Competing in the 2nd Nadam Wushu Kung Fu Festival

These last few weeks I have been a little off the radar because I went to Inner Mongolia to compete in a Wushu competition. It was an amazing experience and tons of fun. Although it's not TCM related, I thought I'd share a little about my trip. =) Let me know what you think! 

Team USA on the podium 

This past month, I went to Ordos, Inner Mongolia with the United States Wushu Team to compete in the 2nd Nadam Wushu Kung Fu Festival. International competitions are a mixture of adventure, travel, and of course sport. Preparing for this level of competition takes months of planning with both mental and physical training.

Opening ceremonies in Ordos, Inner Mongolia

As a US team member, I've traveled and competed all over the United States as well as Argentina, Turkey, and now Inner Mongolia. One thing I've learned is that there are always unexpected things that take you away from your game plan and no preparation can anticipate what comes with getting off a plane in a foreign land where you can't speak the language and just being from America brings a lot of curious attention. Often, as a visiting athlete you are treated to hours of wonderful hospitality when all you really want to do is get some sleep and prepare for your events.  

My training regimen in the states is 3 times a week of wushu plus cross training... I eat for recovery and muscle building but often that goes out the window when local cuisine rules. Food in Mongolia was great, but as we ate nearly every meal in the hotel, my team members and I found ourselves craving some simple meat and veggies. Immersing in local culture is part of the joy of the trip, but I always have to keep the event in mind; there is serious competition and getting a good nights sleep and proper nutrition can mean the difference between a medal and leaving with that nagging feeling of "I could have done better". As hard as I tried to keep up, I lost 7 pounds on this trip due to the unavailability of my regular training diet and appetite changes that come with travel.

Our fist glimpse of the competition floor on practice day.

While Mongolia conjures images of yurt tents and sweeping mountain steppes, Ordos itself is a new city much like others springing up across China with apartment buildings and new skyscrapers looking to attract foreign investors. No expense was spared capturing the glory of traditional Mongolian culture at the opening ceremonies with hundreds of trick horseback riders, dancers, musicians, fireworks, and amazing LED light displays in a brand new Olympic-style stadium.

The martial arts portion of the event took three days and carried the serious tone of Chinese wushu competition. Being the national sport of China, many of the best athletes in the world were out in force. The morning after we arrived, the US team had official practice at the competition stadium. We were awestruck at how gorgeous and huge the brand new venue was (it was still getting its finishing touches during the competition) and also a little nervous at seeing the single competition floor propped up on a stage. All eyes were going to be on us come competition day! All that aside, I felt strong at practice and was excited to compete.

Posing with the Hong Kong Champion, Geng XiaoLin

Overall the competition experience was great, but of course it had its challenges. My spirits were very high practice day, however the night before competition I had terrible insomnia and inside the venue I was really feeling the industrial pollutants that are so common in new buildings built in China. There was a strong chemical smell and my lungs felt they were at half capacity. Despite training really hard for this competition and feeling well prepared, I was disappointed in my performance; in my best event I took 8th out of 23 competitors. I don’t concern myself with comparing my performance to others’, I simply want to represent myself (and my coach!) well and perform at my best. It was a challenge keeping my stamina up during my events. I think the combination of poor sleep, diet changes, and difficulty breathing were ultimately too much. It’s clear to me that all the tiny details we work on fine-tuning in training go out the window when I’m tired and it’s those little pieces of flavor and explosiveness that really set athletes apart in this sport. Of course that lesson learned is worth gold and will only help me to improve. =)

With Macau's nanquan champ, Chris.

On the other hand, my mental game felt the best it ever has at competition. I'm often very nervous before my events, I’ve even gotten sick in the past, and I’ll admit I can get a little “psyched out” by watching the pro’s warming up. This time was different. I was only concerned with myself and tried hard to remember to have some fun... this is something very special that many people don't have the opportunity to experience, so why waste it?

The best part of this competition was the energy. Although competitors were serious, they were also extremely open, friendly, and supportive. There were many countries represented (including countries like Lebanon where wushu is practically unknown), there were up-and-coming juniors competing with the new compulsory sets, and there was even some amazing old timers that took medals! It was great to see everyone cheering wholeheartedly for athletes of all countries... I’m pretty sure USA was the loudest!

With Liu Qing Hua, undeniably one of the best athletes of all time. 

After the competition the team tried our hardest to relax and enjoy the journey. We made good friends with the Macau and Lebanon teams and went out for some Mongolian hot pot, Karaoke, and to my dismay drank a good helping of horse milk wine. (That stuff is strong!) The day after competition we packed up our things and headed to Beijing for five days of eating, shopping, great times, and a touch of training.

Traveling and doing your best athletically is the real challenge. Staying primed and in the zone when so many new experiences are happening all around you is the key to international competition, but also in our daily fitness goals. Showing up with energy and drive even when things don't line up perfectly is a habit of physical success. With each trip I learn not only about the country I am visiting, but also how my home training and athletic goals stand up to the chaos of long distance travel in unfamiliar places.

Next stop, World Games in Malaysia!

Team USA: Tiffany Reyes, Stephanie Lim, Brenda Hatley,
Peter Dang, Alex Tran, Anthony Chen, Phillip Dang

P.S.

I’m really proud of my teammates, Stephanie, Tiffany, Phillip, Peter, Alex, Anthony, and Aurora. Team USA was represented well and with some major style. Despite all of us having day jobs and pressures of American life, we still somehow managed to make our way to Mongolia and come home with a total of four medals. This is quite a feat!