FIWUF Health Qigong Summer Seminar 5.-7.9.2014 at Kuortane

FIWUF summer seminar has been organized more than 20 years. At the recent years it has been kept in Kuortane Sport Resort near City of Seinäjoki.

Kuortane is a small town near City of Seinäjoki in the middle of the Finland. It has a population around 4000 person. Seinäjoki has around 60 000 inhabitants. Whole area belongs to "Etelä-Pohjanmaa", Southern Ostrobothnia, which is a characteristic traditional Finnish rural area.

Kuortane Sport Resort is a national sports center with good facilities and it is frequently used by different groups from hobbyist to professional athletes.The place is great for various sports activities. All inclusive accomodation with two saunas beside the lake and a relaxing rural environment.

Master Ma Yongshi teaching Taiji Yang Sheng Zhang, Shifu Zhang Fang as a translator. Photo Tanja.

At this setting we started our seminar at Friday 5th of September. The teachers were from Beijing, China, Mr. Ma Yongshi from Tsinghua Univerity  and Mrs.Yang Hui Beijing Sports University. They have already arrived to Finland 2.9. to Helsinki and teached Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong Shi Er Fa at Helsingin Wushu.

Practicing Taiji-Stick with Master Ma Yongshi. Photo Tanja.

After getting our rooms we started Taiji Yang Sheng Zhang with master Ma Yongshi. At the evening we had sauna beside the lake, swimming in a chilly lake from sauna, and grill party. The moon was almost full and we could see a lot of stars, moon and spectacular Northern Lights, which are quite rare at this time of year and location. At Saturday we had a very productive day. We completed Taiji-stick.

And got very detailed and good teaching from Master Ma Yongshi. Afternoon we studied Wu Qin Xi, Five animals play with Master Yang Hui. Master Yang first watched us doing the routine, then started to teach focusing on the problems she saw we did.

Master Yang Hui demonstrating Tiger movement, Shifu Zhang Fang as a interpreter.

Group photo with training dipolomas. 36 students from Helsinki, Oulu, Lappeenranta, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Vaasa, Seinäjoki, Kannus and Lahti.

Teachers, Ma Yongshi, Yang Hui and Zhang Fang preparing for the Duan examination.

At the end of Satruday everybody got training diploma. And again we had beach Sauna, swimming, grill party, singing and dancing with Finnish music. No Nortern Lights this time but a beautiful late summer evening with friends.
 At Sunday we had the Duan examination. All together ten people participitated trying duans from 1. to 3.

Duan examination group. Natastha, Aki, Mikko, Ma Yongshi, Liisa, Yang Hui, Auli, Shifu Zhang Fang, Taina, Heikki, Satu, Minna and Jaana.

The three day seminar was nice, intensive filled with lot of new teacahing and nice atmosphere. Cordial thanks to masters Ma Yongshi, Yang Hui and Shifu Zhang Fang for making this great event. Thanks also to all participitants and Tanja Mäki-Jussila especially for organizing practical matters!

Story by Aki Korhonen, Dean of the Finnish Wushu Federation Qigong Branch.

Some more photos by Joni Kesti:

Auli Jussila from Oulu (blueish gray) and Jaana Meriläinen Helsinki (electric blue)

Spectacular serene night view past midnight.  Moon, starts and lake Kuortane.

Northern lights at Friday night.

People from Oulun Taijiseura (www.ouluntaiji.fi) at group photo.

Oulun Taijiseura with masters.

Duan examination Wu Qin Xi bear.

Piia and Auli from Oulu.

Jaana Meriläinen smiling.

Lisää kuvateksti

Heikki Pesu, Helsinki.

Finnish team at the 1st European Health Qigong Games Mons, Belgium, July 2014.

Mons 2014

Finnish Wushu Federation Qigong Branch send a team to participitate the 1st European Health Qigong Games in Mons Belgium. The competition was organized by International Health Qigong Federation and hosted by Belgian Health Qigong Federation. The competition was a part of a larger event lasting 10.-15.7. Including a Forum, public show, judge course, competition and Duan examination ( The whole program here )

From left. Heikki Pesu, Jaana Meriläinen, Minna Toikka, Pasi Pirhonen, Zhang Fang, Taina Pääkkönen, Satu Herno, Aki Korhonen.

