On September 3, 2023, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California, a grand and globally acclaimed Wushu event concluded successfully. The ‘2023 Golden State International Wushu Championship and the USAWKF National Kung Fu Team Trials’ took place from September 2nd to 3rd, organized by the World Taiji Science Federation, sponsored by KungFuDirect.com, and sanctioned by the United States of America Wushu-Kungfu Federation, Inc. (USAWKF).
Dignitaries and VIPs have arrived
Participating teams taking part in the opening ceremony
Athletes enter the venue
Team organization, the team of referees |
The chairman of this tournament is Mr. Anthony Goh, who serves as the Vice President of the International Wushu Federation, the President of the Pan-American Wushu Federation, and the President of the United States Wushu Federation. The executive chairman of the tournament （The Host）is Dr. Li Shudong, who serves as the Executive President of the World Tai Chi Science Federation and the Vice President of the United States Wushu Federation, |
Dr. Li Shudong, the Executive Chairman of the competition, delivered the opening speech.
The key figures in the referee team include Mr. Mohammed Reza, an international-level wushu referee from the International Wushu Federation Technical Committee, serving as the Chief Referee for Online Competitions. Mr. Matt Wong, a member of the International Wushu Federation Referee Committee, board member of the United States Wushu-Kungfu Federation, and an international A-level referee, is appointed as the Chief Referee for Modern Wushu. The role of Chief Referee for Traditional Wushu, Taiji, and Health Qigong is held by Mr. Justin Eggert, a broad member of the United States Wushu Federation and an international A-level referee. Additionally, Mr. Ian Lee, Vice President of the United States Wushu-Kungfu Federation and an international A-level referee, assumes the position of Chairman of the Arbitration Committee. These individuals will play crucial roles in ensuring the fairness and smooth execution of the competition.
Judge officials enter
Referee representative, International A-level wushu referee Justin Eggert, administers the oath.
Representing the athletes, Julia Zhou from Evergreen Wushu recites the oath.
“Rise Martial Arts Academy,” “Sun’s Kungfu Academy,” and “Honor Kung Fu Academy” performed a lion dance at the opening ceremony.
This competition is undoubtedly one of the largest Wushu events in the United States. Seventy-one Wushu teams from 15 countries and regions participated, with nearly 1,800 athletes, and the total number of participants exceeded 4,000 over two days of live and online competition. All results will be announced on the event platform in the next two days.
This grand-scale Wushu competition has garnered high attention from numerous sports leaders and elected officials. Important guests who sent congratulatory letters and videos of support include Li Lingwei, a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Executive Council Member of the Association of National Olympic Committees, as well as Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee; Anthony Goh, Vice President of the International Wushu Federation, President of the Pan-American Wushu Federation, and President of the United States Wushu-Kungfu Federation; Zhang Jianmin, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco; U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu; renowned American astronaut and former NASA Administrator Charles Frank Bolden; Dr. William A. Cohen, Founding Dean of the California Advanced Management Institute and retired Major General of the U.S. Air Force; Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose; Carol Dutra-Vernaci, and others.
Congresswoman Judy Chu extends her congratulatory video for the Golden State Wushu Championships.
Participating in the opening ceremony and delivering speeches were former California Assembly Member Kansen Chu and his wife, Disy Chu; Lisa Gillmor, Mayor of Santa Clara; Lily Mei, Mayor of Fremont; Councilman Yang Shao; Wei Hong, Mayor of Cupertino; Zhao Yan, Vice Mayor of Saratoga; Councilman Jeff Wang of Union City; and Councilwoman Sherry Hu of Dublin, among elected officials. In addition, invited guests included Ben He, President of the American Entrepreneur Association; Himson Zhang, Director of the San Francisco Office of China Southern Airlines North America Marketing Center; Rose He, President of the National Council of Chinese Women USA; Lily Li, Overseas Department Head of the China Low Altitude Flying Club; Fei Chen of Tengfei Education; and Dong Yi, Chairman of the Xigong Gourmet Group. Professor Huijun Zhou of Stanford University also attended, offering strong support for the successful organization of the competition.
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor presents a congratulatory letter to Chairman Li Shudong.
Elected officials taking a group photo
At the opening ceremony, Ian Lee, Vice President of the United States Wushu-Kungfu Federation, extended warm congratulations on behalf of the Wushu Federation to this event. He also grandly introduced the 16th World Wushu Championships hosted by Hengyuanxiang, which will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, from November 16th to 20th. At that time, top athletes from over 80 countries will gather in Texas to compete for world championship honors in various events.
The talented youngsters from Elite Kungfu Academy, led by Elena Chow, a member of the U.S. National Wushu Team, delivered an outstanding collective Wushu demonstration. Under the guidance of instructors Xu Dezhen and Yan Hongjie, students from the Pure Shaolin Kung Fu Academy presented a collective performance of Taiji Xingyi Baguazhang. Teacher Li Jianli from the Yuhe International Wushu Taiji Team performed Chen-style Taijiquan. Evergreen Wushu, led by Master Zhou Chuanwang, showcased Long Fist and staff techniques, along with a captivating collective performance.
