Drumming up more customers

Young Chang

Karate experts blocked out the din of the Lab Antimall Saturday

afternoon and focused on performing their craft.

The shoppers at Urban Outfitters, the diners at the Gypsy Den, not

even the thunderous drumming of the Taiko performers should break their

concentration, said Andy Ortega, chief instructor at the Santa Ana

location of United Studios of Self Defense.

“The students are trained to perform with distractions. It helps us to

focus,” Ortega said.

A team of eight from United Studios locations in Santa Ana, Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa were accompanied by seven Taiko drummers from the

Taiko Center of Los Angeles for the Antimall’s Day of Arts and Culture.

The karate experts performed everything from fight scenes to breathing

techniques while a crowd of afternoon shoppers grew.

Behind them, Taiko drummers performed a style of Japanese folk

drumming that sounded appropriately aggressive alongside black-belted

pundits kicking and jumping.

The drummers stood with their feet apart as if to attack the drum and

yelled mono-syllabic sounds similar to what the karate experts were

screaming to release energy.

“We use chi energy,” said Tom Kurai, director of the Taiko Center.

“It’s not physical, but we use energy from the diaphragm.”

In Asian cultures, chi is a form of internal energy that can be

channeled through breathing and used to help with everything from healing

to strengthening the body.

Kurai, who is also a priest at the Sozenji Buddhist Temple in

Montebello where the Taiko Center is headquartered, said the drums are

universal instruments that can be used for cultural, musical and

religious purposes.

“It’s kind of like martial arts, but creating music,” he said.

Julie Shumaker, marketing director of the Antimall, said the center

hosts regular outdoor shows including live concerts, fashion shows, bingo

games and Earth Day celebrations.

“We were looking for a unique day of arts and culture, experiencing

something we haven’t before,” she said.

-- Young Chang writes features. She may be reached at (949) 574-4268

or by e-mail at o7 young.chang@latimes.comf7 .