How to Teach Kung Fu

Kung Fu is one of the most popular forms of martial arts. Kung Fu masters, like many others who are proficient in their training and have achieved the highest black belt designations, often say they are never through with training. They teach to share their love of the art.



o 1Teach when you feel you are ready to share what you've learned. There are no licenses or degrees that you must legally hold to begin your teaching career. The best Kung Fu teachers, who command respect from their students and are recognized in the Kung Fu community, are humble men who continue to work on improving their own mastery over the traditions.



o 2Let your current teacher know that you are interested in teaching Kung Fu. He can tailor some of your training toward that goal and sponsor your efforts. You can rely on his judgment to let you know when you may be ready to share your knowledge and experience with others. He may even let you serve for a time as an apprentice.



o 3Look for a position at a current martial arts center. There are both Kung Fu schools and mixed martial arts centers that continually look for dedicated teachers. You will have to prove your training and your belt status if you work for someone else. Your lineage is also important to many Kung Fu followers. They will want to know who trained your trainer and who trained him, and so on.



o 4Open you own studio if you have the resources. You can set the tone for the kind of studio that you want to run. You can decide what kinds of Kung Fu styles you will adhere to and if you will include mixed martial arts training in your center. You can use your lineage, or your standing among Kung Fu competitors as a draw to get students.

Great Wall of China Crafts

The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the ancient world, built by many different people at different times. The finished wall, which was built not only along flatlands but also through rugged mountains, is more than 4,000 miles long. While your craft won't be quite that long, you can still replicate the Great Wall in a variety of ways.


Paper Model
Replicate a section of the Great Wall of China using paper and glue. While it is certainly possible to design your own paper model to fold and glue, a template is a good idea. Creative Corner's template links two towers with a walking section through rugged mountains and rocks. The design is three-dimensional in gray, white and green.

Clay Model
Use a combination of air-dry clay, paper, and three thin, empty tissue boxes. Color the paper to resemble rocks and hewn bricks, and glue these to the wide sides of the boxes. Color more paper to resemble the walking path and glue to the skinny side of the upturned box. Join each box with the box next to it by building a tower using brown or gray clay. Remember the tower is a lookout post and has a wide, flat space for soldiers to pace with a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. The lookout is fenced like a balcony to discourage intruders. Adorn the path and tower with plants made of paper or clay. Join the walkways and lookout with craft glue or double-sided tape.

Decoupage
Build a foundation for the decoupage out of small boxes. Small shoe boxes will provide a good foundation for the wall and lookout. Lay them on their sides and join by a small shoe box standing upright so that it is taller than the other boxes. Wood also works well, as the paper will adhere nicely to it with this technique. Using gray and brown paper, decoupage the sides of the boxes. Use white or light gray to do the walkway on top of the wall and the wide balcony of the lookout tower. Decoupage is the right texture for the wall and should render satisfying results. Once the sides have dried, use the same technique to add green brush and small trees or large rocks for authenticity.

Who Wanted to Build the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen structures joined together to separate China from Mongolia. Construction of different segments began in the fifth century B.C. by leaders in local regions for protection. Its expansion into one continuous wall that stretched across the border of China was the brainchild of Emperor Qin Shihuang.

Time Frame

Construction on the wall lasted through the 16th century B.C., and maintenance continues to this day.

Features

The Great Wall is 6,400 km (4,000 miles) long and is the longest human-made structure in the world.

Workers

The people, soldiers and prisoners of China built the wall, not the rulers, and it is estimated up to 3 million Chinese died during the erection of the Great Wall.

Materials

It was difficult to transport outside materials, so builders used local resources such as stone in the mountains and compacted dirt in the areas lacking stone or other materials.

Geography

The most visited sections of the Great Wall are at Badaling, Simatai, Jinshangling and Mutianyu, all of which were built during the Ming Dynasty.

Fun Fact

The Great Wall is one of the few human-made structures that are visible from space.

Great wall of China, and getting beaten up!

