Wushu at the Universiade

[GeneChing]

2017 Summer Universiade - August 19-30, Taipei, Taiwan

Wushu will be introduced this year as a medal sport. This is the largest international multi-sport competition after the Olympics and a major step for Wushu.

Here is the official site.

And here's this:

[GeneChing]

If you follow our magazine (and you really should if you're a member here), you know that Tiger Claw and the Tiger Claw Foundation is supporting the 2017 Universiade US Wushu Team. Tiger Claw President Jonny Oh just left for Taipei this morning.

You'll find the official 2017 Universiade US Wushu Team website here (Website provided by www.tigerclaw.com)

Here is the Wushu Competition Schedule.

The US Team is:
TAOLU: EMILY FAN, JESSICA YIN, BENSON LIN, WESLEY HUIE
SANDA: MADISON BAKER, PARIS MORAN, ISAIAH ENRIQUEZ, BRUCE WANG

[GeneChing]

The FISU livestream is available here.

There's fencing, taekwondo, judo, and archery events up now, but no wushu yet.

[GeneChing]

There's a 15 pic album if you follow the link.

Interview with WuShu team USA – determination and passion | 中文
Taipei Summer Universiade WuShu events are going to start on the 26th. However, regarding the upcoming competition, US WuShu team does not seem nervous; instead, all of the members are willingly to chat and share their own experiences and feelings with our journalists.

With an average age of twenty years old, these athletes, different from other students, sacrifice their own leisure time to face all the tiring and challenging trainings while all other students are studying, interning, or enjoying their time with friends. However, even though they utilize most of their time practicing, these athletes did not quit studying. In fact, because of the frequent trainings, they learned to manage their time, making competitive in both WuShu events and schools. Jessica Yin is accepted to MIT; Madison Baker is studying in Dentistry; Paris Moran is major in Marketing while also working in a part-time job. According to the athletes, practicing in WuShu helped them learn to participate in all their activities, including athletic and academic.

Besides their well trained techniques and affable personality, another thing to highlight is their passion towards WuShu. According to Jessica Yin, she has started to learn WuShu since six, meaning that she has been participating in WuShu for about twelve years. When our journalist asked if she ever wanted to quit WuShu, Jessica admit that there do have sometimes when she felt so exhausted that she wanted to stop” however,” she said with a smile on her face, ” I do not like the feelings of giving up, so I told myself not to quit.” This determination in her makes her outstanding and leaves our journalist a great impression. Indubitably, all other team members are also determined and hardworking; thus, the U.S team surely a strong companion towards other teams in the WuShu events.

In addition to their sharing of their impressive abilities and strong determination, the U.S WuShu team want to thank all the volunteers in the Universiade. Also, according to them, “Taiwanese people are really nice and everywhere seems so energetic. We really like this place.”

United States Wushu national team is able to participate in 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade due to Tiger Claw’s sponsorship. In United States, Tiger Claw is specialized in martial art safety equipment and supplies. Furthermore, they introduced the Kung Fu Magazine to United States, bring knowledge and insight to martial arts fans everywhere. Every other weeks, the Kung Fu Magazine will update recent news and articles on their website. You may be able to check out their website below.
http://www.kungfumagazine.com/

世大運武術比賽即將在26號展開，面對近在眼前的賽事，美國武術隊的選手並沒有表現出緊張的樣子，反而輕鬆 地和記者們聊天。

這群平均年齡大約20歲的同學，因為擁有運動員身分，有時會讓人遺忘他們的年紀。當大部分的大學生在上課、 打工、和朋友出去玩的同時，選手們必須在日復一日的練習中度過，被迫提早成熟。值得注意的是，他們並沒有因 為練習武術而荒廢學業，而是學著管理好自己的時間，Jessica Yin是MIT的學生，Madison Baker則在牙醫系就讀，Paris Moran主修行銷，每天除了練散打和上學之外還打工賺錢。他們表示學習武術可以讓人專心，提高效率。

