From Sunday January 22nd 2012 until Monday January 23rd 2012 (11pm – 1am) myself and ten of my SANSHANGONG Kungfu students celebrated the lunar new year by way of the Okinawan tradition of “Toshi Goshi Geiko”. This unique celebration the Okinawans call “Nikanen Undo” (thank you for that, John!).

During this two-hour training period Jim (one of my Black Sash/Gold Sash students), Drew, Richard (who, like Jim, came to China with me two years ago), Jon, Sarah, Ellis, Caroline (one of my private students), Kyle, Olly, Harry (who learns Tai Chi from me) and myself enjoyed some good challenging training as we took our discipline from one year to the next.

At 11pm sharp I opened this two-hours training session by greeting my students “Xin Nian Kwei Le!” and then gave a brief introductory talk as to what Toshigoshigeiko is and how the classical Chinese martial arts is not a just a mere portion of the Chinese culture but the very culture, itself.

During this speech I also thanked them for making the effort in coming along. With work or school the next morning it would have been all too easy just to have stayed at home in the warm – if not in bed – but no, these students were here not only to support me and themselves but also out of respect and acknowledgment of the physical culture that they practice under me.

Before I continue I would like to thank Kyle’s mum for allowing her teenage son in participate; Olly’s mum, Cat, for very kindly giving us a number of Chinese lanterns (more of that later); Olly’s dad, Richard, who very kindly drove Olly in all the way from Yarmouth and then sat reading for two hours whilst Olly trained with us; and Mr. Matyjaszek for allowing his son – not even of teenage years yet! – to come along and join with us.

Having addressed my students our session began with three minutes of kneeling meditation before getting down to some austere physical martial arts.

First we practiced a kungfu exercise called Qikun (this we then repeated a good dozen or so times and with various seniors students taking the lead) and then some training which looks very much like Hung Gar style kungfu. Then, the same exercise but wearing twelve iron rings. For most of these students this was a new experience; they had seen these rings in our “daoguan” (training temple) but never actually used them until now.

Next on the agenda was our “Crying Crane” exercise (Minghequan Sanzhan, in Mandarin Chinese) and then an exercise I had learned at the beginning of my martial arts journey – some thirty-five years earlier – called Sanchin. This is a three-minute meditation routine (which normally us four to five minutes which we then repeated twice.

As our Sanchin practice came to a close the time was now 11:58.

Asking my students to form one line I then staggered that line before asking everyone to adopt a kneeling posture (seizan). “When I shout go”, I instructed my students, “everyone jump up, step back one step and shout – as loud as you can! – Gong Hei Fa Choi.” I continued, “I will time it so that the word “Gong” is right on the stroke of twelve…so please don’t get your timing wrong. There will be no second chance – not until this time next year, anyway.”

I then had my students practice saying “Gong Hei Fa Choi” a few times.

Then it was 11:58:58.

“GO!” I shouted.

Everyone jumped, everyone shouted and everyone achieved perfect timing! Mission accomplished! And so loud they were, too! What a buzz there was hanging in the air.
“Well done everyone”, I said with big satisfied smile on my face. “Now…lantern time.”

Two years earlier I had taken a number of my students across to China for a two-week research/training adventure. We had arrived at the tail-end of the two-week Chinese New Year celebration period – a time when the Chinese launch a countless number of paper lanterns fuelled by flame.

As I have said, Olly’s mum had very kindly donated a number of these lanterns to our Toshigoshigeiko and so now we all moved outside – into the cool and quiet New Year’s morning air -where we launched a number of these lanterns.

Lighting these lanterns, standing barefoot upon the cold tarmac floor (not that I knew it to be cold!) we all got involved with the holding, the lighting and the launching of these lovely lanterns. Watching them take to the black velvety sky of night brought back vivid memories of that night in Quanzhou two years earlier when Jim, Richard, my other students and I had seen that lantern-filled sky in southern China.

Moving back inside our daoguan we then sat down to some traditional Chinese New Year food – cold sweet tangerines. We also had some “lucky chocolate” along with some drinks – Japanese beer, Ginger Wine minus the alcohol, and some fizzy drinks.

The beer had been “left over” from last year’s Christmas party and so here I was surviving yet another celebration and to see another special occasion!

As we as there eating and drinking I opened a “Question And Answer” session whereby my students were invited to ask any question they liked. The old way of kungfu training was that asking questions was often forbidden in class – that is if, indeed, you were allowed talk at all! But ever since I have taken on the role of “Teacher” I have opposed that Way. Of course, my classes are virtually word-free classes (I am the one to talk, if anyone) but if there is real need then I do permit questions and comments. This I consider a healthy and safe communication.

Before long we were on our feet again for some more training.

From solo-practice exercises we now looked at some two-man drills include our famous “limb-knocking” exchanges. Scary and violent to look at from the outside this is a safe and stimulating exercise by those that know what they are doing. In reality, not scary nor violent at all!

In China, Richard had been invited to practice this upon a concrete pillar! Both survived and the clip is on my Facebook site.

As 1am fast-approached we then practiced some slow and soothing Qigong movements whereby “closing” our session whilst “storing” our energy. It was now 1am and so time to bring this two-hour training event to an end. Having thanked everyone again for their time, effort and spirit we bade each other good night (and Happy New Year!) before making our way back to our homes.

As he left, Jim turned to me and said, “You are going to be doing this every year now, aren’t you?” (As if he didn’t already know the answer!)

(Thank you, Sarah, for the wonderful photographs)