We set off at 7 am this morning to go see the Great Wall at Mutianyu. After having no sleep, either from excitement, or from being woken up by a guy laughing and sleep talking in Spanish (I wish I knew what he was saying as it sounded hilarious!). It took a couple of hours to get there, but we could see it in the distance before we arrived.

 It's on top of a massive hill, and to get to it you have to take a ski lift (you could walk but you'd be too knackered from the walk up the hill to be able to actually climb the wall!).

As soon as we set foot on the wall, everyone shut up. It's truly amazing, in fact that's the only word I could say for a while! It goes on for miles and miles, and it's beautiful. I met a lady on the bus, so we walked together. It was really hard, it's all steps, and some steps are tiny, and some steps are the size of my legs! You have to climb them like you're a toddler!

We walked from watchtower 4 to watchtower 1, the end of the restored part of the wall. It's all up and down, and the inclines are really steep.

 When we got to watchtower 1, there was a sign that said that you can't go any further but there was a well defined path obviously made by others who don't listen to the rules!

So we walked down there and nearly fell over a massive green and black snake! No idea if it was poisonous or not, but we were on it's territory so we backed away - after taking photos! So then we walked right to the end, where there was an unrestored, dilapidated watchtower and fantastic views where you could see the wall going off in three different directions.

To come back down from the wall we went tobogganing, which would have been more fun if it wasn't for the old Chinese lady in front of me who used her brake the whole way down! Then lunch and back to the hotel for a sleep!

After a nap and cleaning layers and layers of mud and dust off me I decided to treat myself to a massage at a dubious place I spotted on the main strip. It advertised foot massage and full body massages, but it also specialises in pool and beer. I thought I'd try it, the worst that could happen is that I get a crap massage off a dodgy 'lady of the night' but it turned out to be a genuine massage place that just happened to have pool tables! So I paid 15 quid and then was subjected to two hours of been slapped, punched and, at one point, had my bum pounded like it was a set of bongo drums. I have never known pain like it. He picked me up, stretched me, pulled my arms behind my back, punched me in the calf, slapped my thigh and played a bit more bongos. It was the strangest and most painful thing I've ever had done to me! But now I can say I've had a Chinese massage, and won't ever need one again!

Baiquan Mountain

Near Yanqi Lake and the Yougushentan Natural Scenic Area, tourists will easily find a beautiful place, Baiquan Mountain. Situated in Huaibei Town, Huairou District, the mountain is a little more than 60 kilometers (40 miles) from downtown Beijing. The mountain got its name, meaning 'hundreds of springs' because there are hundreds of ceaseless springs in the area. Nature endowed this scenic area with exceptionally imposing mountains, rich vegetation and a pleasant environment.

Set off by luxuriant vegetation, the mountains are more graceful, and every scene in the area is exceptional. The mountains vary greatly with peaked, straight and rounded shapes. Additionally, there are stunning peaks with distinctive and life-like appearances of animals such as frogs, monkeys, eagle, and lions.

Characterized by enchanting natural scenery, this area is extraordinary with stunning peaks, strange stones, graceful waters, magnificent waterfalls, thick woods, charming pools, and numerous springs and streams. Flowers are in full bloom till June. In summer, refreshing clear water is found everywhere. In autumn, the area is abundant in various fruits. In winter, the scenic area affords an icy world with frozen waterfalls.

The waters here contribute vitality to the mountain. All year around, clear water runs ceaseless and forms many springs, waterfalls, rivers and beautiful pools. There is a waterfall here named the 'Kwan-yin Waterfall'. Kwan-yin is a female Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism. The water rushes down from a height of over 60 meters (200 feet); and forms a magnificent icy cascade in winter.

Misty primary forests sometimes make the mountains even more mysterious. There is a magnificent valley, abundant in countless Chinese gooseberry trees. In autumn, the secluded valley grants tourists a chance to pick kiwi fruit, hawthorns, hazelnuts, mulberries, and many other fruits.

