Beijing Sketch Diary #2 (Patreon)

Training began each morning in the park of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven. It's a massive complex with tons of little corners and forests where some of the top martial artists in Beijing train. During the Cultural Revolution, kung fu was essentially banned, but many masters trained in secret around the ruins of Tian Tan. The temple has been renovated in recent years, and as such has become a symbolic hub for many traditional practices.

Above: Morning practice began with Ni Rou Hua, a 6th generation master of Cheng-style Bagua. Since Bagua involves a lot of walking in circles, a basic training starts with one circling a small tree for hours, holding and performing various postures. Over the years of circle-walking, these trees all form little rings. You always know a tree's popularity by how deep and well-formed its ring is.

Master Ni is notorious for his dogged emphasis on fundamentals, and will drill basic postures for hours on end. I'm not sure I've ever stood on one leg for as long as I did with him. That said, he's a jolly guy with an endless supply of energy, having no volume other than "shouting."