Welcome

 
 

The Guo Shu Cup is back! June 5, 2016

Team competition as in the past. more…

Biography

Sifu H.E. Eleonora has dedicated himself to various martial arts since the age of 5, at first in a broad sense with an accent on Kung Fu. Later, he began to focus on the Internal Arts, and to that end spent several years in China where he was a student of grand-master Wong Suen Ting. After the latter’s death in 1987, Sifu Eleonora traveled to Guangzhou and studied and trained with Wong’s principal student: Zhang Bingxin who still teaches him today. He returns to China annually in search of knowledge, to exchange ideas and for inspiration.

In 1997, Sifu Eleonora founded the internationally oriented ‘Zhang Bingxin Liu He Men Federation’. In China, the many traditional styles of Kung Fu are in danger of being lost as a result of the Cultural Revolution. The goal of the Federation is to preserve the traditional Liu He Men-style, and do so in the West through a more Western-geared system of training that includes levels and examinations. Sifu Eleonora gives numerous courses, workshops and demonstrations in the Netherlands and abroad. The emphasis is placed on the Internal Arts: Tai Chi, Pa Kua, Xing Yi, Qi Gong and meditation.

Sifu Returns From China With A Special Award

Sifu Eleonora was in China from 6 September – 12 October 2007. He had been invited to participate in K-Star, the ‘Global Kung Fu Star TV-Competition’. After a special pre-selection round, 36 participants from around the world were gathered to compete in an arduous contest. Altogether the program resulted in 30 television-episodes, which were broadcasted across China.

We are proud to report that our Sifu put up an impressive fight in an arena of exclusively young fellow-contenders. The official competition kicked off in Shaolin after a week of grueling (!) Shaolin Kung Fu training. Among other things, this meant waking up at the crack of dawn (4 am) and running up one thousand steps carrying two buckets brimful of water. Television crews filmed throughout in the complex, enabling the greater audience to truly grasp the ways in which training within the temple walls was given in the olden days.

The 36 contenders were divided up into duos and placed under the care of one of the 18 official Shaolin monks. If you look at the photographs, you will see that the contenders were given the ‘ancient’ (i.e. half-open) light blue outfit, a stick and a basket. Lessons were given in hand- and stick-forms, and contestants were further instructed in the ways of Qi Gong, medicine and acupuncture. During ceremonies, calligraphy classes and meditation the contenders wore black robes.

The contenders were faced with an extremely busy program throughout the competition. Aside from competition training, they were required to be available for film-shoots and were trained for the live shows. All in all, the program was highly demanding. Though Sifu found his stay in China to be both instructive and enjoyable, he was disappointed that the final segment of the competition was geared entirely towards selecting a new Chinese movie-star/singer, thereby rendering Kung Fu a mere secondary concern in terms of declaring a winner.