Miaodao practice
In celebration of its upcoming 20th anniversary, Great River invited guest instructors Hu Lin and Serge Dreyer to each teach a weekend seminars. Master Hu, in addition to being a senior student of Master Wang Yen-nien, practices several external martial arts, including shaolinquan. Serge Dreyer is an international tuishou champion and has over thirty years experience in three internal martial systems - taijiquan, baguazhang, andxingyiquan.
In order to deepen the student’s understanding of Chinese swordsmanship, Master Hu devoted his weekend seminar to the two-handed miaodao form he learned from Han Jing-tan in Taiwan. On the first day, Great River students learned the solo miaodao form and the mechanics of the two-handed style. The following day, students worked in pairs exploring the form’s martial applications. Finally, Master Hu demonstrated how the same sword movements had empty-hand applications. By delving into an art comtemporary with the school’s taijijian, Great River students gained a greater understanding of the jian’s relative strengths and weaknesses.