Sifu Meng in Rio

[Marcelo-RJ]

Hi all!

Thi is just to let you know that Sifu Meng has arrived safely and sound in Rio and that we've already started the four-days HFY workshop with him.
More news soon!

Marcelo
http://www.hungfayi.com.br

[Cang Long]

Brother Marcelo
Glad to hear that Meng Sigung had a safe trip down enjoy your training and your time with Master Meng we look forward to your review of the workshop.

Happy training.

[Marcelo-RJ]

Those have been busy, busy days!


Nov, 10: Sifu Meng arrived on Thursday and was received by me, Jacs, Jorge and Leonardo. From the airport, we went to my home, where we had the "traditional lunch" and started to talk a little bit about the current situation and the future of HFY in Brazil.

After that, we went to the Northern Shaolin School of Sifu Luiz Pessanha, the place where the HFY family in Rio meets twice a week. Starting at 5h30min PM, Sifu reviewed the 1st SNT level of the 8 HFY brothers that were there, made some commentaries and finished the 1st training session at 10 PM.

We went to a non-stopping pizza buffet (all kind of pizzas, from regular cheese to chocolate with strawberries) and took Sifu to the hotel.

Nov, 11: Training started at 10 AM, at the Shaolin school, where more than 20 students from Rio, Sao Paulo, Recife and Fortaleza were waiting. Sifu divided the group in two, according to the level of the students, and started to introduce new stuff to the 2nd level guys.
We stopped at 2h45min PM and took the subway to downtown, where we had lunch at the best chinese restaurant in town.
After that, we walked to the park of the Museum of Modern Art and trained for two more hours.
From the park, we went back to the school, met some more students, trained until 8 PM and went to the house of Alfredo's grandmother, who prepared a special banquette of tipical Brazilian food and fresh juices of native fruits to the five luckiest guys in this world: Sifu, myself, Jacs, Leonardo and Jorge. Alfredo, our newest student, is vegetarian and did not try his grandma's delicious plates.
Happy end of day 2
:o

Nov, 12: Day started with a seminar for (believe it or not) 200 persons at the University of State of Rio de Janeiro: "The Martial Science of Shaolin - Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun". (to be continued)

[Jacs]

At the University of State of Rio de Janeiro we had around 200 people and they contributed with more than 250 kilos of food for the bigest charity campaign in Brasil that was handled by a famous sociologist called Betinho (died at the age of 60 by a blood transfusion contaminated with HIV).

Last year this campaign raised about 4.143 tons of food for poor families.

Ação da Cidadania Contra a Fome (http://www.acaodacidadania.com.br/)

The HFY Brazilian family are proud to help this campaign.

[Marcelo-RJ]

(cont.)

Nov, 12: Day started with a seminar for (believe it or not) 200 persons at the University of State of Rio de Janeiro: "The Martial Science of Shaolin - Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun".

As Jacs pointed out, the seminar was an official event of "Xmas without Hunger" a non-governamental program destined to gather and distribute food to poor people around Yuletide.
Our goal was to receive about 100 people and 150 kilos of food.
But we happily received around 200 people and more than 250 kilos of food.

Master Meng spoke to that huge audience about how the Kung Fu of Shaolin evoluted from Saan Kiu to Weng Kiu, thus giving birth to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun. He spoke of the importance of Hou Chuen Saan Sau and traced a relation between Martial Arts and Philosophy in the ligh of the Wisdoms of Shaolin.

Take a look at this partial view of the audience. (http://www.hfy108.com/photohost/showphoto.php?photo=420)

After the speach, we went outside, where Sifu led the audience to a jorney through basic exercises and basic movements, thus making everyone shake their bodies.

From the University, we took the food to the building of the "Ação da Cidadania contra a Fome" (see Jacs' link above) and delivered the food that those nice persons at the audience donated. (http://www.hfy108.com/photohost/showphoto.php?photo=422)

After that, we all had lunch and went back training at Sifu Luiz's school. We stoped late at night, when Sifu went to the hotel and talked a little bit more with the VTM representatives in Brasil (Jacs, Jorge and Leonardo Tiengo).

- to be continued -

[Marcelo-RJ]

November, 13: That was the day that Sifu would depart.
I picked him up at the hotel around 9 AM and took him to an open marketing in Ipanema. Then we drove to the School where we met the guys training. Sifu spoke on the appropriate structures of the postures, both horizontally and vertically.
After that, we went to a park by the school where we found a nice place to practice. The 1st SNT level guys went through fau kiu pak sau, centerline pak sau and centerline jong sau. The 2nd SNT level guys went through entering techniques and five lines pak sau.
After a short final speech, it was time to take a last picture (http://www.hfy108.com/photohost/showphoto.php?photo=423) with the group and say goodbye.
Paula, my wife, joined us and we went to a wonderful non-stop barbecue restaurant by the Guanabara Bay with Leonardo, Jorge and Jacs, who took this picture. (http://www.hfy108.com/photohost/showphoto.php?photo=424) Then we left to the airport and Sifu took his flight back home.

It's hard to speak about the things Sifu taught us. I still have to digest the oral teachings and improve my body karma by going through the drills. Furthermore, the group were divided in two, so I have but a partial part of the whole thing in my mind. The most important thing is our certainty to be moving the right way and the blessing to be guided by such a competent, kind and dedicated Sifu.

Now we're expecting the visit of our Sigung, the Buyn Jyun of the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun System, in the middle of 2006. In advance, we thank Sigung Gee so much for allowing us to be and feel part of this special family.

Take care you all,

Marcelo