|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------------
Warsaw July 2n, 2004 - 3rd Internation Hung Gar Championship
Over 40 Schools and 16 Nations participated in this great event! It really surprised us. This Tournament called
Grand WuShu Festival 2004 took place during three days.
On the first day, we participated in the 3rd International Hung Gar Championship, organized by Ehga, a Lion Dance Tournament and a great Exhibition with present schools and a Wushu Group. On the 3rd of July, instead, they organized Chin Woo Assn. International Tournament. On the 4th Wushu and Sanshou Tournaments (organized by Polish Association) took place. It was three days of spectacular events whit many nations, from Australia to China, not to mention all the European Countries. They directed everything with particular attention, with a great time schedule. We would like to thank all the polish staff team and especially Sifu Piotr Osuch (Pioneer of the EHGA and Polish Chin Woo Assn. Vice President) 
In the evening, above the Tournament, there was a great Exhibition, where the twenty best chinese Wushu athletes captured the audience
attention with incredible evolutions.
These guys, just few days before, were in Rome (28th of June) in the "Palazzetto dello Sport": in that case, Ehga Italia was present with his representative performing Lion Dance a Hung Ga Forms. We are glad to meet another time this incredible team. Coming back to the Polish event... Shangai Chin Woo team exhibited in the same evening, followed by many other Traditional Kung Fu Schools. The day before, we had a little meeting with all the Coaches and Team Leaders, talking about rules, categories. There were Ehga members and all the other nations participating in the event: Australia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Shangai Chin Woo Assn. President and obviously Poland.  Concerning this Tournament, it follows rules: an International Tournament every two years, meeting the biggest Hung Ga Schools. In the 2002, we were in Rome for the 2nd International Hung Ga Championship, in the 2004 we moved to Poland, where Sifu Piotr Osuch organized the event. Competitions started at 12am, but we were there since 10.30am for a little training session. Entering in the Sporting Centre, we can smell pupils tension, but in some cases, they meet each other as friends: during these years they met many times and some pupils have a kind of friendship. 
Since the starting to the 6.30pm, athletes challenged on two squares: there were many categories, and some of them very crowded.
For example, in the 17-33years Male Category, there were more than 40 pupils.
Sometimes, pupils had only few minutes between two performances. We have only a rebuke: an excessive security forced to stand out of the doors, so we couldn't see our companions on the square. Hands Free Forms were fixed, similar for all the pupils, about similar for all. In Weapons Categories everyone could perform what they wanted: in this case judges judged both sequence and technique. In Other Hung Ga Weapons Category, indeed, we saw many different weapons: walking stick (Swedish Team), broadsword and shield (Polish Team). That was the most difficult category for judging. Technical level was very high: older pupils confirmed their skills, while there were some young pupils who impressed us much. For the first time in a Ehga Tournament, there was an over 33 years category, with veterans and "aged" pupils. As usual, Polish Team collected many medals, but Italy gets second place (for number of medals) with 13 pieces, not to mention Lion Dance Tournament. All these categories were very crowded. We could see many young athletes with great skills. They showed a good technique and a good athetical preparation: but some of them didn't have an enough concentration and they forgot some movements... retired. We have to mention Alessandro Mastrantonio (15 years old) who participated in the higher 17-33 years category. In the Short Weapons Category he gets the second place, against pupils with more experience. Compliments. Concerning Lion Dance Tournament, acted on friday evening, only Polish and Italian Team participated into, but audience and other teams were very interested. Many Schools, in fact, suggested a Lion Dance Competition in 2005.  This a new Ehga idea: since it was born in 1998, Ehga is grown up, not only organizing International Tournaments every two years, but also with a higher technical level. You could see this level in the pupils, or in the several Seminars organized with famous International Sifu. We spread Hung Ga in all its aspects all over the world.In this Tournament we had a guest of honour, Master Lam Cheung Ping (Spain), while Grandmaster Chiu Wai was, unfortunately, absent. On saturday evening, we have an exhibition with Chinese Wushu Team in Athens 2004. We performed, obviously, our Traditional Hung Ga, in front of Polish TV. Next appointment will be certainly Memorial Chiu Kow Tournament 2005, organized by Ehga, International Chiu Chi Ling Assn. and patrocinated by Italia-Cina Assn. In 2006 we will be in Switzerland for the 4th International Hung Ga Championship organized by Sifu Martin Sewer and probably in Sweden in 2008 organized by Sifu Engmalm. 
 Visit Multimedial Gallery didicated to this event... ----------------------- |
|||||||
|