Impressions of the Military Academy Table Tennis Club Training Class
By Bai Gang
March 26, 2011, another Saturday, cheers of "good ball" and "beautiful" were heard from players and spectators alike in the Military Academy gymnasium. The silver ball danced as players exchanged shots on the tables - chopping, looping, smashing, blocking, or playing short balls and forehand loops. It turned out that this Saturday afternoon was a friendly match between some outstanding students of the Military Academy table tennis training class, also a collective training session for a certain level department, and other experts took advantage of their rest time to exchange skills and compete.
This is just a glimpse of the development of table tennis at the Military Academy. In the table tennis world, whenever people mention the table tennis level of the Military Academy, they always praise it highly. Because the table tennis level of the Military Academy is well-known far and wide, with many experts in the courtyard. Its 30-year-old winter swimming team, which has won numerous honors, is on par with the table tennis club, making them the twin stars in the history of group sports at the Military Academy.
For a long time, the group sports activities of the People's Liberation Army Military Academy have developed vigorously, renowned throughout the military, and talked about by people - research work and physical exercise go hand in hand, winning good reputation and adding glory to the Military Academy.
Table tennis has a strong mass base within the Military Academy, from the top leadership to employees and families, many people love to play table tennis. Some are first-class in technique and have achieved remarkable results, becoming famous in the table tennis circle; others are experienced, passionate about studying tactics, while some newcomers have surprising skills. Their various styles form an orderly echelon in terms of strength and tactics.
Against this backdrop, with the completion and delivery of use of the new gymnasium of the Military Academy in 2007, the Political Department applied to establish a table tennis club, under which a table tennis training class was set up, directly managed by the Publicity Department of the Political Department, and included in the Cultural Work Station. On May 1, 2007, the Military Academy table tennis training class officially started enrollment, open to table tennis enthusiasts inside and outside the academy.
To date, the table tennis training class has been running for four years, and will soon welcome its fourth anniversary on May 1.
In these four years, the head coach responsible for the table tennis training class, Yang Zhilin, has worked diligently, welcoming and sending off students. As a former staff member who transitioned into civilian work, he has a solid popular base, and through his personal network, he invited Coach Gao Shaolin, who won the double championship in singles at the 1979 National Games and the Military Games, to teach - the former coach of the Bayi men's team, who trained national team members such as Wang Hao and Cao Zhen. Currently, there are four full-time coaches teaching at the table tennis training class, whose teaching levels have won high praise from the students. For example, Coach Wu Lin, a second-level national coach who retired from the table tennis school, specializes in the straight bat loop fast attack style - he is approachable, meticulous and patient in teaching, with unique strengths in both youth and adult table tennis teaching, experienced, serious and responsible, yet tailors his teaching methods to individual needs - known as "Old Handsome Guy."
Intermediate coach Yang Wei started learning table tennis at the age of six, received strict professional training in the Bayi team, and also underwent related training in the Haidian Table Tennis School, where seven years of professional training forged flexible and standardized actions - his style is two-sided loop combined with fast attack, and he has achieved the fifth place in the Beijing primary and secondary school competition. Yang Wei's path to full-time coaching began at the Liang Geliang Club, where he was then an intermediate coach. He has always been sunny like a big boy, yet steady in nature, carefully and meticulously guiding students, whether children or adults. He gives accurate action demonstrations and targeted concise language guidance, sometimes teasing young students to relieve their boredom and lack of concentration.
On March 26th, the author used a Canon 450D camera to capture many great scenes, but what attracted the author's lens to follow and shoot was the friendly match of the Military Academy table tennis training class, especially two elementary school students who made the author frequently press the camera shutter - a burst of creative passion emerged.
One elementary school student named Ze Xi, www.sinaimg.cn, has been playing table tennis for more than two years. Watching his match with another classmate named Wang Jiahua (who has been playing for over three years) gave the author and his father a common opinion - Ze Xi often raises his left hand when serving, even blocking his eyes, making it difficult for us to take photos. We had to take continuous shots to capture a photo of him showing his face while serving. Fortunately, after Coach Yang Wei promptly corrected his incorrect serving action, we seized the opportunity and successfully captured the moment.
The match between these two classmates was very entertaining. The sturdy Jiahua played with great vigor and fierceness, powerful yet steady, truly embodying the demeanor of "lifting mountains and dominating the world," with the expression of a general facing enemies on the battlefield, like Lü Bu. On the other hand, Ze Xi remained calm and composed, "blocking soldiers and covering water," gracefully dealing with each shot, observing all directions, and explosively attacking from stillness, quick on his feet, with expressive facial expressions, resembling Zhao Yun. Every time Ze Xi and his mother came to the gym to learn table tennis in the evening, it would attract the attention of the adults training there. Some said, "Not bad, this kid plays well!" Others said, "Look, he plays really well." Still others said, "Good job, Coach Yang, you've trained him well..."