除了他們純熟的武術技巧及親切和善的人格特質，另一個值得關注地方的是他們對武術的熱情。Je ssica Yin告訴我們她從六歲開始習武到現在已經十二年了，而當我我們問到她是否曾經想過要放棄，她承認有時的確 會感到精疲力盡，想要停止，但她又很開朗的笑說：「我不喜歡放棄的感覺，所以我告訴自己不能放棄。」這樣的 決心與堅持使她不論在學業或是武術上都有卓越的表現，也讓我們留下深刻的印象。其他的成員們也都下了十足的 功夫，因此，毋庸置疑，美國武術隊對於其他隊伍來說是個勁敵。

採訪過程中除了分享他們令人印象深刻的才能與強大的決心，他們也向世大運的志工表達感謝之意，「台灣人都很 友善，台北的街頭氣氛讓人感到十足的活力，我們真的很喜歡這個地方。」

這次美國武術隊能來參賽是由美國的虎爪集團贊助，虎爪集團是美國武術護具領域的領導者，美國功夫雜誌是由他 們所創辦，功夫雜誌也是美國武術領域具領導地位的線上雜誌及論壇，每兩週都會有新的文章跟新聞，有興趣的讀 者可以至以下地址查看http://www.kungfumagazine.com/

[GeneChing]

Interview with USA Wushu Team at Taipei Universiade
Taiwan News interviews the Team USA Wushu athletes competing in the Taipei Universiade
By Keoni Everington,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2017/08/29 00:09


USA Wushu forms athletes, coaches, and head coach Sifu Bryant Fong (4th from right).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The modern sport of wushu (武術) is making its debut at the 2017 Taipei Universiade and Taiwan News interviewed the USA Wushu Team athletes as they prepared to battle for gold and glory for team and country.

As part of the USA Wushu Team headed by Sifu Bryant Fong, the Wushu Taolu (forms, 套路) squad is comprised of four athletes, two men and two women, and in addition to Fong, is also coached by Yunjian Zou and Eugene Moy. The athletes representing the USA, having been selected from the best competitors at national trials held at the 25th Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament (CMAT) at UC Berkeley in March, are: Emily Fan, Wesley Hawkeen Huie, Benson Lin, and Jessica Yin. This is the first time the United States has fielded a wushu team at a summer Universiade, the largest multi-sport in the world besides the Olympic games.

The term wushu literally means martial arts (武術) and can be used in Mandarin to apply to what in the West is known as kung fu (gongfu, 功夫), but in international sports competitions, it is a contemporary Chinese martial art that combines elements of performance and martial arts techniques. It evolved from traditional Chinese Martial Arts in the mid 20th Century in China as a national unified system of movements, forms, styles, weapons, and Sanda (free style fighting) for international sport, and in the 21st Century has continued to increase in athleticism with the inclusion of nandu (难度; difficulty movements).

The inclusion of wushu as an official sport at the 2017 Taipei Universiade is major step forward for the sport worldwide, and the fielding of a team of American athletes in the sport at these summer games is a big boost for its status in the United States. Head Coach Fong and the other Team USA coaches expressed their optimism that this event is good stepping stone to the integration of wushu into future international sports competitions.

Emily Xingyu Fan


Age: 19
College: University of California, Berkeley
Major: Economics, minor in Computer Science
Hometown: Chantilly, Virginia
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, Fairfax, Virginia

How did you get into wushu?
"My parents signed me up for a class at Chinese school. One of the teachers saw I had potential and recommended that I train at another school. The wushu community is small, but close knit and that has been the biggest thing that has kept me around."

How are you preparing for the competition?
"This competition has been difficult to prepare for because now that I'm in University, balancing school and training has been really difficult. But in preparation, I've been trying to use all the resources that I have. At my school there isn't a carpet to practice on, but going to the gym, running, going on the bike, and walking through my forms outside in any space that I can find, is pretty much how I've been preparing for this competition."

What does it take to be a champion?
"Hard work is the main thing to become a champion. Hardwork, and passion for what you're doing, because you can put in all the work you want. but if it's not something that you truly truly want or am passionate about, it's not something you're not going to be able to obtain."

Fan's spear performance on August 28:



What's your favorite move and why?
"My favorite move is call the tornado kick splits. It's move I've always had in my forms since I was a kid and it's something that's fun for me. You jump up in the air, kick inside and then land in the splits."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I love it. It's my first time here, actually. I haven't been able to explore a lot. I really want to go to the night markets to get food. So far I really like it, even though it's so humid."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"I had soup dumplings today, they're really good. Taiwanese food has been really good so far."