The KungFu Dragon USA team, led by Master Yu Zhenglong, presented a unique Wooden Fish Gong performance. The US Collegiate Taiji Federation under the guidance of Dr. Chi-hsiu Weng, demonstrated practical applications of Taijiquan and performed collectively. Seattle Shaolin Kung Fu Zen Academy, led by Master Xiang Gao presented a collective performance of “Shaolin Warriors.”
Teams from Thunder Kungfu Academy, Wushu Live School, and Li’s Wushu Academy showcased impressive Kung Fu and Taijiquan performances.
These performances, showcased the diversity and exquisite skills of Wushu, providing the audience with a breathtaking visual feast.
The evening’s performances were spectacular, showcasing a diverse range of martial arts styles. |
The talented youngsters from Elite Kungfu Academy, led by Elena Chow, a member of the U.S. National Wushu Team, delivered an outstanding collective Wushu demonstration. Under the guidance of instructors Xu Dezhen and Yan Hongjie, students from the Pure Shaolin Kung Fu Academy presented a collective performance of Taiji Xingyi Baguazhang. Teacher Li Jianli from the Yuhe International Wushu Taiji Team performed Chen-style Taijiquan. Evergreen Wushu, led by Master Zhou Chuanwang, showcased Long Fist and staff techniques, along with a captivating collective performance.
The KungFu Dragon USA team, led by Master Yu Zhenglong, presented a unique Wooden Fish Gong performance. The US Collegiate Taiji Federation under the guidance of Dr. Chi-hsiu Weng, demonstrated practical applications of Taijiquan and performed collectively. Seattle Shaolin Kung Fu Zen Academy, led by Master Xiang Gao presented a collective performance of “Shaolin Warriors.”
Teams from Thunder Kungfu Academy, Wushu Live School, and Li’s Wushu Academy showcased impressive Kung Fu and Taijiquan performances.
These performances, showcased the diversity and exquisite skills of Wushu, providing the audience with a breathtaking visual feast.
Renowned Taiji Master Hao Zhang, with his profound power and exquisite skills, captivated the live audience.
Led by Brian Wang, a member of the U.S. national team, the 720 Martial Arts Academy and Master Zeng Jiao Jian from the Las Vegas Wushu Center presented a spectacular Wushu performance to the live audience. This performance fully exemplified the significant progress in the professional Wushu standards in the United States in recent years. Their impressive display brought shock and cheers from the audience, showcasing the outstanding talent and training achievements in the American Wushu community. This performance undoubtedly added much vibrancy to this competition and left people full of anticipation for the future of Wushu development.
720 Martial Arts Academy Wushu Demo
The outstanding performance by Las Vegas Modern Kung Fu
Master Yunjian Zou’s O-mei Kungfu Academy presented a collective performance of Taijifan to the live audience. Their performance was gentle and harmonious, well-coordinated, and incorporated Taiji performances by Judy Liu, who has previously won the World Junior Wushu Championships. This performance left a profound impression on the audience, showcasing the beauty of Taiji and conveying the deep essence of Taiji culture, allowing people to experience the artistic harmony of mind and body.
O-mei Kungfu Academy Group Taijifan
World Junior Wushu Championship, Judy Liu Taiji Demo
Master Jianfeng Chen and his students’ ‘Taiji and Art Performance’ showcased seamless Taiji movements that flowed like running water. This unique creative approach seamlessly blended art with Taiji, offering the audience a fresh Taiji revelation.
Master Jianfeng Chen and his students’ ‘Taiji and Art Performance’ showcased seamless Taiji movements that flowed like running water. This unique creative approach seamlessly blended art with Taiji, offering the audience a fresh Taiji revelation.
Mason Tong of the Berkeley University Wushu Club performed the Miao Dao.
Coach Bryant Fong from the Berkeley University Wushu Club demonstrated Chen-style Taijiquan.
The competition spanned two days, taking place simultaneously across six different venues within two exhibition hall. The events encompassed three main categories, including modern Wushu, traditional Kungfu, as well as Taiji and health Qigong, effectively covering nearly all styles of Wushu from both northern and southern regions. The competition featured separate categories for both men and women and included 12 different age groups. Various competition formats were also included, such as all-around, individual, paired, and group competitions.
The 17-year-old Karel Korenc from the Czech Republic represented his team with pure Shaolin Kung Fu and won a total of five gold medals in his age group. These medals were awarded in the disciplines of Shaolin Quan, traditional single saber, traditional double saber, Shaolin staff, and Shaolin Pu Dao.
The grandeur of the competition has garnered significant attention from numerous media outlets. This includes authoritative and influential Chinese-language newspapers such as “Sing Tao Daily,” “World Journal,” and “Qiao Bao,” all of which have provided detailed and in-depth coverage. Additionally, specialized publications like “Xin Min Evening News,” “Taiji Net,” and “Global Kung Fu Net” have featured dedicated reports on this event. Moreover, the mayors present at the opening ceremony actively assisted in involving multiple English-language media outlets from various cities, showcasing the tremendous resonance and impact of this event within a broader and diverse cultural context.
The results of both the live and online competitions will be published on the event registration website and the organizing committee’s news platform in the coming two days.
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