MARTIAL ARTISTRY SHAOLIN KUNG FU & CHINESE WUSHU
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
ONLINE SCRAPBOOK - JANUARY THROUGH JUNE 2016
June 25, 2016
Seven students of the Albuquerque adult and children’s kung fu classes demonstrated their martial arts skills to the testing panel at Martial Artistry Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Wushu. Congratulations for new ranks go out to:
CHRISTINA MAZE: Tan Tui Er 弹腿二 (Spring Leg Two) for Orange-white sash
SASKIA KING: Tan Tui Er 弹腿二 (Spring Leg Two) for Orange-white sash
SAVANNAH DAVIDSON: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
CARLEY MAZE: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
LAWSON: Xiao Long Wu 小龙五 (Little Dragon Five) for White-purple sash
GAWAIN: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
DAKOTA: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
May 28, 2016
Great job, students!
It was a big testing day for the underbelts of the adult and kids classes at Martial Artistry Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Wushu, with twelve beginners showing off their martial arts skills for new sashes. Going home with new ranks were:
BRUCE KING: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
ADAM MAXWELL: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
ELIJAH SALLADE: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
KEITH WEBER: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
ELOISE MORENO: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
DANIKA BODMER: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
VANESSA PINO: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
CRAIG GOLDSMITH: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
ETHAN JOHNSON: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
FLYNN: Xiao Long Wu 小龙五 (Little Dragon Five) for White-purple sash
LANDON: Xiao Long San 小龙三 (Little Dragon Three) for White-green sash
BECKETT: Xiao Long San 小龙三 (Little Dragon Three) for White-green sash
April 30, 2016
The end of another month of martial arts classes at Albuquerque Martial Artistry Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Wushu, and you know what that means – time for sash presentations. Eleven students proved themselves ready for promotion to their instructors, and proved themselves again by displaying their kung fu training in front of family, friends, and staff to receive new ranks.
DANIELLE HAYDEN: Tian She Cong Yun He Tu Daji 天蛇从云和土打击 Heavenly Serpent Strikes from Cloud and Earth for Brown-Black sash
ANDRES LUCERO: Tan Tui Er 弹腿二 (Spring Leg Two) for Orange-white sash
CHRISTINA MAZE: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
ROBERT RIVERA: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
SASKIA KING: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
DANIKA BODMER: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
VANESSA PINO: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
CARLEY MAZE: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
JACE: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
OTTO: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
JADEN: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
March 26, 2016
Our Albuquerque martial arts students “marched” into new kung fu ranks at sash presentations on Saturday. Each kung fu student, from the kids in our Little Dragons classes to the adults in our group wushu classes, presented their latest form to an audience of instructors, students, family, friends, and well-wishers. There were smiles and cheers all around.
ELIJAH SALLADE: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
KEITH WEBER: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
ELOISA MORENA: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
SAVANNAH DAVIDSON: Xiao Tan Tui Yi 小弹腿一 (Little Spring Leg One) for Yellow-white sash
DANIKA BODMER: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
ETHAN JOHNSON: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
VANESSA PINO: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
SAMUEL: Xiao Long San 小龙三 (Little Dragon Three) for White-green sash
JULIAN: Xiao Long Er 小龙二 (Little Dragon Two) for White-orange sash
Congratulations, all!
February 27, 2016 Albuquerque Kung Fu Sash Presentations
February 27, 2016
Seven Albuquerque martial artists presented their forms and received new ranks at Martial Artistry Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Wushu on Saturday.
LANDON: Xiao Long Er 小龙二 (Little Dragon Two) for White-orange sash
LAWSON: Xiao Long Si 小龙四 (Little Dragon Four) for White-blue sash
CARLEY: Xiao Long Wu 小龙五 (Little Dragon Five) for White-purple sash
DYLANE FARRELL: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
CRAIG GOLDSMITH: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
ADAM MAXWELL: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
JOSEPH BUTNER: Nian Qing Hu Quan 年轻虎拳 (Young Tiger Boxing) for Purple sash
Congratulations to all our hard working kung fu students!
