Taichi Photoshoot

June-sifu was keen to get some good tai-chi photos, so one sunny day we got dressed up, grabbed a small armory and walked down to the Chen Village's ancient photo and video grove for a photo-shoot.

In most towns you'd get arrested or stopped walking around with these weapons.    But in Chen village none looks twice.

The ancient photo-grove is in the old Chen Village's eponymous old drainage-ditch.  This is the view looking north.

Inside the ditch, not far from the entrance to the Taichi museum, is a nice grove of trees and a couple of brick platforms for Taichi practice.

But June initially preferred to balance on a fallen tree.

Pretty cool when a tai-chi champion does it.

Straight-sword above (June is also champion in this weapon), and saber below.

June and Dave with sabres.

Me with straight-sword.  Ive recently learnt the Chen straight-sword form.   I think this form is called 'Fairy Points the Way'.

And the spring-and-autumn halberd which I've not learnt (below).  To be honest I am reluctant to take photos with weapons that I haven't trained with.

And a 'School Photo' of June's Taichi School (Chenjiagou branch)

We took a different route home past a pear orchard which was at peak blossom.

So I wanted to get some photos of June with the blossom.

These are my favorites.

June with her favorite weapon, the halberd.

In the road behind the orchard the 10-day market was being set-up.   There are few shops in the village, so if you want to buy anything like clothes or spices this is where you go (every 10-days as the name suggests).

As before no-one was surprised at the weapons, but the big foreigners attracted some curiosity.