Wesley Hawkeen Huie



​Age: 20
College:Virginia Commonwealth University
Major: Biology, minor in Chemestry
Hometown: Alexandria, Virgina
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, Fairfax, Virginia



How did you get into wushu?
"When I was a little kid I loved to watch Jet Li movies and I used to jump around on the bed all the time. I'd pretend I'd be fighting 50 guys. When I got older, my parents took me to O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, and ever since I've been in love with it.

How are you preparing for the competition?
"For this tournament, I prepared a little differently than others I've prepared for. For this tournament, I was at school while preparing and I was also doing RA training, so I had to get up early in the morning to get my hours in. I didn't have a carpet to practice on, so I had to train on turf field. It was a lot of watching my own videos and seeing what I could fix by myself."

What does it take to be a champion?
"Believing in those around you, listening to what they say, Take what they say to heart and trust in what they are teaching you."

What's your favorite move and why?
"Jump outside kick. I feel like whenever I do that move and land it solid, it makes me feel really good inside."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I haven't had a chance to explore it too much yet. It's pretty nice. It's a great city, it's really beautiful."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"Dumplings."

Anything you want to add?
"I'd like to give out a big shout out to my mom and my dad for supporting me for 12 years and my master, Lu Xiaolin and my coach Yunjian Zou."

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Benson Lin​



Age: 19
College: University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
Major: Health Exercise Sport Science
Hometown: Cupertino, California
Years of wushu experience: 13
Martial arts school:

How did you get into wushu?
"Wushu since I was 6, but tai chi specifically, I've been training for almost six years. I practice mainly Chen Style and Yang Style tai chi. I mainly compete in the nandu forms, the modern tai chi forms. From watching YouTube videos of a Taiwanese master, I was surprised to see that tai chi is not just for health but also beauty."

What does it take to be a champion?
"First off, you have to believe you can be one. If you don't, there's no way for you to become one."

Benson's tai chi sword performance on August 27:



What's your favorite move and why?
"I don't think I have a favorite move, but what I do like about the nandu tai chi I perform is that it includes not only slow but fast movements. The fast movements, regardless of whether it's a punch, a kick, or jump, attract more people to the form that the athlete is performing."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"Besides being hot and humid, overall it's really good. All the people are really nice. The workers and volunteers are all working really hard to make sure this place is safe and to make sure the athletes are really enjoying this place."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"I have few. I went out one day outside the village, and I really like Xiaolongbao, I believe in English it means some sort of soup dumpling. Inside it's very juicy, it's made out of pork, it's only a bite size, and when you eat it, it's really sweet."

Jessica Yin



Age: 18
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: United States Wushu Academy, Gaithersburg, Maryland

How did you get into wushu?
"In the beginning my parents signed me up at Chinese school. I practiced at the Chinese school for two years and then I decided to move to the main academy to train because the coach kind of like me. I kept going on with wushu and I started to like it, and that's when I started to seriously practice it. It keeps me in touch with the culture because I'm born in America but my parents are from China.Practicing wushu allows me to participate in a lot of different cultural activities like Chinese New Year performances and I like that art that is in it too. And it's not a contact sport, which is what I don't really like."

How are you preparing for the competition?
"I first get there and stretch and wrap all of my weaker parts because you get injured a lot. We do some warming up, running, and then kicks, and then forms, which in my opinion is the hardest part."

What does it take to be a champion?
"To be a champion you have to persist in what you're doing. Doing your best. Always trying to break your limits. Persevering, even though it might be really tough, but that's the only way you will improve yourself."



What's your favorite move and why?
"I like the back sweep because it feels really good when you make a full circle and you don't mess up."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I really like it. It's really cool. We went to the night market and the shopping mall. I really love the food and the people. It's really hot here."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"The food here is really light, which I really like. It's not super heavy and it's to my taste. The other day, I went to a restaurant with my family and I had some chicken soup that was really good."

Unfortunately "The uploader has not made these videos available in your country" so if you're outside of the U.S., you can try by following the link, but I didn't bother to copy them here.