CMAT 2017 Videos!

UO Wushu just competed at the 25th Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament in Berkeley, CA a week ago! These are our competitors’ performances from the competition! Our team walked away with 5 gold and 3 bronze medals! Congratulations to all competitors!

April Alumni Spotlight!

Martin Leung!

[Photo taken by Kevin Lai]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

I found out about UO Wushu through Ray Tsunoda, who was the captain of the wushu team a year or two before I joined. He highly suggested the sport to me so I checked out the sport and fell in love with it.

How long were you involved with the club?

I was in the club for three years and I would have definitely continued if I had stayed in Eugene.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being on team?

The most difficult part would definitely be balancing wushu, school and other activities that I enjoyed. Often times, I had to rearrange other activities to attend practices on time. The most rewarding part would be the bonding in the sport. You will make good friends on the team, after all, you are spending 6 hours during practice and countless hours outside of practice with your teammates.

How did you balance all your activities during college?

I didn’t really succeed in balancing mine but I will say what I would have done instead. It is important to set priorities and know what matters most to you now and in the future. From there, just make sure you finish what’s most important and the rest you can pick and choose.

Did you specialize in something?

Not really, I tried staff, broadsword and changquan when I was on the team and by my last year, I focused mainly on changquan and drilled on basics such as stances and jumps. Personally my favorite is jumping.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

Everybody got nervous during competition, not to mention the first competition. It is normal to get nervous and go on autopilot on your form during your first competition. Of course, that means you have to practice it quite a lot to get the body memory. By the last competition, I was less nervous and able to control myself to some degree.

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

I met some of my best friends at UO through wushu and we hung out a lot. Moreover, Ray and Kenny, previous captains of wushu, brought me to the gym and taught me how to train my body. Without them, I would continue staying home 24/7 without any exercise.

How has Wushu impacted your life?

After wushu, I got used to working out and exercising at least once or twice a week, which helps with staying healthy. When I see people doing wushu or hear some wushu song, I would stop and watch for a while.

Where are you now in life?

I moved back to Hong Kong and got a job. Looking forward for what the future might bring.

Do you still practice? 

Sadly, no. I don’t really have the time to train now and I kinda lack motivation to train by myself. Every once in a while I will wear my feiyues and do some jumps and stance drills, which is fun! I still go running and weightlifting just to stay in shape though.

Do you have any advice for current team members? 

Work hard on your stances and stretch everyday~ it’s boring and painful but it’s all worth it when you start learning more advanced moves. Don’t be afraid to ask questions since UO wushu has an amazing network with lots of wushu alumnus who will be more than happy to give you advice on your forms and training~ Jiayou!

Do you have any advice for the general public?

If you have the chance, try wushu out. It’s amazingly fun! Otherwise, your support during performances gives lots of encouragement to the performers.

CMAT 2017!

UO Wushu competed in the 2017 CMAT competition at UC Berkeley this weekend. Our collective totals were 5 gold, and 3 bronze medals!

Alex Spangler: for his first and last CMAT competition as a UO Duck, took home a gold medal in intermediate straightsword. Alex will be graduating next term with a degree in physics.

Brenda Heng: for her last CMAT competition as a UO Duck, took home a bronze medal in intermediate longfist. Brenda will be graduating next term with two degrees in economics and computer and information science.

Amelia Seifer: for her first CMAT competition, took home two gold medals in beginner longfist and beginner straightsword.

Kasey Sullivan: took home two gold medals in intermediate longfist and compulsory other weapon (emei daggers).

Maya Kentala: for her first CMAT competition, took home a bronze medal in beginner longfist.

Blake Rawson: for his last CMAT competition as a UO Duck, our co-captain took home a bronze medal in advanced staff. Blake will be graduating next term with a degree in environmental studies.

Stay tuned for videos, and congratulations to all competitors! Jiayou!

 

March Alumni Spotlight!

Sean Friedman-Sowder!

[Photo retrieved from Facebook]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

My roommate, Byron Chang, introduced me to the club.

How long were you involved with the club?

I was involved on and off for maybe 5-6 years but I only really seriously trained for a year or two. I wasn’t as dedicated as many of the other members.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being on team?

Well, the most intimidating part for me was competing and doing group demos. I suffered from stage freight. The most rewarding aspects were having a group to train hard with, the shared camaraderie, holding horse stance while singing Mulan’s – I’ll Make a Man Out of You… oh and beating Katsumi at CMAT!!!

