Fall 2002 Sponsorship Letter
2002 was an exceptional year. Thanks to all of you
for supporting me. In addition to studying with my coach, José Johnson, and his
mentor, Nick Gracenin, I earned brown belt ranking from the Chinese Wushu
Research Institute and placed well in three tournaments.
At the 2002 Summer Bash in
What are Internal Martial
Arts?
This year I was the Men's
All-Around Internal Champion at U.S. Nationals. Internal is one of two
broad categories commonly used to describe some styles of martial arts. Of
course, the other category is external.
Styles commonly classified as internal include
taijiquan (tai chi), baguazhang, xingyiquan, liuhebafa, and bajiquan (all of
which I practice except for liuhebafa). A few examples of external styles are
Shaolin, Eagle Claw, Preying Mantis, and Hungar.
I should first explain that this method of
classification is very elementary and often the subject of debate among martial
artists, but it is also the easiest and most widely accepted method of
classification.
The differences between internal and external styles
are their training methods, means of generating power, and fighting strategies.
In a fight, external styles rely heavily on speed and strength, whereas
internal styles rely on calmness, precision, and redirection of the opponent's
strength back against the opponent. External styles generate power from the
limbs and muscular force. Internal styles seek to integrate the body, energy,
mind, and spirit, so that a technique has the concentrated power of the entire
person supporting it. Internal styles also use the waist and hips to generate
almost all movement and power. The differences in training methods therefore
reflect these differences in style. Internal styles also place a great emphasis
on the development of internal strength or qi, and most training methods are
directed toward this goal.
Even with these differences, please understand that
internal and external styles have much more in common than they do differences.
All styles seek to improve the individual through rigorous training and discipline,
and all teachers seek to raise the moral character of their students and
cultivate peace and harmony.
The United States Wushu Union
(USWU) held its first National Chinese Martial Arts Championships in
I flew into
After checking in and weighing in, I did sleep well,
but the morning of the tournament I was nervous and able to eat only an orange
and some yogurt. I arrived at the competition area more than an hour before the
doors even opened, and I wasn't the only one. Other athletes were in the hall
outside warming up and stretching as well. The atmosphere was a little tense.
Everyone was focused on preparing for the competition. Once the competition
began, it ran non-stop from
Most of the
taolu (forms) divisions had finished by Saturday evening, and, after everyone
broke for dinner and a short rest, the competition room was cleared for the
Masters Demonstrations. The Demonstrations featured many of the top teachers
and practitioners of Chinese martial arts in the
Sunday, the organizers ran rings for the few remaining
taolu events, technical fighting, push hands, and the Grand Champion run-off
event.
The Grand Champion run-off featured the winners of
the adult all-around titles vying for the top prizes of Men's and Women's Grand
Champion. I placed 3rd in the Grand Champion run-off, and I was
pleased with my performance. My score for the run-off division was slightly
higher than my average score for the weekend, and I felt I had represented
myself and my school well. My other awards for the weekend were gold medals in
24 taijiquan, Yang style taijiquan, Other style taijiquan, Taiji straightsword,
and Other internal weapons. I also won the silver in 42 taijiquan and two
bronze medals in push hands. As a result of my top ranking in the division, I
won the Men's All-Around Internal Championship and number one ranking in the
The tournament was held in the
The following morning, I boarded the plane for
2003 Events
Professor Li De Yin from
I also plan to train with
Sifu Bow Sim Mark. Sifu Bow Sim Mark was one of the first to teach Chinese
martial arts to Americans in the 70's. She is recognized by most authorities on
Chinese martial arts to be one of the most influential martial artists of the
20th century. Sifu Mark will visit
As usual, Pat Rice of
Each event represents an
opportunity to train with some of the top coaches in
My tournament schedule for
2003 includes the Arnold Battle of
Columbus Martial Arts World Games, U.S.
Wushu Union East Coast Regionals, U.S.
International Kuoshu Championship Tournament, and U.S. National Chinese Martial Arts Championships.
I feel as though I am
approaching the next 12 months with a renewed sense of mission. I have received
so much over the past year that I feel the responsibility of living up to those
achievements. I have an entire year of tournaments to look forward to, as well
the opportunity to train with legendary teachers like Professor Li De Yin and
Sifu Bow Sim Mark. I hope the coming year will be even more remarkable than the
past.
Thank you again for supporting
me.
My sponsors for 2002 were:
Allegany Optical
Vincent Facchinei, O.D.
James and Margaret Smeltz
David P. Turchi, Esq.
Pierre B. Turchi, M.D.
Glen and Marian Weicksel