Admission Fee:	CNY 20
Opening Hours:	07:00-17:30
Bus Route:	936 Zhi (936支) (Dongzhimenwai-Jiugukou) (东直门外-九谷口), and get off at the terminal, then you could take a small bus to the Baiquan Mountain (百泉山).

Grand View Garden

The Grand View Garden is located at Xuanwu District, in southeast Beijing. It was built in 1984 and construction lasted five years. Unlike other such gardens, it was not built as a private or imperial garden, but as a site for the making of the TV series, A Dream of Red Mansions.

A Dream of Red Mansions is one of four famous Chinese novels, the others being Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin and Journey to the West. This important literary work, written by Cao Xueqin, follows the tragic love between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, and depicts the entanglement and conflicts between the father and the son, the brothers, wives and concubines, masters and servants. The saga depicts actual circumstances of the nature of a feudal society. In the novel, Jia Yuanchun, eldest daughter of the Jia family, is conferred as Yuan imperial concubine, and an extremely luxurious garden is built for her to live during her visit, hence the garden becomes the site where the tragic stories unfold.

The real-life garden occupies an area of 13 hectares (32 acres), a truthful representation of the fictitious extraordinary garden. Charming pavilions, twisting cloisters, thriving trees and flowers and lakes with clear ripples make up this dream-like place. The Yihong Courtyard where Jian Baoyu lives, is magnificent; the Bamboo Lodge where Lin Daiyu lives is quite serene; and the house for Jia Yuanchun's temporary stay is quite imperial, elegant and radiant.

Permanent exhibitions in the garden make the literary masterpiece, A Dream of Red Mansions, familiar to the visitor. Many distinctive activities are held, like temple fairs and celebrations on the Mid-autumn Day. Grand performances, Yuan Concubine's Visit, are really a sparkle. The actors and actress in the ancient costumes give an excellent narration of specific plots from the novel. A scenic location in the northeast of the garden named Great Void Dreamland shows a movie which highlights scenes from the novel. Water-scene movies and performances are also given in the evening.

Tips: English and Japanese guides are available in the garden.

Admission Fee:	CNY 40; CNY 70 for night activities
Opening Hours:	08:30-17:30
Bus Route:	53, 59, 63, 122, 458, 474, 717, 744, 819, 939 to Daguanyuan (Grand View Garden, 大观园)

Culture of Mutianyu Great Wall

Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall get met with Juyongguan Great Wall Gateway in west and connected to Gubeikou Great wall in east. It is in the east side of Huang hua County north of capital, so it has been considered as a north barrier to defending the capital and emperor tomb. But Mutianyu Great Wall Gateway is one of the more important passes for protecting the capital in Ming Dynasty in ancient China.

In according to the record from Juyongguan gateway, Huanghua County , frontier border, Mutianyu, Huilingkou are all most important points. They kept under control of enemy in terms of exterior function and pretecting capital in terms of interior function, in spite of the barriers of Xuan and Ji, so they are extremely important.

Mutianyu Great Wall was supervised to be constructed by Xu Da, one of generals founding Ming Dynasty earlier (he was once offered as Zhongshan King, also named Zhongshan). Based on the materials from Qian'an County Chorography in the 12 th of Tongzhi Reign: in earlier Ming Dynasty, Xu Zhongshan constructed sidewalls from west of Shanghaiguan Gateway to Mutianyu, totaling more than 1700 li, numerous frontier defence can be arranged. “Mutianyu Gateway was built up in the second year of Yongle Reign”. (please see Page 466 in Chapter 153.2 of Old Events Record ).

In 1568, Zhu Zaihou, Muzong Emperor of Ming Dynasty specially ordered Qi Jiguang, a famous general fighting against Japanese pirates to supervise training in Ji County, Chang County and Baoding and also to lead their troops to reconstruct 1000 kilometers of Great Wall, including Mutianyu Great Wall, which was finished by the fifth year of Longqing Emperor. It was recorded as: in the early reign of Longqing Emperor, Dayou and Jiguang have been order to train border soldiers.