February 13, 2016 - Martial Artistry's 15th Annual Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration
It's our 20th year in business, and our 15th annual Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration! The whole city of Albuquerque was invited to attend.
(Photo by Linda Brown)
Lunar New Year! Time for festive new clothes, like this beautiful qipao, modeled by the daughter of one of our students. The wearing of new clothes is traditional and symbolizes a fresh, new start.
Guardian lion Fu prepares to release the "Gong Xi Fa Cai" banner.
(Photo by Linda Brown)
Lunar New Year is also time for lion dancing! Martial Artistry has ten guardian lions, from our senior lion, Fu, down to our four tiny, one person baby lions. A kung fu school without lions and lion dancers is like a like a Chinese opera sung in English. It can be done, but obviously, something vital and historical is lacking.
Randy Lantz and KJ McIver perform as Cao-Cao, Martial Artistry's fighting lion. In the background is our young lion, Haoqi, played by Connor Bennett and Danielle Hayden.
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
The Chinese lion dance is often mistaken for a dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is normally operated by two dancers, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a lion dance, the performers are mostly hidden inside the lion costume. In a dragon dance, the performers hold the dragon aloft on poles.
Cao-Cao (L) and Fu
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
There are both Northern and Southern versions of lion dancing. The Northern is more ancient, but the Southern style, which these are, is more common.
Guardian Chinese lion Fu prepares to leap out of the way of the descending banner.
(Photo by Linda Brown)
Lunar New Year is time for banners! Our 10' central banner reads, "Gong Xi Fa Cai", which means, "Wishing you a prosperous New Year".
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Lunar New Year is time for kung fu! Wushu schools in China love to hold performances during the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, and Martial Artistry in Albuquerque is no different.
Northern White Dragon set
(Photo Credit: Natasha McGinnis)
Some students performed sets from the five animals of Shaolin kung fu, such as dragon and tiger.
Kevin Huang performing Northern style tiger.
(Photo credit: Natasha McGinnis)
Some opted for classical kung fu forms, such as kung lik kuen.
KJ McIver and George Bennett doing Kung Lik Kuen
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Dani Juares dazzled the audience with a Shaolin kung fu drunken fist set.
Costumes such as this Mortal Kombat Sub-Zero, greatly added to the celebraion's festive air.
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Yes. Yes, he did land that flying side kick into a ditang quan (地趟拳) fall.
Zui quan (Drunken Kung Fu), performed by Dani Juares of Albuquerque
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Dani also put his drunken kung fu skills to good use during the Drunken Lion Dance, in which Cao-Cao encounters a very naughty monk.
Dani Juares flips over the lion - played by Danielle Hayden and Edi Juares - during the Drunken Lion Dance
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
There were often times when martial arts practice was forbidden in China. Lion dances were comprised of kung fu movements and stances, enabling students to practice in plain sight, under the guise of entertainment. In this dance, both the monk and the lion dancers execute techniques of drunken kung fu.
Drunken kung fu stepping in the Chinese lion
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Some of our martial artists chose to display their skills with the nearly limitless varieties of kung fu weaponry, such as Shaolin kung fu three-section staff,
wushu straight sword,
Dorothy Stender with wushu straight sword
(Photo credit: Natasha McGinnis)
double-head spear,
Randy Lantz with double head spear
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
nandao (Southern saber),
Danielle Hayden's scorchingly fast nandao set
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
kung fu bullwhip,
wushu staff,
Ellie Wilson with the kung fu rat-tail staff
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Chinese broadsword,
Ed McGinnis with Northern style Chinese kung fu broadsword.
kung fu war fan,
April Dawn Duncan demonstrates the sophistication and power of the war fan
(Photo credit: Desirae Orr)
whip chain,
Edi Juares performs kung fu whip chain as Scorpion from Mortal Kombat
(Video credit: Desirae Orr)
and, of course, classical kung fu frying pan style.
