A late misty sunrise turned into a cool crisp morning at Westlake as I practiced Tai Chi to knock out the cobwebs from yesterdays marathon journey.
Departed Caloundra at 2:30 am yesterday and arrived at our hotel in Hangzhou at 23 hours later. Flew Brisbane-Sydney-Shanghai then caught the Long Distance Bus (100RMB=$15) to Hangzhou. 3 hours on the bus, freeway all the way, and disembarked in an unfamiliar part of town.
We elected not to get a cab (the easy way) which were plentiful at the Interchange, and spent about 2 hours finding our way. It turned we were not far from the Hotel, it just took some time to orientate. A young guy on a bike saw us looking at street signs and stopped to offer help. A nice welcome to the city.
After checkin we went next door to a very busy bar for a pint of Tsingtao before hitting our warm comfortable beds.

While I am in China there will be no classes. The usual timetable will resume on Sunday 14 April. I will be posting a blog article each day I am in Hangzhou if you wish to follow the adventure.

Morgan Classic Thai Pads $35 ea or $60 per pair. Rag filled 3 kg. Email to order yours.

Online catalogue of Fitness and Martial Arts Equipment, Clothing and Accessories available soon. Quality brands including Morgan, Dragon, Yamasaki and more. 

We are returning to Hangzhou April 2-12 for further Tai Chi training with the Masters. 
Anyone interested in travelling to Hangzhou should contact us by email. Itinerary will depend on who joins the tour, but you can count on quality Tai Chi instruction, great food and a wealth of cultural experiences.
You'll have to arrange your own flight, there are some great deals around at the moment. Arrive in Hangzhou Tuesday April 2 and return Friday April 12. Fly to Shanghai then fast train (1 hour) to Hangzhou. Allow about $2500 (depending on how many people and what we do) on top of your airfare for accommodation, food, training and everything else. If you want a longer trip visiting more places that can be arranged also.
Hangzhou is surrounded by natural beauty and has a mix of the ultra modern with the history of an ancient capital. Google Hangzhou and you'll discover it was the capital of two Ancient Dynasties, and is known in China as Paradise. It is China's premier domestic tourist destination, but not yet well known outside China.

2 Personal training sessions per week, programmed and supervised by a Diploma qualified Fitness Specialist, with a written postural assessment and a written macronutrient assessment and eating plan, for only $85 per week. Limited times available, call 0416 120 482 to book your sessions.

All classes have resumed for 2013 with no change to the timetable from last year.

Karate Kids classes will resume on 4 February 2013. There is a change to the timetable, with 5-8 yaers old now on Monday and Wednesday, and 8-12 years old now Tuesday and Thursday

Karate classes have resumed for 2013 with a change to the timetable for Friday and the weekend. Check calendar for details.

Katrina, Adam and Kieran all performed very well in their black belt test. The quality of their kicking technique was the standout feature of their demonstration of skill. 

Nerves were apparent in the beginning, but once they got going all went well. With the forms and technique combinations out of the way, the bag work was impressive. 

Working with a partner the energy in the one-steps and free sparring was excellent. They successfully completed all breaks which included kicking, elbow strike and head butt.