In February and March I was in China to delve into the inner styles. Specifically, the Sun-style Tai Ji Sword shape. Place of arrival Beijing I mainly visited the parks but also various schools. However, I did not get any information about the Sun style, but came across an advertisement in Jing Hua Youth Hostel, a former Taoist temple in the south of the city. Southeast of Beijing is the province of Shandung, where the town of Lai Zhou is located on the north coast. After an eight-hour train journey, I arrived in Wei Fang early in the morning and was "received" by a crowd of taxi drivers, who shouted their fare prices behind crush barriers and police officers. A man suddenly crouched and hopped under the a cop's outstretched arms stood up and held up a sheet with my name on it. That's how I met Wong Wei and in a luxury car from the school we drove to Lai zhou Wu Shu School of Shandung Province. People with travel experience in China know that this is a luxury. Three meals a day and everything taken care of, Sunday trips to Peng Lai and Lai Zhou for shopping. Everything with the car from the school and if necessary a translator, luxury dinners to welcome and farewell, because it suits when there are guests. They brokered my plane ticket from Jinan to Hong Kong and drove me to the Tai Shan. Which I climbed. Tai Shan is not a holy mountain, but a god and on top is the palace of the Jade Emperor. I paid the people $30 a day, but 30 is $900 there. I started my training with whoever was there, an American boy, Brandon and the Korean, Li Ha Long, who became my Kung Fu brothers. Brandon's Chinese name is Li Mei Long and mine is Li He Long. I had indicated where my interests lay and they saw me busy. The people around me mainly did a lot of Chang Quan, San Da and Wu Shu styles, such as Hou Quan, Tang Lang Quan, Tsui Quan, Ditang Quan and so on. Tai Ji was also trained, but most of the students trained Chang Quan which is a very acrobatic style and is used as a basis to learn the monkey, praying mantis and drunkard styles. A girl group sword and double sword and a boy group fan shape was trained in all kinds of groups. But I also saw a thirteen-year-old boy privately tutored by a wonderfully fit old man with a long gray beard. A Hsing Yi Quan grandmaster. I myself received private lessons for four hours a day from the Ying Ba Qua grandmaster Shifu Liu Yong Shun and have Ba Gua Zhang and Ba Gua Dao taught. As I've told you before my Shifu arrived I trained with who was there and learned part of Chang Pu Dao from Li Ping Lai, had everything else in my hands, a spear of about four meters, whip, stick, dao sword, two-edged sword, three-piece staff, and so on. By the way, Li Ping Lai is the stand-in for Jet Li and has therefore become a professional stuntman and Wu Shu champion, but above all a very good friend. Traveling in China is not easy and without experience and language knowledge you cannot do it without guidance. In May 2005 I want to accompany who wants to accompany to Lai Zhou Wu Shu School, from Beijing. So save two more years! Contact me if you are interested. I came back from Hong Kong in the midst of the Sars madness. Many people with mouth caps who are not sick at all and stuff. In Kowloon Park in particular, I met many teachers and got to know schools. I enjoyed practicing there and soon had students. It was crazy in Hong Kong, tropical islands with wonderful beaches, shopping, dim sum and every style of food from around the world and night shops. You also have night shops in China, but in Hong Kong many people speak English, drive on the left side of the road and follow generally applicable western traffic rules, very different from China. Although it can be seen that Chinese cities regard Hong Kong as an example. If you speak English you will easily find your way in Hong Kong. That is why I dwell less on it than on my stay in Beijing and Shandung. Since April 2, 2003 I am back in the Netherlands and I teach in Amsterdam, wherever I am asked. Regularly lovely people practice with a lot of fun and good food