How did you balance all your activities during college?

I didn’t really balance my activities very well. I ended up putting off my academics. Something I wouldn’t advise doing.

Did you specialize in something?

Not really, I never picked up any weapons. It’s one of my regrets not doing a wider range of forms.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

I only ever participated in one competition so there isn’t much I can say there but what I can say is that it took me a long time to be mentally comfortable with competing and having a supportive team there to challenge me was very helpful.

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

The UO Wushu community has had a big impact on my life. I met some truly dedicated and inspirational people. Seeing their dedication to wushu has helped me stay dedicated in my life endeavors even when I have doubted myself.

How has Wushu impacted your life?

Wushu introduced me to an incredible group of people that support and inspire each other. It is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life.

Where are you now in life?

Currently, I am working as a financial analyst at a credit union.

Do you still practice?

I don’t practice anymore but I sometimes find myself doing stretch kicks and stance work when I am warming up before other physical activities.

Do you have any advice for current team members?

Seek out a mentor/coach and listen to what they have to say. Be respectful and train hard.

Do you have any advice for the general public?

Do WUSHU!!! You won’t regret it!

February Alumni Spotlight!

Brandon (Jimmy) Fleck!

[Photo retrieved from Facebook]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

I found out about UO Wushu and Brandon Sugiyama back in high school from my friend Kats.

How long were you involved with the club?

I was involved off and on for five years.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being on team?

The time commitment was difficult, particularly when the club grew larger, but pulling off something successful with your friends was very gratifying.

Did you specialize in something?

Yeah, but it was a part of the team instead of a weapon or style. I focused on group cohesion. We hadn’t ever seen a team that large before (50 regular members), and it was unstable. I wanted to see if I could help hold everyone together.

How did you balance all your activities during college?

I didn’t (I’m not a great role model). I had always been good at school, but not at socializing. When I found myself surrounded by so many good friends, but not enough time to balance work, school, and wushu, so I prioritized my friends.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

Well, at some point Nathan and I started lifting together, and that got me much stronger. Mentally, the stress dropped off as I grew more comfortable being around and talking to people.

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

The impact was huge. Most of the people I met through wushu I still consider family.

How has Wushu impacted your life?

It kept me active during late high school and through college. It was always fun to jump around, and I learned how important it was to injury-proof your body.

Where are you now in life?

This year I bought a house in Beaverton and my girlfriend Madison moved in with me (both firsts for me). I have been traveling internationally once a year for the past couple years, and professionally I do systems analytics and SQL for IBM. My goal this year is to become a fiduciary and pay off my student loans.

Do you still practice?

I don’t practice wushu anymore. But I do still use feiyus as my workout shoes :p

Do you have any advice for current team members?

Pushing yourself to try something new or challenging will provide perspective, and listening to other people provides understanding. Mix in a bunch of random education, shake well, and presto! New adults!

Do you have any advice for the general public?

It might be worthwhile to invest in parking lots.

January Alumni Spotlight!

15401431_10157774644550461_1408905632_nRay Tsunoda!

[Picture submitted by Ray Tsunoda]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

I stumbled onto a class on my first visit to campus before I decided to enroll. I had no idea that Universities had Wushu clubs.

How long were you involved with the club?

I was a member between 2008-10 and coached with Nathan Andrus-Hughes in 2010-12. Four years of training and partying really hard.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being on team?

Everything is difficult. The conditioning, flexibility, choreography, and competition scoring. Wushu is the most technically complicated thing I’ve done in my life. I’ve seen many physically gifted individuals hit walls without good coaches.

Why do it? Nothing ninjas you like Wushu. It feels very cool when you nail a move, and without the team doing Wushu wouldn’t have felt as awesome. It’s like Soul Cycle only you’re actually doing something cool.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being captain?

Difficult: Planning training progression. Picking the right basics, forms, and intensity is mostly trial and error because you can’t control everyone’s learning and physical capacity. Future captains, don’t worry about catering to everyone! Just make a format that you are confident with and enjoy teaching, or you’ll drive yourself nuts.

Rewarding: You see what people want and what they’re willing to put in. When someone you taught personally competes and does well you never forget it.

How did you balance all your activities during college?

I didn’t. Life pro-tip, don’t go in without perspective. Be specific with how much time you will put into Wushu and talk to someone who knows more about how you should be training with the time you’ve been given.

Did you specialize in something?