The Military Ministry in Ming Dynasty only used In 1568, Zhu Zaihou, Muzong Emperor of Ming Dynasty specially ordered Qi Jiguang, a famous general fighting against Japanese pirates to supervise training in Ji County, Chang County and Baoding and also to lead their troops to reconstruct 1000 kilometers of Great Wall, including Mutianyu Great Wall, which was finished by the fifth year of Longqing Emperor. It was recorded as: in the early reign of Longqing Emperor, Dayou and Jiguang have been order to train border soldiers.

The Military Ministry in Ming Dynasty only used Qi Jiguang and the Emperor has also allowed that. By the next May, the Emperor has ordered Qi Jiguang to supervise the military tropes and affairs in Jizhou, Changping and Baoding , the officers lower than commander have all been under control of Qi Jiguang. Since the reign of Jiaqing Emperor, border walls have been finished, but frusta platform have not been constructed, Qi Jiguang inspected it by tour and discussed to build enemy platform. The emperor agreed with that. By the autumn of the fifth year of reign of Jiajing Emperor, the construction was finished, which was robust and grand, a great connection of 1000 kilometers.

De camino a Beijing.

Saludos varios a todos. Gracias por seguirme el rastro... Os sigo contando un poco, para que os entretengáis un ratillo, ok?? Allá voy...


Después de una majestuosa, prolongada y plácida noche de sueño (3 horas escasas con resaca incluida!!!), nos fuimos a la estación la pareja francesa que había hecho el tour conmigo y un servidor.

Y dio la casualidad de que íbamos a estar en el mismo compartimento del tren. Genial!! Imagino que ellos pedirían los billetes el mismo día que yo y nos tocaron camas contiguas. De cualquier manera, se agradece saber de antemano que no te va a tocar ningún “rarito/a” en el tren, así que, allí que nos fuimos los tres más felices que para qué!
Además, y a pesar de que este tren ha sido el más barato, el vagón es muy nuevo y limpio.

Y… en cuanto al viaje, poco más de lo que os he contado en entradas anteriores respecto a la vida en el tren.

Lo verdaderamente curioso de este tramo viene en la frontera mongola-china. Una vez que ya has pasado el control policial mongol, el tren avanza hacia el lado chino (Erlian) y allí meten el

tren en un hangar. En esta nave gigante levantan los vagones con unas grúas y les cambian las “ruedas”. Como os lo digo!!! Y todo esto con los pasajeros dentro del tren, claro.
Es extraño. Resulta que el ancho de las vías de Rusia y Mongolia es mayor que el del resto de países, y al llegar a China hay que cambiar las “ruedas” del tren. Desde dentro del vagón lo único que se nota al realizar esta tarea, es, de vez en cuando, un fuerte golpe; como si se produjera un fuerte choque entre los vagones. Y nada más… yo miraba por la ventana a ver si me enteraba de algo, pero lo único que veía eran “ruedas de tren de hierro” apiladas ordenadamente una encima de otra.

Y así, poco a poco, hemos llegado a Beijing.

Y nada más bajar del tren y encaminarnos hacia la calle, ya hemos observado que esto es totalmente diferente a todo lo que he visto durante todos estos días. La cantidad de gente que había en la estación, y ya no digamos en la plaza exterior, daba vértigo!!
Pero como los tres (la pareja francesa y yo) teníamos claro lo

que teníamos que hacer nada más llegar, tampoco hemos perdido mucho tiempo y hemos ido en busca de “free wi-fi”.

Y como pegado a la estación había un McDonalds, nos ponían a huevo!! Allí que nos hemos metido a gorronear, peeeero…. pero para gorronearlo, había que facilitar un número de móvil chino, ellos te mandaban la clave y después tenías internet gratis.
Como, obviamente, nosotros no teníamos teléfono chino, nos hemos quedado sin nada.
Y como la necesidad agudiza el ingenio, le he pedido a una chica que tenía al lado a ver si nos podía ayudar a localizar nuestros albergues en el mapa de Beijing. Porque el tema era ese. Los tres teníamos reservados albergues, pero ninguno sabíamos dónde estaban.

