The TBBF has now been around for 20 years – we already reported on the celebrations. And so it is also important to celebrate the pioneers who were the first to practice our sport beyond China's borders and who are still loyal to it today. Among them is Thomas Türkis (cover photo on the right), one of our coaches, who takes us on a little BailongBall journey through time...
The second European training group of 2006
right: Thomas Türkis, center: Prof. Bai Rong
What an experience! As the second European training group to become trainers for the Taiji Bailong Ball Federation at the LaoShan Center in Qingdao, China, under the direction of Prof. Bai Rong and Xiaofei Sui, we were given a special honor in 2006. On June 18, 2006, we were invited to Beijing to participate in the 1st Ficus Tree Cup (International Rouliqiu Forum) as the European presentation group, presenting this art of movement, which was still unknown in Europe at the time, to an expert audience in its country of origin. What a challenge for our newly appointed group of trainers! We were all very excited. Our training group had very little prior knowledge before the training. However, our training provided us with the basic tools of BailongBall.
And so, nothing stood in the way of performing the first standard form, followed by game and freestyle, as part of the Ficus Tree Cup. We had great respect for the task ahead. After all, the Chinese presentation groups were many times larger and more experienced than us. But true to the motto, if there's no turning back, just take a step forward, we bravely took to the show floor and had a lot of fun presenting our newly learned skills. The other participants celebrated us for it and afterwards we were in demand as "exotics from Europe" for numerous photos. The press also conducted a few short interviews with us. For me, it was a day of priceless experiences. Even today, I still enjoy these memories and am glad to have gotten to know this sport, which conveys so much joy, fun, lightness, and elegance, and to be part of this community.
Thomas Türkis
BailongBall Trainer
The event in the Beijing News
Thomas (pictured front) makes headlines
Here is a machine translation of part of the article from Chinese
The little ball "brings the world closer together"
Xu Xian, Yuka People's Sichuan Foreign Affairs Association Organizer of the "First International BailongBall Conference in Beijing" Venue: Shijingshan Sports Park.
Over 600 BailongBall enthusiasts from countries such as Italy, Germany, Japan, Russia, and provinces such as Beijing and Shanghai in China took part in the event. Jointly organized by cities and counties along the route Slogan competition for the "Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal" cultural festival.
This event (artist Meng Ping) is organized by the Tongzhou District Committee of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, the Tongzhou District Government, and other institutions. The "Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal" Cultural Festival will take place from January 1 to 16, 2006, at the Tongzhou District Cultural Center. Activities will include cultural performances, historical exhibitions, and cultural exchange programs.
The festival takes place in Beijing and is jointly organized by four provinces, two municipalities, and 20 prefecture-level cities along the route. It showcases cultural achievements and international cultural exchanges.
Historically, Tongzhou was an important hub for trade, industry, culture, and economy. As a cultural treasure of northern China, it boasts 17 significant cultural sites.
The festival includes cultural publications, renowned cultural events, and exhibitions on cultural heritage.
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As you can see, this is a sport that transcends national borders and time – thank you for sharing your impressions, Thomas!
Mike Ritz
BailongBall Instructor