Our Crazy Kung Fu traveller has sent another email, Really sounds like he's getting around!! Settle in, it's a biggy. Here it is. >>


Cuz!, a lot of things have happened since I have spoke
to you, I will try and recall a few things recently.
Ok, I went to Hong Kong for a couple of days. Hong
Kong is pretty cool, a lot of people speak english, so
if you are into spending coin on clothes, etc, it is
the place. In my opinion it is less expensive than
Singapore.

I went from HK to Shanghai. Shanghai is a freaking
monster!, you can not imagine the size of the place. I
think there is around 15,000,000 people there, not as
much as Ho Chi Minh ( Saigon), 20,000,000.
Shanghai's weather was -1 when I got there. Shanghai
is quite expensive, around 600 RNB, for a room, so
divide that by 5.6 and it is just a little over a
hundred bucks. I am saying it is expensive as I have
just left Thailand, you can get a room for 500 BHT,
$17 NZ.

Not knowing any chinese in China is a no/no!, no one
speaks any english, even the hotels having problem
understanding me. It was scary!, I was at a super
market, and this old lady was looking at me like I was
an escaped alien or something, I got my translator to
ask her if she watches T.V, as there are these hairy
white people who live in cold places, called white
people. I felt like an escaped monkey!

I went to a lot of places, and never had the time to
really appreciate there beauty. I went to Hangzhou,
Hangzhou has a saying there is a heaven, there is a
heaven on earth, that is Hangzhou. It is a beautiful
city, surrounded by awesome old China style
architecture, it is surrounded by a lake and all
little tea houses and that. I never had more than 5
minutes to look at it, I was hustling in the hotel
with these big Kats in the Chinese medical business.

From there I went to Suzhou, Wuxi, and Jiache. I met
these interesting Kats there. This one individual was
quite a laugh, he's my teachers martial art brother,
meaning they both studied under the same teacher. He
is a muslim, and quite a hard man, he used to
wrestle/spar with bulls for a laugh, he is quite
famous in China, he has been in numerous martial art
films etc. But I cant remember his name. That what's
happens when you speak another language, it is hard to
remember different sounds. My teacher used to joke
about how he has a big picture of Osama Bin Laden in
his lounge. Each to there own, eh cuz?

I finally fulfilled what I have been wanting to do for
a long time. I went to Shanxi. Shanxi is in northern
China right up the top by Mongolia. Bro it was real
cold!, -6! . Taking a leak was scary, it took a lot of
encouragement.

After all my complaining, this little 2
year old walks around the corner with a unusual
attire. The front of his pants was fully cut out, so
his Henry was uninterrupted and low and behold there
was a big hole for his ass!, I asked his mum, and she
said that little kids dont know how to go, so they
make a mess, so this way they can go when they please.
I am telling you these people are hard!.

The main reason for me to go was to see my teachers,
teacher ( Grand master) Long Chang Yan. He is a real
cool guy, he is pretty much a recluse, he just lives
in the wops, flies carrier pigeons as a hobby and
practices his Xin Yi Liu He Chuan. ( I cant be
bothering translating that, apart from it is a form of
kung fu). He is really humble and quiet, but at the
same time you know he is very serious and powerful. He
is now 66 years old, but does not show any aging. I
hope to bring him and his wife over for a holiday to
NZ in a year or so, maybe I can bring him up to class.

Left Shanxi, the grand master looked sad to see us go.
Before I left we had a mad feed with his martial arts
brothers ( same generation as him, as they all studied
under the same teacher), but they all admit he's the
man and were real reluctant to pose doing some moves
with him.

Then back to Shanghai were I met the 2 last great
Hernan ( Muslim) Xin Yi Liu He teachers. The first one
I met was Wong Shu Wen, he is 77 years old, but fully
onto it. I had a yarn about training related things
and he got up and showed me some moves. He was a
really nice gut, I hope I get another chance to see
him again.

Maybe the funniest persons I met was Li Zhen Si. When
I mean funny I dont mean a clown, I mean a interesting
mad man. He is really big, violent muslim. He has a
strong reputation as a street fighter from Hernan.
Hernan is of course the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu
and all that cheesy stuff, but in certain rural areas
it is very poor and dangerous. My teacher had said
that on certain visits he stayed in a $2.00 hotel
where around 20 people stayed in the same room, he
said he would sleep clutching his sword.

I cant believe in this modern day, people are still carrying
swords. In certain areas they still have bandits that
lay ambush to quiet little roads.
Master Li is 88 years old but extremely agile and
powerful. He showed me a quick combination of a
distraction/elbow/head butt/knee strike attack. His
art is very violent, the basic philosphy is attack
first with full power and speed and always be
discontent with the outcome, meaning always try to hit
them harder and faster. There is a lot of in fighting,
shoulder strikes, knees and other nasty things.

He is pretty funny, he asked my teacher," if the young
man wants to feel the force", meaning he was going to
give me a crack and see if I could handle it. My
teacher said there was no need to inflict unnecessary
pain on me, he then asked if I am hard or soft. I sort
of told my teacher that I dont mind him striking me a
little, but my teacher replied that these old guys are
a little out too full on, meaning that if he hit me,
there was little chance of me standing afterwards,
sort of like I am old but I will still kick your ass.

I remember another story about this guy how he was
showing a student a shin kick. He went onto
demonstrate by kicking this poor bastards toe nail
off! ( tell me thats just got to tickle a bit!). My
teacher has big scars on his shin from his shin kick.
If he really wanted to he could shatter your leg with
one blow.

I am now on Sing winding some business up, and then
onto Thailand for another 2 weeks. Should be good,
going to be hanging out with my old man there. I told
him to not get too pissed or I will hook him up with a
Gatoy ( lady boy) and then extort money out of him.
Nah I wouldnt do that, thats too mean!

See you all soon, I get back around early March.

Jon