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FIERCE TIGER, FLYING PHOENIX
Author: Richard Branden and Kristin Venuti
Zhuang Hui began her wushu education in Beijing at age 9, spending two years in what she refers to as “short-term training.” At 11, she began her long-term training, living at Beijing Shi Sha Hai Sports School six days a week. When she was 15, she decided to turn professional. It was a decision her parents had a difficult time supporting, but she eventually proved them wrong. Among her most pivotal performances were the China National Wushu Competition in 1991 and 1992 (where she won four gold medals), the Third Annual Asian National Games in 1992 (where she won gold medals in the all-around, open-hand, straight-sword and spear divisions), the Seventh National Games of China in 1993 (where she won a silver medal in the women’s all-around division) and the 12th Annual Asian Olympics in 1994 (where she won the open-hand, straight-sword and spear divisions, and the women’s all-around title). In 1995, Hui moved to the United States and opened a martial arts school. She now guides more than 150 students in her wushu ways. —R.B., K.V.
Black Belt: For the benefit of those readers who are new to the Chinese martial arts, could you tell us about the history of wushu?
Zhuang Hui: The history of wushu is very long. It’s almost the same age as China itself, going all the way back to the early clan [communities]. For human beings to survive, they had to learn to do battle with natural elements, animals and, unfortunately, each other. As human beings evolved, so did their methods. It was then that they created weapons, which had obvious advantages over fighting bare-handed. Later, wushu competitions were [part] of the examination for determining fitness for military service. During the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.) and Zhou dynasty (1027-771 B.C.), the practice of wushu became important in the education of children. Besides its practical application in self-defense, it was thought to promote health and cure disease.
BB: So wushu became a form of physical education for the children of the nobility?
Hui: In a way, yes. Over the years, though, when the divide between the rich and poor grew, it became an actual tool for war. But with the advent of gunpowder, wushu became less an instrument of aggression and more a sport to promote the health of the mind as well as the body.
BB: How do you respond to people who say wushu is just acrobatics, just “kung fu without the fighting”?
Hui: Literally, wu means “military” or “fighting,” and shu means “art.” Therefore, wushu means the “art of fighting.” Wushu consists of both forms (taolu) and sparring (san shou). Even though forms are individual events, the movements in them contain fighting applications.
In ancient times, fighting arts were not only for the battlefield but were also a form of entertainment. Yes, sport wushu emphasizes the most athletic, dramatic and acrobatic aspects of the Chinese fighting arts and exaggerates those aspects for even greater effect.
So what? This is wushu’s special place in the spectrum of the fighting arts. Likewise, wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, grappling, stick fighting, knife fighting, law-enforcement control and restraint techniques, military combat skills, handguns, assault weapons, explosives and so on all have their place in the spectrum of the fighting arts.
Because wushu became a national sport, the Chinese government intended to keep the cultural heritage of the traditional fighting arts while minimizing the combative aspects.
BB: What attracted you to wushu?
Hui: When I was in second grade, I started training because it was a popular national sport. As a child, I was really excited about challenging myself to have more discipline and greater physical endurance. I was also inspired by watching the older wushu athletes practice and seeing competitions. I promised myself one day I, too, would become a wushu champion.
BB: What is the average day like for a wushu professional in China?
Hui: We used to train five hours a day, six days a week. Before a competition, we would practice even more—in the morning, afternoon and evening.
BB: For the United States to produce more international wushu champions, what lesson do Americans need to learn from the Chinese?
Hui: First, Americans need to learn that being good in wushu requires a tremendous commitment of time and effort.
Any work ethic less than total commitment won’t get the job done. Second, Americans need to be able to “eat bitterness.” This is a Chinese saying that carries the meaning of really disciplining oneself—of “paying the price,” as Americans say. Third, no athlete can do it by himself or herself. American wushu players need the support of family and friends. When a teacher starts to discipline, scold, push or punish a student, the student’s family needs to support the student by supporting the teacher and the teacher’s methods. In China, students are not willing to push themselves to be the very best unless their teacher/coach pushes them severely.
Is it cold, cruel treatment by the coach, or is it care and love for the student?
I think American parents are too sensitive, and because there is too much fear of being sued, coaches cannot teach with the same methods used in China.
