Li Deshun is a name that you might not have heard before. But it is a name that people should know.

His photo has appeared on Shuaijiao TV before. I posted this photo taken at the Dongxu Cup Beijing Champs in…wow…2007! He is pictured with his student Li Junlei who had just won silver (after giving way to his team mate for the gold), and has just won his second MMA fight in Art of War on November 28th. Check this photo out!

But who is Li Deshun?

I didn’t know too the first time I met him.

I was late that Saturday morning to the old gym in Xuanwu. I quickly blended into practice after apologizing for my slight lateness and trying to hide my hangover.

The guy beside me practicing the Dabangzi (The Big Stick) was going hardcore but looked awkward to me, so I asked him: “Is this your first day?” in my best Chinese.

He laughed and laughed and told Master Li and Coach Ma what I had said which caused them to laugh too. Then I found out who he was.

Li Deshun is from a family of wrestlers, was one of Beijing’s best competitors at national level competition for many years, and was the head coach of Beijing’s National professional team – Huochetou – or “The Engine” as I like to translate it.

Later, when Olympic constuction took over Beijing, we moved to this other small gym in central Beijing. That is the gym you can see in the documentary about me learning Shuaijiao in Beijing. Coach Li Deshun was kind enough to lend us his gym while ours was being rebuilt. Cool thing about that for me was that he came to our workouts too.

I soon realized that Coach Li had great handwork, awesome technique, and was still in shape to throw the tough guys with ease. That combined with his great sense of humor made him my favorite partner for grip fighting. Of course i started not being able to get a grip despite having arms half a foot longer than his. But soon i was making fast progress as he taught me all his tricks openly, in good humor, in a hands-on style i respond well to.

Nowadays, the Huochetou Team has been disband, but that didn’t stop Li Deshun from living his passion. He teaches Shuaijiao professionally here in Beijing, and is also a National-level referee.

His school - Shuangxiong Shuaijiao (Double Hero Chinese Wrestling) - is located in the northern part of the city – see here – and I would have to say – is one of the best-equipped marital arts venue I have seen anywhere.

Classes are in the evenings on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which makes them easier for me to attend as sometimes Saturday mornings are a stretch after returning late and exhausted on Friday night, and Sundays are a stretch after returning late and inebriated on Saturday night.

Shuaijiao under Coach Li seems more disciplined than I’m used to. But that is a good thing. The quality of the techniques taught is outstanding as well. My evenings spent in Coach Li’s gym are always well invested as I come back buzzing with all sorts of new tips, tricks, and realizations.

I will try to share some of them with you here over the next few months!

Keep Smilin’

&

Go for Gold!

Michael

My younger Shuaijiao brother, teacher, and friend Zhang Jiang is now in Hamburg, Germany.

He is there promoting and teaching Shuaijiao in Germany at the invitation of my good friend

Ayten Gülec of Hamburg’s Wusheng School.

Zhang Jiang has been a student of Master Li Baoru and Ma Jianguo since he was 8, has several national and international titles, and holds a bachelor’s degree in sports with Shuaijiao as his major.

We in China miss Zhang Jiang dearly and wish him well in spreading the Shuaijiao word.

For those of you in Europe…get in touch with Ayten…Zhang Jiang is a Shuaijiao genius and is well worth a visit to Hamburg.

Keep Smilin’

Michael

Shuaijiao TV is back!

And what better way to celebrate than with a wedding.

Congratulations to my Finnish Shuaijiao brother Mikael and his lovely new wife Maggie on tying the knot.

Mikael has been a friend of SJ.TV for a long time and when he found himself relocated to Beijing he called me and the Shuaijiao fun n games began.

 Mikael has a strong background in Choy Lay Fut and when he was living in Guangzhou encountered a Shuaijiao teacher from North China. That’s when his love affair began. Since coming to Beijing he has continued to learn under Masters Li Baoru and Ma Jianguo.

Can’t have all the photos be of Mikael getting thrown!

Congratulations again mate!

Keep Smilin’

Michael

Coach Ma is one of the characters i mention frequently.

Some interesting information about him:

• Master Li’s student from a very young age
• Was whisked away from Shuaijiao and into the Freestyle wrestling system as a kid
• Was on the Beijing Freestyle team at the same sport school as Jet Li…at the same time.
• Coach Ma’s wife was Jet Li’s team mate and is still a wushu coach

• Multiple Beijing Shuaijiao Champion
• Coach Ma is the national director of competitions for China governing body for Shuaijiao
• Coach Ma along with Master Li and Master Xu Gang will conduct a National Referee Certification Training Camp in Cangzhou THIS month

If you have a chance to meet and learn from Coach Ma count yourself very lucky. He is a lovely guy and has soooo much knowledge and experience that he shares openly. If you want to make it happen, you know who to call. If you can’t wait…well check my youtube videos out!

Keep Smilin’

Michael

Last year I filmed this documentary for Beijing TV.

I don’t think of myself as interesting. But the story i guess is. Kiwi in China in love with Shuaijiao - something that most Chinese don’t even know exists.

