Sunday was the final day of Chinese New Year shows, so I thought I would perform to close out the festivities and start my new year strong.

Today was the Dragon Parade Festival in Mills 50 District near downtown Orlando. It was the 8th annual festival, and each year I’m happy to see more spectators and participants.

Team Wah Lum (Temple and North Orlando) students march in the parade and are always honored to welcome the VIP’s on stage to participate in the traditional ‘eye dotting ceremony’ where the lions are awakened.

Showtime

Our team enjoys spreading good luck with the lion dance to audiences of all ages. We try to bring excitement to the crowd when we kick off the stage show with our kung fu exhibition. Most years, I opt to drum, show manage, or just cheer on our team.

This year, I decided to ‘come out of retirement’. O and I have been hosting Forty Fit-fu on Facebook Live each week, so we wanted to show everyone you can still attempt to perform when 40+.

Also, it is always a treat for the students to see their Sifu’s once in a while. A huge shout out to my kung fu brothers who performed with me – Sifu George Kee and Sifu Marcus Chinfatt… who ahem, are 50+ – Inspiring!

The Year of the Pig shows kicked off in early January and finally wrapped up today. I actually am proud to say, I’m not that tired!

Ok, maybe I am a bit tired. However, I am fortunate to have a great team to represent Wah Lum. The Demo Team did a great job entertaining the audiences this year. I am proud of all of my students for their hard work.

Orlando Community

Business owners, spectators, and students alike enjoyed all of the shows. It feels good to bring joy through tradition to the community. The sounds of firecrackers, Chinese drumming, and shouts of ‘jiā yóu’ (cheering on the performers in Chinese, literally means more oil) are always nostalgic for me.

My father, Grandmaster Chan, began the tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year with lion dancing and kung fu shows in Orlando in 1981. Chinese New Year was the first shows I remember performing in.

Looking back, I can’t believe I have been performing in Chinese New Year shows for almost 40 years. Let’s hope that I can keep up for another 40!

Please tune in to our weekly Facebook LIVE broadcasts to hear more about keeping fit for kung fu over 40. Oscar and I welcome any comments or questions – we are here to help and learn!

Jiā yóu!

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