Not really, I’ve done a little bit of everything other than Taichi.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

I got more aggressive and stronger, but not necessarily better. Get a mentor! Self-coaching is a myth!

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

I was introverted prior to Wushu at UO. You won’t find a sport where people make friends so quickly; it’s a small world and we’re in it together.

How has Wushu impacted your life?

It made me more outgoing, attentive to the needs of others, and super-ripped.

Where are you now in life?

I’m a designer living in San Jose, at a house full of close friends that all love Wushu. We work, train, and party.

Do you still practice?

See you at CMAT, young-bl****.

Do you have any advice for current team members?

Socialize with other clubs! That’s the best way for the club to keep growing.

Seek mentorship. Don’t worry about bugging people, worry about sucking and getting injured. Set expectations with yourself and your team coach. Be clear with what you want for the semester, don’t let the practice schedule be your only guide.

Do you have any advice for the general public?

Nothing ninjas you like Wushu. It’s unlike any sport you’ve ever done and is the key to unlocking your inner-Power Ranger. Check out my team’s Instagram @rogue1wushu, watch some world wushu competitions on YouTube, then go train with UO Wushu for one month. Also, don’t skip leg day, every day is leg day 😉

December Alumni Spotlight!

alexAlex Guangyuan Liang!

[Photo retrieved from Facebook]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

Ferena Kagata, friend brought me and some friends in. 

How long were you involved with the club?

Involved about 2 years afterwards it was on and off.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being on team?

The most difficult thing at the time was competition and trying to live up to the expectations set by the previous generation. But that was also what I enjoyed more, competing hard.  

Did you specialize in something?

I started learning spear and broadsword. Both were very fun.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

I only participated in 1 competition. I felt more agile, stronger and confident after a year.

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

 The wushu community at uo was great. A lot of fun and supportive people. I appreciate wushu as it has helped me physically and mentally. But I feel like getting to know the team has influenced me more.

Where are you now in life?

Currently I am working for a year after my Bachelor’s. I am applying to some graduate schools. Also learning about personal finance and programming.

Do you still practice?

I don’t practice any sport anymore. No time or energy.

Do you have any advice for current team members?

Keep up the good work! True passion and dedication is contagious.

Do you have any advice for the general public?

Try and find a club or other extra curricular activity. It will enhance your college experience.

November Alumni Spotlight!

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Katsumi Manabe!

[Photo retrieved from Facebook]

How did you find out about UO Wushu?

Online while reading about some of the older us superstars of the art in highschool.  Both Brandon sugiyama and Phillip dang were alumni, was a little disappointed to realize I’d be joining the year after Phil graduated though.

How long were you involved with the club?

Eh let’s just say I failed to graduate in four years.  I tore my Achilles at practice which severely set back graduation and training.

How did you balance all your activities during college?

At first I didn’t.  Then I dropped the activities I didn’t care about and stopped procrastinating.  Don’t procrastinate, Nike that sh**.

Did you specialize in something?

Jian was my favorite form.

What were the most difficult and most rewarding factors of being captain?

The most difficult was balancing the focus and intensity of practice.  I wanted to share the really physically and mentally intense and rewarding practices previous captains had with me but without excluding people whom were shy, new, uncoordinated, or just really sh** at showing up consistently because they couldn’t balance school, Wushu, and whatever else they did.

The most rewarding was being there for the excitement every time someone did something they previously thought was out of reach.

Can you describe the mental and physical progression you experienced from your first competition to your last competition?

I got stronger over time but never got comfortable with it.  I always psyched myself out and felt like I could have done better.  Honestly I didn’t care too much to compete myself, I just wanted to do Wushu.

How did the Wushu community impact your life?

The wushu community was my life.  I met some of my closest friends and the greatest girl in the world there.   I’ve actually done wushu with all of my current roommates as well.

How has Wushu impacted your life?

I may not train regularly anymore but if I space out at a grocery store I’ll still find myself going through forms in my head and waving my hands about like a crazy person.

Where are you now in life?

I was the manager of a red Robin but quit a few days ago, I took part in the opening of a new location that was ranked number one in the company out of more than 500 restaurants when we opened.  We were ranked I think fifth when I left.  For now I’m taking some time to myself and looking for a different direction.

Do you still practice?

No, but I miss it.

Do you have any advice for current team members?

If you want to do anything, stop procrastinating or making excuses and don’t let your cup be too full.