Martial Arts Power Hits Tanforan Mall

The Shops at Tanforan on Saturday hosted local martial arts studios to display to residents of San Bruno what the different disciplines have to offer. San Bruno Patch attended the martial arts fair and got to see first-hand exactly what the different schools had to offer, and how the public received them.

When first entering the mall it seemed like a regular Saturday at Tanforan, full of shoppers, people running errands, and kids roaming around giving their parents some good exercise. One thing was different today: a martial arts fair on the upper floor of the mall. From 1-4 p.m., martial arts schools like E-Tae Kwon Do, Dancel Tae Kwon Do, and Tai Chi Yuen set up booths in preparation for demonstrations that would take place later in the day.

Early on, 40 or so seats set up in front of the stage were packed, and shoppers began to stand and sit in the surrounding area, anywhere within sight of the action. As the event began, nearly 100 people had gathered to watch the different demonstrations that were about to occur.

The first demonstration, and clearly one of the most popular based on audience reaction, was a young 9-year-old girl named Emma, trained in Shaolin kung fu and wu shu.

Tai Chi Yuen gave the next performance. Tai chi is a much more relaxed style of martial arts used primarily to strengthen the body through slow, calculated movements.

All styles of martial arts showcased at the fair were well received by the audience. Many walked up to school representatives of their most-liked martial art to inquire about participating as a student.

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