BB: Could you describe a typical wushu competition in China?
Hui: There are six [events] that must be practiced by the competitive wushu athlete. These include open-hand forms (long fist, southern fist or tai chi chuan), long weapons (staff or spear), short weapons (straight sword or broadsword), traditional weapons (double weapon, single weapon or flexible weapon), traditional open-hand (in three divisions) and fighting sets (two to three people in choreographed fighting routines). The all-around championship title is determined by the accumulated scores of the athletes competing in the six events.
BB: Is that the same format that’s used in tournaments in the United States?
Hui: There is a difference between Chinese competitions and U.S. competitions. U.S. competitions are much less regulated than China’s. There are fewer rules here.
BB: Do you have a favorite competi- competitive tive event?
Hui: Next to the spear, which is my passion, I love the straight sword.
BB: Why do you favor those weapons?
Hui: When I hold the spear or straight sword, I feel both beautiful and deadly at the same time.
BB: How is training with a straight sword different from training with a broadsword?
Hui: The broadsword requires a lot of speed and power. These were the weapons most favored by the military in [the past]. The straight sword requires complex body technique combined with intellectual thought. In China, we have a saying: “Broadsword play is like a fierce tiger, straight-sword play like a flying phoenix.”
BB: If I practiced with a sword long enough to hone my intellect, would I understand that saying?
Hui: Hmmm. … BB: Let’s talk about your early train- training. You lived at the prestigious Beijing Sports School when you were a child. You left to see your family only on Saturday evenings and had to return on Sunday afternoons. What was that experience like?
Hui: The training itself was exciting. The school was very strict and regimented. I was busy working out in the morning and afternoon, then attending to my academics in the evening. There wasn’t a lot of time left over for me to get homesick, but I did always look forward to seeing my family on Saturdays.
BB: How did they feel about your wushu training?
Hui: Initially they were very supportive.
They thought it was good for me to be involved in an activity. As time went on and my passion grew, they began to cool off toward it. They had a really hard time with my decision at age 15 to become a professional athlete.
BB: Why?
Hui: There were a couple of reasons.
The first was that they are both engineers who emphasize education over activity. They worried about my future and thought the only way to succeed was through higher education. They couldn’t see how I could pursue that and wushu at the same time.
BB: Did you do well in school?
Hui: Yes, I was at the top of my class, but they worried anyway. It didn’t help that my coach told them that he didn’t expect me to place above fourth or fifth in competition and that I was unlikely to ever win a championship title. They didn’t see the point in me having a strong desire to do something I wasn’t going to be the best at. I considered that my challenge. I knew that I didn’t have the natural ability of some of my teammates, but I had the desire to work twice as hard. For five years, I didn’t compete or perform. I worked hard and observed my role models—many of whom, like Jet Li, became famous athletes. Finally, at 20, I participated in my first competition.
I was awarded the title of wu ying, or “master wushu athlete.”
BB: You certainly showed them.
Hui: Well, I felt I had something to prove, so I made a goal and worked toward it even when I was discouraged.
Finally I reached that goal. The next day I was back to work, though. You have to keep setting goals and working on them, or you’ll stagnate.
BB: What keeps you busy these days?
Hui: I retired in 1995 and moved to the United States. I began teaching for the National Martial Arts Academy in 1996. Then I started my American college career, and one year ago I took over the business and started my own school here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
BB: Are your parents relieved that you turned out OK.
Hui: They are very proud now.
BB: How has your wushu training shaped other aspects of your life?
Hui: The fact that the Beijing Wushu Team, which was established in 1974, is one of the best in the world is due partly to the strong discipline it instills in its athletes. I became a member of that team in 1983 and stayed on it for 13 years. The martial arts have made me a strong woman. The inner discipline [I gained] gave me the strength to rely on myself when I had little support to continue my training or when I moved to the United States knowing only one person. It helped me work hard enough to be able to continue training, teach and get my degree in business. Now I tell my students that if they set goals and truly work hard for them, their goals will be attained.
BB: You mentioned that when you reach one goal, you immediately set another. Is there anything you have on tap?
Hui: Yes. I plan to work on my master’s in business administration and expand my school so I can bring the joy and discipline of wushu to others. ...