Battle Amongst the Palm Trees
Phoenix
AZ. It's cooled off to 105 degrees, the mountains in the back ground seem to
giggle as the hot air rises from the ground, the smell of feivues melting to
the asphalt. Yep, it's Li Jing Heng's Grand Championship and Festival again.
The seminars began on Thursday, Aug 30, and the competitions the following Saturday.
Masters from all over the world taught at the seminars, from Kenny Perez to
Qiu Dong Xing. The real excitement started on Friday night at the first masters
demo, the most noticeable were Li Jing and Qiu Dong Xing. Li Jing's straight
sword was mesmerizing as she floated across the stage in the most graceful demonstration
of power. Qiu Dong Xing's explosive broadsword demanded everybody's attention.
The
next morning the tournament room was still buzzing with the left over energy
from the night before. Wushu competitor formed a line practicing their jumps
while a dozen Taiji competitors gracefully warmed up in their little square.
As a local TV station ran around filming the warms ups as a few of the younger
(and not so young) athletes tried to show their big tricks for the home audience.
Then over the PA came the voice of MC Christopher Pei, calling the judges to
their rings. The large ring in the center of the room featured modern wushu,
while Taiji was neatly placed off in a far corner, trapped behind the Hard Style
Forms Ring. There was also a noticeable showing form the Traditional Kung Fu
people.
Silks
were straightened and everyone lined up. As each division was called, wushu
competitors switched from weapon to weapon (and sometime no weapon), ran out
and gave us a minute and twenty seconds of excitement. The advanced division
were great -- from the Haight Sisters to Eddy "the flying eagle" Quintana.
Believe it or not, Eddie did an eagle form in the optional empty hand routines.
If fact the optional routines were nicely diverse, David Chang's super clean
Mantis, Jerry Taing's great drunken, Jennifer Haight's impressive Fanzi.
The
Saturday Night Masters Demo was excellent, setting the mood was a Phoenix area
Kodo Drummer team, whose tribal sounds got everyone ready to see some good martial
arts. Like Friday night our Beijing team members were amazing, as always. The
list goes on from breaking to break dancing. Yep, break dancing, skeptical as
we were when the foot clan came out and started dancing to the music, they were
fun to watch, with a Capoeira flavor to their movements, it seemed to belong.
A number of people saw the father of modern wushu, Wu Bin, Applauding their
performance. Overall, the tournament was smaller than last year's, but just
as successful. Props to Li Jingheng.
USWA's Results
Peter, 4 Gold Medals plus Men's Internal All around Champion title.
Total 5 Gold Medals.
Cynthia, Jivon's mom, 1 Gold medal.
Jivon, 1 Bronze and 2 Gold Medals? (not sure about this yet)
Chris, 2 Gold Medals.
Philip, 1 Silver medal.
Alexander, 3 Gold medals.
Suzie, 2 Gold medals.
Total Competition Medal Counts:
