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Saturday April 12, 2003 Albuquerque, NM The Aquarium Day event itself (lunch and special tours) was for current and former pediatric cancer patients and their families who signed up at the UNM Pediatric Oncology Clinic. The Martial Artistry Steel Phoenix kung fu performance was in the ticketing and restaurant courtyard of the Albuquerque Aquarium, and open to the general public. The day was glorious, and there was much horsing around (wushu style) before the event. (right: Alex and Kristine flip out, while James struggles to undo the traditional "Lucky Wedgie". Someone loan that boy a crowbar, will you?) |
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Aquarium Day for New Mexico Kids with Cancer was sponsored by The Gap, and thanks are also due the NW
Optimists Club and the UNM Pediatric Oncology Program. Xiexie Nin
to these nice people for providing this fun educational outing for these
kids and their families. (left: Diane swings her sister Danielle while Archeologist Ann Marie (blue bandanna covering bald head) practices her rah-rah skills and Albert Vera battles a flea infestation in the background.) |
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| Educational, indeed! Who knew Lillie had a thing for James? But, here she is, giving him a relaxing, pre-show, upside-down foot massage before a growing audience of scandalized Steel Phoenix team members. Really Lillie! There are children present! |
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There was even some sparring practice going on.
As Brian and Erich grapple using qin na (joint locking) moves,
Danielle deals with them both by performing the most dreaded technique in
the Gouquan (Dog Style) arsenal -- Doggie Waters Tree. In the
background, Kip covers his nose, and Albert recoils in horror.
"Ha! Take that! Nothing can defeat my Dog Style Kung Fu! Except maybe Flea Style. Or Rolled Newpaper Style. Hmmm. Perhaps I am not invincible after all..."
Okay, guys -- enough horsing around. The audience is gathered. Let's get this wushu show on the road . . . |
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Steel Phoenix's synchronized opening routine,
where precise timing gives an unusual cascade, or wave effect.
Except... Note the middle person in the third line from the right. "How do we count, Team? CHRIS - two - three - four...!" (or, in this case, one - two - CHRIS -four) |
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Well, at least some of our team can keep it together. Here, Albert Vera and Johnathan Padilla cut with the dao -- a Chinese weapon whose name is usually translated as "broadsword" or "sabre" -- in the sitting stance. | ||
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It's difficult not to smile when you're having so
dang much fun. Of course, it's also difficult not to smile when you
just went down on your fanny due to an invisible flying side kick, and your
partner, your team mates and your audience starts cracking up. This was the funniest fighting set EVER! In fact, it looks like Chris is ROFL! |
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The sky's the limit for Martial Artistry's Team Steel Phoenix, and this photo of State Champion James Cole in a back layout-step out proves it. |
| There were a few sad notes. This was the last performance for our cute lil' shrimp, Kristine "I'm COLD!!!" Dang. She and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where it is probably safe to assume that she is no longer freezing to death. At least in the summer. |
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It was also the final show for everyone's
favorite bald-pated archeologist, Ann Marie "Babushka" Palmieri, at the
rear, spinning a kung fu three-tip lance over her back. The good news is that, although time constraints meant that she would have to leave the team, she at least didn't have to leave the school. Yea! Instead of moving to New York per her original plan, she decided to stay in New Mexico with all her friends, who love her even though she has no hair and keeps trying to hide the fact beneath those silly scarves. |
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Jonah Donnarumma airs out his belly button . . . Okay, what Jonah and lion dancer James Esparza are really doing is the headspring, a wushu ditangquan (ground tumbling boxing) technique. |
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The Chinese lion dance is way too much fun, both for the dancers and the audience. One of our most popular lions is Li, a mischievous young guy who stars in the popular "Drunken Lion Dance". | ||
| State Champion James Cole performs his take on the butterfly twist -- a high level wushu technique. Or, maybe he's just airing his belly button. |
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(left) Jonah Donnarumma does
a back tuck with ease. He puts this skill to good use in the kung fu
monkey staff routine. (below) Kristine Dang and her signature lightning-fast wushu wheel arm. |
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(below) Alex Daniels splits mid-air during a wushu aerial cartwheel. |
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(above) Senior Student Amir Shirkhorshidian performs mantis, a kung fu imitative style. |
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(left) National Champion
Chris Baca lowers his landing gear as he descends from a wushu aerial
cartwheel.
(right) The stack is a staple move of kung fu lion dance. Dominque Dexter and Albert Vera play Haoqi, the orange baby lion, and Naomi Tsukuda-Doering and Kip Barkhurst play Piao Liang, our multi-colored lion. |
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Aerials, aerials and more aerials. There's
nothing quite like a wushu style cartwheel with no hands to bring an
audience to their feet. Far left is State Champion James Cole coming in for a landing. Left and right is Albert Vera, take off and landing. |
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| Because of the tremendous strength it takes to wield these traditional kung fu weapons, hammers and axes are rarely seen in exhibition. Here, Martial Artistry Team Steel Phoenix co-leaders Jason Padilla (with hammers) and Chris Baca (axes) display classical whirlwind movement. |
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State Champion James Cole does a front flip over
linked hook swords. Yep, this is the wushu move you saw in Crouching
Tiger / Hidden Dragon. Cool, huh? In the background you can see one of the awesome table covers made for us by Dorothy Stender, our generous and talented Sound Goddess. |
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| Chinese lion dance requires great athletic ability, and this photo of three of our Southern Chinese lions shows why. To the rear, Piao Liang (Pretty) and Li (Strength) do a yin-yang stack (that two lions stacking and entwining about each other), while Martial Artistry's little baby lion, Haoqi (Full of Curiosity) romps about -- all this in heavy costumes under a blazing Albuquerque sun! |
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Our airborne archeologist, Ann Marie Palmieri. Funny, Piao Liang (in the background) doesn't seem to be impressed. All this is beneath the stately Piao Liang, who is surely the Queen of All Chinese Lions. And, if you don't believe me, just ask her! | ||
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Our kung fu brothers, Martial Artistry Team Steel
Phoenix Co-Leader Jason Padilla, and lil' bro Johnathan Padilla, cut with
the dao as they execute a wushu butterfly kick. Jason especially is a big Chinese weapons collector and player. His next accomplishment will be to study the kung fu two-handed straight sword. He has also trained in double melon hammers, wind and fire wheels, double daggers, two-headed spear, pudao, staff and warfan. |
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Another photo from the Drunken Lion Dance. "Naughty Monk" Kip Barkhurst dive rolls over Li as the big guy grooms himself. | ||
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Warfan is seldom taught at kung fu schools, yet
when it is, the weapon is very popular. Warfan is the perfect
entry-level wushu weapon form: short in length, but long on fun, beauty and
practicality. Once, as she gave her salutation at a competition, a Martial Artistry student was accosted by a judge. "You expect me to believe you could defend yourself with a fan?" the judge snarled. "Yes, Ma'am," said Ms. Cordova. She completed her salutation, executed her form, and was awarded high scores from all the judges. The hostile judge took her aside later and admitted that she did, indeed, now understand the value of the warfan. |
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Albert Vera and Johnathan Padilla (foreground) draw in, then uproot, an imaginary opponent in the wushu long fist (changquan) routine Guan Yin Quan. | ||
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(right) Albert Vera and
Johnathan Padilla in the wushu weapons form, Dao Yi. This
position is "flying crane and strike with pommel", where the wushu player
leaps into the air and attacks with the handle of the sabre.
(below) Now here comes trouble. Little, impressionable Haoqi on the stage with Big Brother Li, without parental supervision. Li is a stinker-and-a-half -- and his brother will end up one, too, if he keeps following Li's bad example. |
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(left) Everybody's
gasping for air -- or should I say, gasping at Jonah Donnarumma's air?
Just look at the height!
(below) Mushu, our Chinese dragon, chases the celestial pearl of wisdom through the crowd. |
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| Jonah Donnarumma plays the kung fu monkey staff, based on the legend of the Monkey King, made famous in the Chinese novel, Journey to the West. The Monkey King's staff was stolen from the Dragon King, and could do many wondrous things. |
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Reserve National Champion Monique Cordova and Team Co-Leader Jason Padilla push with the palm in the wushu double-head spear set. | ||
| The tornado into fall is without a doubt the most crowd-pleasing part of the old (1995-2000) International Nanquan Compulsory form. Descending from their tornado kick are, from back to front, Jonah Donnarumma, Nicole Neff and Team Co-Leader Amir Shirkhorshidian. |
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(far left) Nicole Neff soars
in the wushu jump front kick.
(left) Team Co-Leader Amir Shirkhorshidian shows his take on this wushu technique.
(right) Johnathan Padilla carries a dao across the length of the stage in the continuous cartwheel. |
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(right) Senior Student Amir
Shirkhorshidian strikes a dramatic pose with the staff in a wushu weapons
routine.
(below) Oops! Have a nice trip? See you next fall! That's what happens to naughty monks who tease lions with lettuce. A little team work from Haoqi and Li, and the lettuce will be all theirs -- not to mention the monk's comeuppance! Hope you had as much fun as we did at the kung fu, wushu, lion and dragon dance exhibition to benefit New Mexico Kids with Cancer! |
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Questions? Comments?
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