The end of an era...just a very short one

The time has come for us to leave the Shaolins in Qufu and start our China adventure proper. It is with mixed feelings we depart:

• It is after all a Friday and we've just been forcibly stretched by a sadistic Shi Fu
• It has been fun to settle down and get to know people, our group has had good commeraderie
• It's been good to learn some new skills, some more useful than others!

In the past couple of weeks we've completed three forms:

1. Tai Chi
2. Wudang - short staff
3. Five step fist form

And learnt some Sanda, Qi Gong, sweeps, takedowns and Shaolin flips (the less said about the latter the better). It's remarkable to think we've only been at school two weeks, but we got lucky as we were accelerated to catch up with the folk a few weeks ahead.

It has been good for us to try something different to our usual highly aerobic sports and we've appreciated the control and balance of Kung Fu.

Oh, and it has been good to be in a routine again (albeit one that starts at 05.30!).

So for now we shall hang up our plimsolls and lay down our staffs and say 'Xie Xie Shi Fu' [Thank you master]