Its in Chinese, but i speak so slowly that you will have time to look up each word as I speak! It’s quite shocking to hear yourself speak…now i know the Chinese are being polite when they say “Oh your Chinese is so good”. Lol.

But if you don’t mind watching it  - its about 25 minutes long - you can see Master Li, Coach Ma, Xiao Li, Ma Ke, Lao Zhang and most of the guys. You can see us training at  Coach Li Deshun’s - of the “Huochetou” Team - Beijing Train Station venue. We trained there while our Xuanwu School was being rebuilt last winter.

You can also see some other parts of my life here in Beijing. It might be inspiring for you if you have a dream of coming to China and living and learning Shuaijiao.

Interestingly, after this was filmed I was selected as one of Beijing’s 100 most interesting international people. I was supposed to make an additonal documentary but i didnt have time so they edited this one down to 5 minutes and presented it along with 99 other stories to the world’s Olympic broadcasting teams as a gift that they can broadcast in their own country.

Well i hope it achieves a good plug for Shuaijiao. I need to find more opportunities to promote Shuaijiao both here in China and around the world… ANY IDEAS? All welcome.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTARY

Hope you enjoy it

Keep Smilin’

Michael

After a year or so of writing about Shuaijiao…it is time you all got to know me a little better…the good the bad and the ugly.

One caveat: i want to know you a bit better too!

Add me on Facebook and we can stay in touch

Search for: Michael Ashley Wix

Keep Smilin’

Michael

ps. Im also on MSN: ashleywix@hotmail.com

The Olympics were sensational.

It was wonderful to be a part of them and to see China shine… I hope you all feel inspired to come over here and experience China first hand.

One thing that limits Shuaijiao’s development in China is the old Soviet-style of developing and training professional athletes. They choose them very young and put them in sports schools where they are trained rigorously with the ultimate goal being to win Olympic gold for the motherland.

Most of the Chinese athletes competing in the 2008 games have emerged from this system.

The impact on Shuaijiao is this: Kids start in Shuaijiao, show some talent and interest… then get whisked off to a sport school to study Freestyle, Grecco-roman, or Judo…and now even Taekwondo (can you believe that!). But those sports are “medal sports”… Shuaijiao is not.

Most of the kids come back to Shuaijiao after they have finished competing, or when they have reached the limits of their development for whatever reason (usually an injury) but by that stage it’s too late for Shuaijiao. So, interestingly… the Shuaijiao we see in China is largely populated by athletes who were not successful in other disciplines (i hope i don’t get in too much trouble for that comment). Imagine for a moment how awesome China’s Shuaijiao could be if it’s pool of talent wasn’t continually drained by other wrestling “medal” disciplines…

Well, The Wall Street Journal found out about this… and decided to do a story. CLICK HERE

It is a story that really needs to be told. But there is only one or two people i really want to see this story. I want President Hu Jintao to see it. I want him to see it and say: “We need to take massive action to protect and develop this aspect of our physical culture before it is lost”

Let me know what you think… and i’m in it so now you can put a face to the name

Keep Smilin’

Michael

I stumbled upon these videos on Youtube posted by Gustavo Thomas on his blog.

They are street performances from 1927 Shanghai. In this particular performance you can see what is called Ergui Shuaijiao. It is a traditional form of street thetre that depicts a Shuaijiao battle between 2 Chinese men wearing everyday Qing dynasty-style clothing (i.e. no dalian)

In the next video you can see the same art performed during a Temple Fair in modern day Chengde by Gustavo Thomas

I have to say that I prefer to watch the real thing, but it’s a good bit of Shuaijiao culture.

Keep Smilin’

Michael

Don’t even think about throwing this guy Shuaijiao people; Boxers, you won’t land a rear cross on him either;  Muay Thai elbows are useless too. Check it out.

The most interesting thing about this video is how westerners are as easily fooled by this crap.

Makes me wonder what the science is here? I suspect a hypnotic cocktail of natural gullibility, wanting to believe, peer pressure, and stage hypnosis?

Reminded me of Derren Brown’s Mind Punch

Keep Smilin’

Michael

The World Shuaijiao Network

In collaboration with the Chinese Shuaijiao Development Council, Shuaijiao Nation,  and YOU, Shuaijiao.TV is compiling a comprehensive list of Shuaijiao training venues worldwide.

This list will be made available to all freely as a networking resource that you can use to make contacts, find training venues,teachers, and partners, and importantly find athletes to compete in your tournaments.

I need the following information about Shuaijiao people/places:

• Region
• Country
• City
• Address
• Website
• Phone Number
• Contact Person
• Email
• Additional Background Information

This will add tremendous value to all of our efforts in learning, promoting, and developing China’s oldest and most effective martial art and fighting sport.

I cannot do it without you!

Please send your info to: michael@shuaijiao.tv

Many thanks
&
Keep Smilin’
Michael

Ps. Please forward this message to people you think might like to be listed in the network.

Pps. Did you donate to the Sichuan Quake victims yet? Every penny helps