Bueno, yo… previendo lo que iba a ocurrir, me hice un “print” de pantalla al reservarlo, y más o menos la zona la sabía, pero nada más…

Y la chica me ha dicho que no conocía la zona, pero que la calle de mi hostel sí le sonaba. Así que me ha escrito el nombre de la calle en mandarín, en un trozo de papel que le he dado, y … con eso ya me buscaría

la vida yo por la zona, enseñándole el papel a la gente y preguntando.

Así pues, me he despedido de Agnes y Thomas y me he encaminado al metro de Beijing. Sin dudarlo, a estas alturas del viaje, me importa un carajo dónde este. En China, en Rusia o en Zambia… Si hay metro en la ciudad, me meto pa´dentro y ya saldré por algún lado. Y salvo raras excepciones (como en Moscú), no hay problema. Al final siempre hay alguien que habla inglés y te indica cuál es la salida que más te conviene… Recordad que la gente es buena por naturaleza, y que en contadísimas ocasiones la gente se niega a ayudar a alguien que le pide ayuda… Recordadlo, please!!!!!

Pues eso, que ahí iba metido con las dos mochilacas en el metro, al loro, para no pasarme de parada. Cuando, de repente, observo que mi metro no para en donde me quería bajar y pasa de largo. -Cómorlll?? Pero aquí qué coño pasa?? Eso he pensado yo, claro.

Al salir en la siguiente parada le he preguntado a una chica que había por allí y me ha explicado que debido a los días festivos

que vive el país, las paradas más céntricas están cerradas. –Shitttttt!!!

Así que nada, no me ha quedado otra que salir a la calle y retroceder una parada de metro andando, guiándome con el mapa de la Lonely Planet. Y después de preguntar a un poli y de sortear a miles de chinos-andantes por la calle y de bici-chinos por el carril-bici, he dado (con bastante chiripa, por cierto…) con el hostel.

Y tras una ducha reparadora he salido a la calle a mezclarme con el personal pekinés rápidamente!

Como lo más cercano que me quedaba del albergue es la plaza de Tiananmen, hacia allí que me he dirigido.
Y después de pasar algún control de seguridad allí me he plantado, como un campeón. Después de chuparme una kilometrada de tren alucinante y de patearme unas cuantas ciudades, regiones y dos países, he llegado a otro de los sitios emblemáticos de mi aventura! Yeahh!! Y allí he estado un montón de rato haciéndome fotos y disfrutando del ambiente festivo que se respiraba esta tarde por toda la ciudad.

Después de esto me he dirigido hacia un hutong cercano, a callejear de lo lindo. Y también a ejercer el regateo como los buenos cánones chinos exigen!!! Al principio me daba un poco de palo decir que lo que me ofrecían era muy caro y tal… pero luego ya me daba igual. Les enseñaba los billetes muy a la baja del precio que me pedían, y si querían bien, y si no me piraba y listo. Y así he ido comprando fruta, comida y alguna cosilla más en algún puesto callejero del hutong.

Y poco más… porque después de regatear, comprar y perderme por las callejuelas del hutong me he venido al hostel a descansar, a escribir algún mail y a actualizar el blog.

Mañana quiero ir a la Gran Muralla y hacer alguna visita a otros sitios importantes de la ciudad. Pero tampoco aseguro nada. Andando y viendo… esa ha sido la tónica de mi viaje, y quiero que continúe así hasta el final.

Bueno gente, os dejo desde la planta 6ª del hostel donde me hospedo. Desde aquí diviso los edificios de la plaza de Tiananmen iluminados, como si fuese Navidad. Todo con bombillitas. De hecho, a pesar de mi cansancio me están entrando ganas de bajarme y dar una vueltecilla... por ahí… Qué bueno es esto de hacer lo que te da la gana, cuando te da la gana y porque te da la gana!!!
Abrazos y carantoñas!!!

Luis