Huang Jifu, Vice Chairman of the BCCMA, was the team leader. Dick Watson and I were the coaches and a squad of 20 from my association, from Nigel Sutton's Zhong Ding Association and from Dicks Long Fei Association went with us to Taiwan for the 2nd Chung Hua Cup International Tal Chi Chuan Tournament in Taiwan.
I quote from the tournament regulations:"Purpose: Owing to expend (sic) Chinese culture, promote the acknowledge of Tai Chi Chuan, encourage the health of human being, as well as improving and learning the technical of Tai Chi Chuan." Despite the faulty English. I think the gist is clear.
This tournament failed to achieve any of these noble purposes.
The travel guide to Taiwan thoughfully provided by the Free China Centre told us 'Try never to shout or lose your temper. Always stay calm and cool. Be modest and respectful, the more so with someone older or more senior."
Halfway through the first day of competition. I had metamorphosed from an urbane, courteous Dr. Jekyll into a raging, slavering Mr. Hyde. As Jifu remarked even Dick Watson. normally the most mild-mannered and pleasant of people, was seething.
There are always problems with competitions there are incompetent officials, unclear rules and occasional bias. However, I have never encountered organised cheating on the scale that we saw in Taiwan.
We, the Malaysians and the small American contingent were systematically cheated. I didn't complain about the first couple contests against the Taiwanese, not wanting to be accused of sour grapes and the contests were close.
Dean Mcann's Taiwanese opponent was so well beaten that he was shaking his head when time was called. Nevertheless he got the decision, Jifu made a protest. The Taiwanese judges and organisers smiled at us, shook our hands and said nice things.
Ray White's referee was so biased that I walked on and stopped the contest. I told the chief Judge and his echelons that if they were incapable of judging and refereeing properly, we could do it for them. The judges were visibly shaken and obviously unused to being harangued in Mandarin by 6'1", 200 pound Glaswegians. However, organlsers came over and smiled and said more nice things. I let it continue.
When time came, we thought Ray had won narrowly, but gave it to the Taiwanese. Then Gordon McGowan spotted the scorecard: 25-8 in favour of the Taiwanese. I could just about believe 25-24 or 25-23, but this was the last straw.
When you don't complain and you are cheated, it continues. When you complain politeIy, it continues and when you complain strongly the cheating is even worse. The team was a good one, but there is little point in continuing under the same circumstances, so we withdrew. I felt sorry for those who had been cheated, sorry for those who had fought their way through to the semi-finals, sorry for those who hadn't had the chance to compete.
So they sent the President of the Taiwan Tai Chi Association and incidentally Jifu's Tai Chi uncle to shake hands with me and smooth things over. I refused to shake hands with him or anyone else and told them that to paraphrase Lao Tzu they had spoken many beautiful words but very few true ones.
Later at the party Jifu came up and said that he'd been told that his uncle, the president. wanted to give personal presents to him and to me and would I go up onto the stage to accept. I refused, but said that in view of his being in the same Tai Chi family I understood that it was necessary for him to accept. He didn't get the chance. The Taiwanese persuaded one of our team members to go up and sing and at the end of a rendition of "Stand By Me" they made an announcement in Mandarin that they were presenting a framed portrait to the British: team which they duly gave him with smiles, clapping and photographs.
When he came down from the stage I asked to look at the portrait. I took it over to the bleachers and started to smash it on the metal railings. The first crash got their attention after the second I flung it on the floor.
To Chinese people face is more important than life Itself, so this was the most effective way to make a non-violent protest. The next day we did something positive: Jifu bid to run the next Chung Hua Cup in Britain in 1996. The Malaysian delegates applauded vigorously.
Subsequent to this at the BCCMA AGM I was asked to become their competitor coordinator. I accepted and with their support intend to help put together regional, national and international competitions at all levels and incorporating all aspects of Chinese martial arts. These events will be advertised in Combat and I will be writing with more information to leading instructors seeking their support. Most, but not all of these events will be entirely open. In the meantime I'd be very happy to receive comments and suggestions from all bona fide Chinese martial arts instructors: they can contact me at the address given in Combat Classified. Those requiring details on joining BCCMA should contact Membership Secretary Bob Weatherall, 46 Oaston Road, Nuneaton. Warks., CV11 6JZ.
PS. Thanks to BCCMA and TCUGB for their financial support for the team in Taiwan.