Coach Yang, referred to earlier as the head coach of the Military Academy table tennis training class, Yang Zhilin.
Speaking of Coach Yang, everyone who comes to the gym to play table tennis praises him highly. Their overall evaluation of Coach Yang is enthusiastic, calm, simple, low-key, and dedicated. Coach Yang often says, "I have to thank the leaders for their support over the years! Thank everyone for their care, we're all destined to meet, we're all table tennis friends."
"Teaching and learning grow together, seeking friendship through the game." is Coach Yang's motto for running the class.
For four years, the Military Academy table tennis training class has consistently adhered to the "one-on-one" teaching and training method, whether for adults or children. To date, nearly 300 students have registered to learn table tennis at the training class, some coming by reputation, others introduced by acquaintances, and some transferring here to continue improving under different teachers. Previously, the author encountered a few parents who were quite surprised when they learned about the Military Academy offering a place for children to learn table tennis. They said, "Oh! We've lived near here for so many years, and we didn't know the Military Academy had a place to learn table tennis? If we had known, we wouldn't have had to look elsewhere."
Regarding this issue, the author consulted Coach Yang, who chuckled and said, "We've never promoted ourselves. Students come through word-of-mouth introductions."
Why doesn't Coach Yang do this? The author often sees street advertisements recruiting table tennis students in various places around the Military Academy, some even from well-known table tennis training classes. In response, Coach Yang displayed his consistent style of handling affairs - free choice, healthy competition - never undermining others' efforts, nor evaluating others' teaching. Regarding the source of students, he believes that students have the right to freely choose where to study. Those who wish to come here to learn table tennis are naturally welcomed, and those who no longer wish to continue are not forced to stay. Coach Yang sticks to his belief that everyone who comes here is a table tennis friend, teaching and learning grow together, and as students improve, the coaches also improve themselves. Therefore, those who have studied table tennis at the Military Academy training class eventually become Coach Yang's table tennis friends. Coach Yang occasionally invites these individuals to come back and play matches, exchanging skills with the experts in the courtyard. After all, some students have improved significantly after studying under famous masters elsewhere, while others have become experts in clubs after laying a foundation here. Truly, "a person away for three days should be regarded with new eyes."
Speaking of Coach Yang's affability, everyone who plays table tennis at the gym knows about it. As long as it does not affect the normal classes of the students, borrowing balls for multi-ball practice from Coach Yang is never refused. His catchphrase is, "No problem. Go ahead and take the balls." Whenever Coach Yang finishes his class, others would invite him, "Coach Yang, let's play a bit?" or "Teacher Yang, guide me a bit." Whenever this happens, Coach Yang never refuses. Over time, Coach Yang naturally blends in with everyone, earning a good reputation.
At the Military Academy table tennis training class, there are also table tennis enthusiasts who come for trial training, usually adults. They believe they need a training environment where they can improve their table tennis skills.
Mr. Li and Mr. Tao are representative examples - Mr. Tao, a table tennis lover who enjoys collecting paddles. By chance, the author met Mr. Tao while he was selecting a paddle at a table tennis specialty store. Upon inquiry, it was learned that he was originally a student of Coach Wu Lin, and now seeks a place to practice and improve his skills. Thus, during the Qingming Festival, he specially came to the Military Academy table tennis training class for a trial session. That night, he practiced with three straight bat experts, and after the session, he was greatly impressed. Although Mr. Li's skills were already quite good, in order to further improve himself, he decided to enroll in the class for targeted training.
Due to the desire of these table tennis friends, also due to Coach Yang's warm hospitality, and his practice of making friends through table tennis.
Here, seeking friendship through table tennis is not empty talk or slogans. Sometimes, table tennis friends may encounter top-notch experts from the Military Academy - well-known figures in the table tennis world who have dominated the Military Academy table tennis competitions for many years, or new champions at professional levels, or experts ranked among the top five in the courtyard. Whoever they are, here they are all humble table tennis friends, truly making friends through the game on the court. Many friendships are continued through exchanges of skills.
After all, the strong table tennis atmosphere at the Military Academy, the high-level table tennis skills of the Military Academy people, and the environment of the Military Academy table tennis training class - these factors combined are the capital that attracts table tennis friends. Here, people either learn, exchange skills, or participate in friendly matches. Therefore, the overall level of table tennis at the Military Academy, as reflected by the table tennis training class, is a microcosm.
It is hoped that the Military Academy table tennis training class will develop and continue in this fertile soil of table tennis, maintaining this spirit of education, cultivating reserve talents for the Military Academy's table tennis.
By Bai Gang, completed on April 6, 2011