Spring 2007
20 Years of SYL Wushu
On Sunday, May 20, 2007 I had the honour and great good fortune to attend a banquet in Vancouver celebrating the twentieth anniversaries of two organisations founded and cofounded my Teacher, Grand Master Shouyu Liang. One is his school in Vancouver, the SYL Wushu, Taiji, Qigong Institute. The other is the International Wushu Sanshou Dao Association (IWSD), an organisation he founded.
This well run event was the result of months of planning and hard work by Master Helen Liang and several students and volunteers from the school. I estimate that the event was attended by approximately 600 people, including students of the school, their friends and family, honoured guests, dignitaries, and visitors who flew from far and wide.
The first hour was a wonderful series of demonstrations by students and instructors of the SYL Wushu Taiji and Qigong Institute. During the second hour we saw masters’ demonstrations by guests from around the world. I personally have never attended a better run demonstration. The calibre of performance was astounding!
Most importantly for me, it was a chance to see my teachers and friends whom I have missed terribly since leaving Vancouver 5 years ago. It was also a chance to make new friends.
I cannot deny that watching those magnificent demonstrations has inspired me to work much harder to improve my own skills and to provide the best instruction possible for my students.
The Shouyu Liang Wushu, Taiji, Qigong Institute is one of the most influential Wushu schools in North America, teaching traditional and modern Chinese martial arts and healing arts since 1987. As Sam Masich (another teacher of mine and a master of ceremonies for this event) pointed out, there have been times when 80-90% of all the champions in North American Competitions were people who had studied with Grandmaster Liang.
The IWSD now has member schools in many countries. It’s positive influence on the martial arts community continues to grow.
“The IWSD Association is a vehicle for members to learn new skills and to improve their martial arts ability. It functions as a bridge for martial artists all over the world to learn and share their knowledge, and to develop greater camaraderie between martial artists. The IWSD Association recognises and encourages the uniqueness of various styles and traditions, but considers the cultivation of an individual’s ability more important than the distinction that divides one style or tradition from another. The goal of the IWSD includes transcending the boundaries between styles to allow for the integration of a highly practical and versatile systems of martial skill.” - from the IWSD website
