Trainees practice tai chi at Shanghai Mass Art Center on Sept 9. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Presence of foreign trainers teaching Brazilian jujitsu and tai chi is also a big draw, Wang Xin reports.
With the days getting shorter and dusk setting in early, many people make a beeline for indoor activities with evening art courses topping the list. Helping them keep in shape is 26-year-old Brazilian Ana Paula Zanolete, a black belt coach in Brazilian jujitsu, or BJJ.
Moving to Shanghai this January, Zanolete is teaching a BJJ night course in the city's Jing'an District Culture Center, which is one of the 1,072 night art courses that the city is offering to the public in the fall semester. She is also one of the first foreign teachers to give such culture lessons at night schools.
Shanghai's night courses have been trendy among those in the 18 to 55 age bracket who usually have day jobs. The public night school program initiated by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism has been in operation for almost 10 years, aiming at extending culture and arts education to a wider range of learners.
Participants take 12 lessons given by professional tutors for about 500 yuan ($70), far below the market price. The fall semester enrolled nearly 25,000 students and have begun at 400 teaching locations across the city since this month.
Co-teaching with another BJJ veteran coach from Turkmenistan, Zanolete's course is one of the most popular offerings this semester. All 25 spots in the class were sold out within six seconds when its online registration opened in August.
"Shanghai is a big and beautiful city with a cosmopolitan culture, and it has a big community of BJJ and martial arts. I love BJJ and training people and teaching new students. For me, it is a great opportunity and really interesting thing to do," says Zanolete.
Apart from the night course, Zanolete also serves as a BJJ coach at a training institution in the city.
Shahar Levy poses for a photo. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Her teaching usually begins with warm-up routines, and then moves on to a blend of technique instructions and practice.
She explains that she does not put a lot of pressure on beginners. Instead, she is pleased to see the trainees with smiles and tries to make them feel comfortable.
Most of all, she likes to bust the fear and myths associated with BJJ and martial arts through her lessons.
"Some people may be a little bit scared about BJJ and think that martial arts is difficult, and I want to change this. I want them to shed the fear of learning martial arts, and would like to see more Chinese girls and boys take up BJJ," says Zanolete.
Fang Xuhao, a 26-year-old lawyer, was lucky enough to get a place in the class. In addition to his interest in the sport, the foreign teachers are another motivation for him to take the plunge.
"The presence of foreign teachers gives me an international feel, encourages cultural exchange and helps improve my spoken English. And the warm-up session benefits me the most. As an office worker, those movements can relieve some tension in the lower back muscles and then strengthen them. The class is well worth the money," says Fang.
As the teacher, Zanolete is also enjoying her role and benefiting no less than her trainees: "I now know a lot of people, made new friends, getting to know the culture of other countries and improving my English as well."
Like Zanolete, Shahar Levy, a 46-year-old Israeli guide who has been living in Shanghai for almost two decades, is another foreign teacher of the Shanghai night course, teaching tai chi at the Shanghai Mass Art Center.
Captivated by tai chi in his 20s, Levy came to Shanghai in 2005 to study the martial art form at Shanghai University of Sport, and never left.
"I feel tai chi is not only a kind of wushu (Chinese martial arts), but more a sport integrating culture and life philosophy. It features slow movements, which allows us to feel ourselves and offer us a comprehensive experience … People can work out and exercise their brains at the same time (by practicing tai chi), which continuously makes an impact on our daily lives," says Levy.
Ana Paula Zanolete coaches Brazilian jujitsu. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Levy used to teach tai chi for years at a school in Israel, and this is the first time he is imparting a bilingual tai chi lesson to trainees in China. He notes that unlike overseas trainees, the Chinese are familiar with many professional words and theories in this field, making the lesson easier, more efficient and smooth.
"Hopefully, we can be friends, and I can learn from them as well, about their ideas, about different cultures and more. I hope each trainee in the class can have the opportunity to express themselves with tai chi," says Levy.
Zheng Pengcheng, a 24-year-old account manager in the class, is a big fan of tai chi. He signed up for a tai chi calligraphy lesson in the spring semester of Shanghai night courses.
"Tai chi can help us build the body and stay fit. The teachers are professional; and the lesson is of great value. We exercise, practice English and learn different movements and promote cultural understandings. It is very interesting," says Zheng.
As another big fan of traditional Chinese culture, Levy enjoys his time with the trainees and his life in Shanghai too.
"For foreigners in China, Shanghai is a convenient city. As an international metropolis, Shanghai can offer you both traditional Chinese and Western cultures. This city is vibrant, dynamic and smooth. Things just flow here, and it is always changing — in a smooth way."
