【時報訊】第十屆國際中國武術錦標賽，5月23日至25日，在佛羅里達州Orlando市舉行，由師父Justin Meehan律師率領之聖路易代表隊囊括兩項全國冠軍，分別是15歲的Jason Meehan榮獲男子組「推手」全國冠軍及17歲的Jardena榮獲女子組「推手」全國冠軍。一位大會裁判表示，這兩位冠軍是該項武術大賽舉辦以來最年輕的冠軍選手。奪冠成績傳來，聖路易中國武術界人心大振，聖路易中國武術聲名遠播。
中國武術錦標賽是北美地區最大規模之中國武術比賽，起源於1998年，由佛羅里達州中國武術大師Nick Scrima組織舉辦，至今為第十屆。十年來，每年集合逾千不同年齡、不同級別之中國武術選手同場競技，以武會友，參加的選手除來自美國本地外，還有選手來自中國大陸、蘇俄、意大利、法國、西班牙、哥倫比亞、巴西、加拿大和波羅里各等國家，是美國地區最重要之中國武術比賽之一。
今年聖路易地區的代表隊有由師父Justin Meehan率領的選手Jason Meehan(Justin師傅的兒子)，Jardena(師傅之助教)，Carolina Sanchez及師父Herb Parran所率領的二位學生Bruce Hardy及Troy Holloway。
師父Justin的兩位學生Jason及Jardena所贏得的男子組、女子組自由式全國冠軍為中國武術中之「推手」項目，「推手」是一種借力使力維持平衡並將對手 「推」出界外之中國武術比賽，須要融合太極氣功之自身武藝，並須破解對方攻擊之高難度競技項目。Jason和Jardena別在男子組和女子組中擊敗包括前屆冠軍之所有挑戰者，榮登冠軍寶座，成為2008年新的太極推手冠軍。據錦標賽主辦單位表示，「推手」男子組、女子組雙料冠軍同時由來自聖路易的選手獲得史無前列，他們兩位的中國武藝技驚全場。
Jason Meehan是聖路易Webster Groves高中體育績優生，Jardena目前就讀森林公園社區學院，尊師重道的Jason及Jardena在接受訪問時表示，這份殊榮歸功於師父Justin的教導訓練，他們異口同聲的說「師父Justin是最棒的師父」。
Two local teens win International Chinese Kung Fu Championship
10th Annual Chinese International Chinese Kung Fu Championships held in Orlando, Florida (May 23th-25th, 2008) results:. Attending were Sifu Justin and his 3 students: Jason (Sifu's 15 year old son), Jardena (Sifu's 17 year old private student and teaching assistant), Carolina Sanchez (Sifu Justin's Spanish speaking student from Chile) and Sifu Herb Parran and his 2 students Bruce Hardy and Troy Holloway. Jason and Jardena won Gold medals in Adult Advanced Push Hands, which makes them National Champions. One of the tournament officials said they made history as the 2 youngest competitors to ever win a national championship in aduld/advance push hands competition. There are only a few national Chinese Martial Arts Championships in the U.S. today, so this event was important. Over 1000 competitors came from as far away as China, Russia, Italy, France, Spain, Columbia, S.A., Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico.
In a stunning upset victory worthy of a Karate Kid movie remake, two local teens competed in the 10th Annual Kung Fu Championship, held over Memorial Day in Orlando Florida and won 1st places in Men's and Women's Push Hands Competitions. Push Hands is a kind of grappling or Judo like competition where the object is to unbalance your opponent using his own force against him or to push or throw them out of a ring. Jardena Green,17, and Jason Rice Meehan, 15, took on all competitors, including former national champions many years their senior both in age and experience, to become the "New" Taiji Push Hands Champions in both men and women's divisions. Tournament directors said that the double win by two St. Louis City teenagers from the same Taiji school in an Advanced Adult Push Hands competition in a nationally recognized tournament was an historic first. Jason is an honor student athlete at Webster Groves High School and Jardena is a student at Forest Park Community College. Both students give credit to their teacher, Sifu Justin. "He's the best", they both agreed
Final results:
Taiji Form competition (performing HunYuan Taiji)
Beginner Combined (Men & Women) Chen Style Form Competition;Carolina Sanchez - 2nd place - silver medalBeginner Combined (Men & Women) Other Style Form CompetitionCarolina Sanchez - 3rd place - bronze medal
Intermediate Combined Chen Style Form CompeitionBruce Hardy - 2nd place - silver medalJardena -3rd place bronze medal
Intermediate Combined Other Style Form CompetitionJardena - 3rd place - bronze medal
Advanced Adult Push Hands Competition
Womens Fixed StanceJardena - 1st place - gold medal
Men's Fixed StanceJason - 2nd place - silver medal
Women's Restricted StepJardena - 1st place - gold medal
Men's Restricted StepJason - 3rd place - bronze medal
Women's Moving Free StyleJardena - 1st place - gold medal
Men's Moving Free StyleJason - 1st place - gold medal
The International Chinese Martial Arts Championship
The International Chinese Martial Arts Championship is the largest Chinese martial arts tournament in North America, organized by Master Nick Scrima of Dunedin, FL. Master Scrima began the tournament in 1998, and since then it has grown rapidly into a full-scale international competition, with well over a thousand competitors of all ages and skill levels.
Master Scrima had successful beginnings as a tournament promoter while still in Ohio. He was one of the first masters to promote an all-Chinese martial arts tournament in the United States, and the first in Ohio, with the Great Lakes Kung Fu Championship. After moving to Florida and traveling around the country with his competition team, Master Scrima decided to organize the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship. The tournament has grown steadily over the years into the largest Chinese martial arts tournament in North America, attracting record numbers of students and masters alike. The "who's who" of Chinese martial arts have all been present at the tournament at some point in time, and the 9th Annual Championship will be featured in an issue of Inside Kung Fu. Due to its continued growth, the tournament has become an invitational event, so as to maintain the high standards for which it is renown.
The Championship features a wide array of Chinese martial arts styles, with all types of forms competition and fighting. There are divisions for Northern and Southern external styles, Tai Chi, other internal styles such as Xing Yi and ba Gua, and far more. Over the years, we have had point sparring, continuous fighting, push hands, full-contact fighting, and submission grappling. Competitors are all ages and skill levels - beginner and expert, young and old. Those who excel highest in their art and skill level earn the title of Grand Champion.
|