Wait a minute... Frying pan style?!
Okay, now we've seen everything
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
It pays to have a sense of humor at this kung fu school.
The kids in our karate classes for ages 4-8 were thrilled to see one of their own instructors do a Little Dragons form.
Saskia King thrills her students as she performs Xiao Long Si 小龙四 (Little Dragon Four)
(Photo credit: Desirae Orr)
Still, without a doubt, some of the most popular entertainment was provided by the fighting sets (对练— duilian), such as George and Connor Bennett's straight sword fight set.
Now this is a REAL family feud!
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Randy Lantz and Todd Coffey demonstrated a Shaolin kung fu staff fighting set that rocked the house for speed and ferocity.
Todd Coffey leaps over Randy Lantz's sweep during their Shaolin kung fu staff set
(Photo credit: Desirae Orr)
This kung fu straight sword vs staff fight set started when Kevin Rodgers threw a baozi at an unsuspecting Ed McGinnis, then ambushed him. As you can see from the very brief clip below, that didn't end well.
That moment when someone entangles and disarms you
(Video credit: Natasha McGinnis)
Kung fu fighting sets (对练— duilian) are always a crowd favorite, but nothing quite wows the audience at our events like a cosplay fight set. From Avatar: the Last Airbender, to Dragonball Z, to Star Wars lightsaber duels, these costumed battles just have that extra factor of fun. Mortal Kombat was the theme for several of this year's fight sets. Including a battle between Sub-Zero and Scorpion.
Scorpion gets a cold reception from Sub-Zero in this Mortal Kombat inspired fight set
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
But the boys weren't the only ones who were ready to test their might!
Kitana of Mortal Kombat challenges Sub-Zero and Scorpion
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Uh oh, it looks like this could be trouble for Kitana.
Edi Juares (Scorpion) looks to have victory almost within his grasp against Kitana (Monique Renee Curley).
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
Nevermind. Must be that Girl Kung Fu. ;)
Down, boys! There will be time for autographs later.
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
A final lion dance with three big bows concluded the entertainment, followed by the traditional lucky feeding of the lions, then, feasting to guarantee plenty for the following year.
Fu and Haoqi use the bench for some lion dance acrobatics
(Photo credit: Linda Brown)
A great time was had by all. Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!
January 30, 2016 - January Sash Promotions
January presentations
Martial Artistry hosted an extra large sash presentation group for January of 2016. Thirteen students of our Albuquerque kung fu and wushu classes displayed their martial arts skills before a large audience, and received new ranks.
RANDY LANTZ: Si Yun Shuangtou Qiang 四云双头枪 (Four Cloud Double Head Spear) for Purple-Red
EDI JUARES: Nian Qing Hu Quan 年轻虎拳 (Young Tiger Boxing) for Purple sash
DANI JUARES: Nian Qing Hu Quan 年轻虎拳 (Young Tiger Boxing) for Purple sash
KJ McIVER: Xiao Kai Men 小开门 (Little Open Gate) for Green-white Sash
ANDRES LUCERO: Tan Tui Yi 弹腿一 (Spring Leg One) for Orange sash
BRUCE KING: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
SASKIA KING: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
CHRISTINA MAZE: Xiao Tan Tui Er 小弹腿二 (Little Spring Leg Two) for Yellow-black sash
KEITH WEBER: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
SAVANNAH DAVIDSON: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
ELIJAH SALLADE: Xiao Quan 小拳 (Little Fist) for Yellow sash
BAXTER COFFEY: Xiao Long Liu 小龙六 (Little Dragon Six) for White-red sash
REILLY TALLMAN: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
DANIEL TRUJILLO: Xiao Long Yi 小龙一 (Little Dragon One) for White-yellow sash
Congratulations to all!
