It started rather rough.I did not really like what was going on.It was gonna get hard and I fear that I might hurt myself.But I went for it and loved it in the end.I present to you..
my first love...
Wushu 武术
*Lolz..u thought I was talking bout girls?Get real man.I can be serious sometimes! xD*
My mum wanted me to take up something to promote my physical growth and maturity as I enter adolescence.Initially I rejected the idea thinking that I might get injured.But I took the challenge and learned to love it.
My brother was my comrade in arms and along with Juin Hao(My senior in Wushu who made it to the youth team earlier than me though he is 3 years younger than my age) ,we became the best of friends.*Hehe..from talking bout Ahemmmm to Wushu and somersaults*=The Teen Years 12+ -16=I started my training with basic kicks and horse stance for 1 year.I was growing tired of repeating the same thing time and again every Saturday as I go for classes once a week.
Every Monday my legs and thighs would burn while my foot felt like it was bout to drop out.We did 13 types of kicks to strenghten our thigh muscles.After months of hard work,my leg started having shapes of muscle and I was pretty much delighted.
Nearing the age of 14,I started
Jian 剑 practise and was happy with all the moves.We learned how to pose with the saber and it was regarded as a
Gentleman's weapon.Following my coach's advice,I practised every weekend despite the cramps after class just to impress him.
It paid off when I was chosen to perform Jian shu 剑术,a 2 minutes routine involving flexing the blade with your wrist,curving it upwards and spinning the saber while doing thrusts and maintaining balance along one foot.It was difficult and I gained a new skill,the
Butterfly kick also known as Shuan Zhi 旋子.It involves kicking and flexing the other leg across while positioning your body in the pose of a swallow.
Higher difficulties involve spiralling in an anticlockwise direction in mid air while kicking.It was called
Shuan Zhi Zhuan Ti as Zhuan Ti meant to turn your body in mid air.This kick also exist in Capoeira and is know as Mariposa(Moth)
*I fell on my butt while turning in mid air and hurt my ass badly*Following great success and winning
4th place in the state competition,I went on to perfect my skills with the saber for 1 more year.By the end of 2005,
I was 15 and ready for the next big challenge.I got a spear,Qiang 枪and started practising.However due to my small build,my instructor refused officially starting the lesson till i can hold the tip of my spear with 1 hand.I spend day and night flexing my spear ,
throwing it in mid-air and catching the spear when it spirals downwards.After gaining muscle,I started training and basic movements for spear.
Nan Na Zha (Nan means Male,Na Zha is the name of a minor god)
involves placing the spear at your hip,rotating it and thrusting it out 90 degrees to strike and opponent.I thrusted my spear at the trees in the park nearby till my aim was perfect.I spend time and again throwing the spear high up into the air,leaping and catching it as my instructor asked me to
.*I got hit by my own spear more than once but my friends just laughed saying that I don't treat my spear good enough*.3 months later,I practised the Tao Lu(Routine and pattern).Though it was only 2 mins long,it was very tiring and my arms hurt like crazy.
I was successful and performed in schools like SMK DJ before.=Time of my life,late 16-mid 17=My instructor had
selected my best friend Juin Hao to train under the Selangor Youth Team.I soon followed during the age of 16 and it was during November-December that I had intensive training.
Every TUESDAY night was "Weapons Night" and we trainees would have to perform all our weapon Tao Lu to the coach and the Secretary of the Wushu Association who watched us.Mine was Saber and Spear and I nearly throw everytime as it was just too stressful.I was an asthmatic as well and those moves really made my lips pale and I felt like dying.None the less,I held on tightly.
Every WEDNESDAY night is "Basic Kicks and Acrobatics Night".It was HELL.We would start with a set of warm up kicks and then the main event.Somersaults and kicks.Being selected in the Wushu team,I took up Chang Quan 长拳 which meant Northern style Long fist.It involves 3 minutes of somersault,flips,doing a split,and a set of 13 kicks in it along with hand poses.Wednesday night was meant to train our acrobatic skills needed in my Chang Quan so I did somersaults,Che Kong Fan which meant side Sommersaults without the use of hands.I trained how to do a jump kick and landed with a split *I seriously thought I was gonna loose my balls* We would end the night with 100 frog jumps and push ups along with sit ups.Sunday was Tao Lu day so I performed my Chang Quan during that day.We often competed and I realised I was the lowest among them because I was asthmatic.The 2 top champs were from Seremban.So I bucked up and became on mar with my buddy Juin Hao. =Descend..=Early during January,
my training was called off.I was curious and heard that the head of Wushu argued with my coach,Lim Kim.it was regarding the 2 trainees who were from
Seremban.Apparently they were suppose to represent Selangor but my instructor
insisted they return to Seremban.Lim Kim was barred from coaching and was kicked out of the Federation for defending the 2 boys.We were
disbanded and the elite team's dream of becoming Malaysia's Wushu team to compete in the World Events came crashing down.
I was angry that my instructor tried to do something good but was looked down by an old fart who is overweight and doesnt even know Wushu.My coach Lim Kim was once a world champion and he gave us moral support as well as lectures.
He told us that
Jing is the most important source of energy and it runs parallel to Qi.That is why athletes would never do "naughty things" and go on bed with someone else before a competition for fear of losing this Qi and energy.I still hear his words now...The reason we could perform somersaults without our hands and kicked high up in the air with a loud clap was because with held on to our Qi and Jing.
So he told us to take care and watch our behaviour before any competitions..Following the Selangor Wushu Youth Team being disbanded,I became rather sad and soon found myself leaning over to dancing..I started dancing and became ok in it.Only after I saw that
SungMin from Super Junior can perform Wushu that I became aware that I need to defend this skill.SungMin could do butterfly twist and that inspired me to do what I can too..despite leaving the youth group.Despite popular believes that Wushu is meant for self-defence,it should be make none that the Wushu I practised is for sports use only.That made me physically and mentally fit.I took at Sangshou in high school and I was coached by Alex in the art of Chinese boxing.I still remember basic styles and wouldnt mine fighting if I had to.I do practise speed still and punch targets in my room
I am doing kicks and warm up exercise now here in Australia.I went back to my roots and defended my culture and pride.
As a chinese,I held onto my spear and saber till the very end...my pride stays in my heart as a Wushu exponent.
Here are links to chang quan,jian and spear incase you interested :
Qiang shu that I learned
Pictures of various stunts..
Heng Kong Fei Jiao (Forward Thrust kick).It ends with a loud slp in mid air.My dorsal surface of the hand was bleeding from over practise and over-slapping
Chang Quan pose.The single star stand.I did this an dused it along with my saber as well.
Butterfly kick,I could do this last time and still can now.
They can do it too.Don't look down on them.Wushu managed to reach out to them as well.
The stunt I could do.Che Kong Fan,somersault without your hands supporting you.
Till then..
If you guys are interested,Wiki have info on kicks and stuff.Those are real and I have read them and did it before