 The Team

The coach and team leader was shifu Zhang Fang and the competitors were; Jaana Meriläinen, Satu Herno, Minna Toikka, Taina Pääkkönen, Pasi Pirhonen, Heikki Pesu and Aki Korhonen. As a spectator with team was also Hillevi Meriläinen.  (Can you guess what was Hillevi's other connection to team?)

Hillevi Meriläinen took a lot of pictures.

Mons central plaza

Our team arrived via different routes to the city of Mons at Wed 9.7. The weather was rainy and pleasantly cool for Finnish people. The Mons is a lovely medieval city located in the South of Burssels at a distance of 70 km. It is the capital of the Hainaut province. It will be the European capital of culture in 2015.  All the teams were scattered to different hotels wich was maybe not the most optional choice since the international interaction was more sparse compared to all the teams staying in the same place. The Finnish team was in the Hotel Ibis near the railwaystation. Pierre De Keukalere, the president of the Belgian Health Qigong Federation, and his team had done excellent work organizing the event. There were clear and precise instructions how to register, book hotels, arrive to Mons etc. beforehand via webpage and e-mails. Also everything run smoothly during the whole event. Special thanks to Clementine De Keukalere, who was always there to help and also did a great performance in the competition!

European Health Qigong Forum

Please look for the whole  program here.
At Thursday morning we went by bus to the University of Mons where the European Health Qigong Forum was held. The forum was dedicated to dialogue of western and Chinese traditional medicine.  And the speakers were Chinese and western profesionals of health care and medicine.

Pierre De Keukalere opening the Forum with Lei Bin at the University of Mons.

 We also had the first time whole team together and had a rehearsal of the routines.

Judge Course

At Friday was a judge course organized and among the participitants ten judges were selected to be judges at the competition. From Finnish team at course were Zhang Fang, Jaana Meriläinen and Aki Korhonen. Zhang Fang was elected to be a technical judge.

 

1 st Day of Competition, Group Events, Saturday

At Saturday the competiton started with solemn seremonies. There were marches of the competitiors and judges and speecehs. There were representatives from the Mons city officials and Chinese Ambassador. At Saturday were group events. Finnish team  participitated in Wu Qin Xi and Ma Wang Dui Dao Yin Shu. We won both competitions.

Results from the Group Events (those we participitated)

Ma Wang Dui, Group Event:

1. Finnish Wushu Federation Health Qigong Branch 9.31
2. Belgium, Life Care Centre Team Cristine  9.10
3. France: Sun Wu Kong 9.09
4. Spain,: Instituto Qigong Barcelona  8.79
5. France: CENTRE DE KUNGFU WUSHU ET TCHNIQUES DOUCES  8.33

Wu Qin Xi, Group Event:

1. Finnish Wushu Federation Health Qigong Branch 9.14
2. Life Care Centre Team Jacques 9.12
3. Institituto Qigong Barcelona 8.83
4. Life care centre team An 8.79
5. BRITISH HEALTH QIGONG ASSOCIATION 8.64

The general atmosphere was great. Everybody was appreciating all the teams!

 

2 nd Day of Competition, Individual Events, Sunday

Finnish and Serbian Teams.

At Sunday were the individual events held. Also a very nice and memorable day. The results, three first and the Finnish competitiors:

Yi Jin Jing, women, individual

1. Jaana Meriläinen 9.39
2. Tina Hribar 9.16
3. Bayard Mirtine 9.10
9. Taina Pääkkönen 8.86

Wu Qin Xi, men, individual

1. Antoine Manu 9.29
2. Aki Korhonen 9.25
3. Couturiaux Fabian 9.21
6. Heikki Pesu 9.00
8. Pasi Pirhonen 9.00
 

Wu Qin Xi, women, individual

1. Idaira Moya Quintana 9.13
2. Tina Hribar 9.06
3. Heuze Christiane 9.04
6. Minna Toikka 8.90
7. Satu Herno 8.89

Da Wu,men, individual

1. Aki Korhonen 9.25
2. Maury Pierre 7.62

Da Wu, women, individual

1. Jaana Meriläinen 9.25
2. Ruelle Pascale 9.20
3. Idaira Moya Quintana 8.96
10. Taina Pääkkönen 8.70

Mawangdui men, individual

1. Antoine Manu 9.21
2. Aki Korhonen 9.17
3. Rioux Jean Mario 9.06
4. Heikki Pesu 8.89
5. Pasi Pirhonen 8.86

Mawangdui women, individual

1. Tina Hribar 9.19
2. Ba Dema 9.13
3. Minna Toikka 9.06
7. Satu Herno 8.89

Competition was a great experience, thanks for the organizers, Belgian Health Qigong Association and International Health Qigong Federation!

 

 

Fiwuf Summer Seminar at Kuortane 5.-7.9.

Suomen Wushu-liiton kesäleiri pidetään perinteiseen tapaan Kuortaneen Urheiluopistolla. Ajankohta on 5.-7.9. Tällä kertaa ohejlmassa on terveys-qigongia huipputason kiinalaisten opettajien johdolla! Leirin qigong-sarjat ovat Taiji Yang Sheng Zhang / keppi-liikesarja sekä Wu Qin Xi / viisi eläintä. Lisätietoa oheisesta linkistä. SWL_Kesäleiri_2014_syyskuu Kaikki halukkaat voivat osallistua leirille!

Zhang Fang-Taiji-leiri Oulussa 23.-25.5.

Suomen Wushu-liiton päävalmentaja shifu Zhang Fang kävi Oulussa pitämässä taijileirin perjantaista sunnuntaihin. Leiriä voi kutsua hyvin kesäleiriksi, sillä ilma oli poikkeuksellisen lämmin. Pe-la, n. 27 astetta hellettä. Shifulle tämä oli ensimmäinen kerta kun hän oli Oulussa näin lämpimällä ilmalla tai kesällä. Myösin se, että yöllä ei enää tule pimeä oli hänelle uusi kokemus! :) Leirille osallistui yhteensä 24 henkilöä, tällä kertaa ulkopaikkakuntalaisia vierailijoita ei ollut. Perjantaina saimme opetusta 24-liikeen Yang-tyylin sarjasta; taijin perusteita sekä sarjan alkupään liikeitä huolellisesti läpikäytynä. Perjantai 23.5. Yang-24-leirin ryhmäkuva[/caption] Lauantaina jatkoimme Merikosken koululla aloittamalla 32-liikkeen miekkasarjan opiskelun. Shifu kävi läpi koko sarjan päivän kuuden helteisen tunnin aikana. Harjoitusten jälkeen menimme Hai Longiin illalliselle, ruokalajeja oli 19 kappaletta mitä mainioimpia erilaisia kiinalaisen keittiön herkkuja. Jälkiruoaksi oli Piian tekemä uskomattoman hieno ja herkullinen kirsikka-kakku, jossa koristeina oli hänen tekemiä koriste-kirsikankukkia! Sunnuntaina oli vielä kolmen tunnin harjoitukset, 32-miekan kertausta sekä pika-kurssi uuteen Yang-tyylin pakolliseen kilpa-miekkasarjaan. 32- ja 42-miekan osaaville sarja on helppo oppia, koska liikkeet ovat pitkälti samoja kuin em. sarjoissa. Syksyllä olisi Taijin-maailmanmestaruuskisat Kiinassa, mutta shifu ilmoitti, ettemme valitettavasti ole vielä tuolloin kilpakunnossa uusiin sarjoihin:( Tilanne on nyt siis sellainen, että kilpataijin osalta Wushu ja Taijiquan on eriytetty omiksi kisoikseen. Taijiin on luotu neljä uutta pakollista kilpasarjaa; Yang-tyylissä tyhjä käsi sekä miekka samoin Chen-tyylissä. Vaikeat, taijiin kuulumattomat, nan du-liikket on karsittu pois. Ainakin minusta tämä on hieno asia! Suuret kiitokset kaikille osallistuneille sekä Shifulle! Hauskaa aurinkoista ja lämmintä kesää! Lauantai 24.5 32-miekkakurssi, ryhmäkuva.[/caption]