingtly trained in beginning Wushu by a Taiwanese professional dancer while I was taking a gym class for college.

My college was one of those prescriptive, nannying kinds that decided that one of the best things for young minds and bodies was to make sure we took at least 3 gym courses over our 4 years in college. Conceding to the fact that not all of us were keen on taking to the rugby field, it allowed other venues for the less athletic to pursue, like dance courses that they cross listed as Phy Ed courses.

During my sophomore year, I decided to take a course called Peking Opera. It sounded unusual and intriguing and not likely to have me running laps around a field (I was only partly right; I was running laps around the inside of the dance studio instead), and I needed to fill the gen eds. So I signed up.

The focus of my story IS the teacher of the course-- Wen chi Wu. We didn't know much about her when we started, only that she was a very sweet, smiley Asian woman with grey at her temples, but who moved like a fucking cat. Wen Chi Wu taught us as though her subject were a mix between dance and martial arts; much later, when she gave us more history on the subject of Peking Opera, did we realize how true that was.

Years later, I realize that she taught us all of the contemporary stances of Wushu, incorporating them into drills, and treating us very much as though we were novice students in martial arts. I can't remember without laughing the successive classes that she made us stand and hold the Horse stance; at the time, it just seemed like a particularly grueling stamina drill, something to test our progress. Now, as I know a little more about martial arts, I realize Wen Chi Wu had put us through the same drills that many wushu masters did initial disciples-- standing, and holding, the Horse stance for up to five minutes, before she taught us more complex footwork.

She blended in martial arts segments and explanations to some of our sequences. While we were developing our balance, and learning how to hold our center, she taught us the cat stance. As we balanced on one leg cocked precariously behind us, the other floating an inch above the ground bent before us, she said easily that this was good for a defensive posture, hard for someone to throw you off balance, because all of your weight was in your core, and balanced on your rear leg. Plus, you could kick someone in the face with the floating leg.

During one of the first sequences we learned, she schooled us into the "ready" stance, which at the time I thought was a rather rigid and forced posture for a dance class. Only now, do I realize she had started us in the wushu ready pose, body straight, feet in a 45 degree angle with heels together, chin up, palms to the sides. As we flowed into the warmup sequence, we ended on the "arrow stance", to draw back up to the ready posture. I still can't help but feel amused, years later, that I was trained in beginning wushu without even realizing it.

But Wen Chi Wu taught us more than just dance or fighting.

She taught us that Peking Opera was the history of old China, long since been banned by the Communists because it celebrated the old dynasties, and the culture of beauty and strength that wove the fighting arts into long artistic plays. She taught us how small children were enrolled into Peking Opera schools at kindergarten age, to spend their whole lives learning how to perform, how they lived the art.

She told us that in the 70s she was the first woman to ever play a man's role in Peking Opera theatre. How she was small, but had the courage, stamina, and strength of any of her male counterparts. How she outperformed them through talent and will, and how she astonished her instructors. In a country where Confucianism is still very much ingrained in the cultural mentality, how a young woman could have assumed and played the role of leading male roles in a very old and cherished cultural artifact, was something incredible and startling. Even as we listened to her talk about her training, I realized I was looking at a revolutionary.

But even with all of her skill, and her experience, she was a kind and patient woman, who loved her art and loved teaching, even to a bunch of untrained white college kids. Almost 6 years later, and I have a deeper, and better, understanding and appreciation for the art and culture that she taught us, the pieces of history she passed along.

Plus I'm thankful that I can hold a horse stance as long as any of the guys in the mixed martial arts classes, ahaha. But honestly, remembering my classes makes me realize how important and special are the moves she taught us, and how it actually has a lineage and history behind the movements themselves. It makes me feel awesome to have been formally schooled in a very respected and complex discipline without having even realized it.

Some of the stuff that I was taught is honestly nowhere I can find online, at least not in English, so I feel like I have a piece of history and culture in me that is important and beautiful.

Thanks for listening, you guys. :>

now i want to attend her class what a cool teacher

will you be teaching others or referring them to her to learn?

She was an awesome teacher, and had a good sense of humor.

Unfortunately, I don't believe she's teaching any longer. As far as I know, she only taught for a year.

It would be awesome if I could pass along what she taught us; unfortunately, I'm nowhere near approaching fluency in wushu or really any martial art, so I'm afraid I might botch it or not get taken seriously. But all the same, it would be nice to pass along what she gave me. :>

That's really insightful and interesting. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Thank you for reading and enjoying! I like thinking about my place in the world, and where I've gotten where I am, and how a lot of what others gave me imparts something precious and unique.

UNFORGIVABLE

Go forget Wushu immediately

Edited 2013-08-15 01:32 (UTC)

NO U

YOU MAY HAVE MY NUMBER

YOU CAN TAKE MY NAME

BUT YOU'LL NEVER HAVE MY HEARRRRRTTTTTTT~~~

well I probably could if I got enough brain damage.

COME AT ME BRO

AUGH HOLY SHIT no wonder I had trouble with some of the moves in her class.

She taught us Longfist Wushu (Changquan), which is notoriously difficult. I know because I well remember trying to do the butterfly kicks and wishing I were dead ahahaha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changquan

This woman reminds me buttloads of my teacher, including being small and insanely agile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHUq4yGgg94#at=54

This was a great story; thank you for sharing it.

[ SECRET POST #2416 ]

Inadvertantly trained in wushu

Re: Inadvertantly trained in wushu

OP

Re: Inadvertantly trained in wushu

OP

UNINTENTIONALLY APPROPRIATING WUSHU

OP

AUGH (OP again)

Re: Inadvertantly trained in wushu