National Inter-school Wushu Championships: Group Finals

So the day of reckoning has arrived.
Our first event was the C-Div Group Quan:

The C-Boys have always been a bit lacking in this event compared to their seniors in B-Div. Essentially, the routine is the same but the C-boys lack the tightness and 'ooomph' the seniors deliver.
But today, we can see from their performance that they have worked hard to tighten their act and movements are crisp and tight now. Many eyes were on VS definitely.
I'm sure our improvement was such a big surprise even to the judges that for the first time participating in the National Inter-school Wushu Championships, I was hauled off to the Head Judges table immediately after our C-Boys performed to explain our choice of music to them.

Yup. They wanted me to explain why our music violated competition rules of not having any lyrics in the music- for which there would be a penalty deduction of points. By then our C-Boys were waiting nervously for their scores to come out but I told them be steady. My years teaching Literature and helping to launch the VS Debate team in 2004 must have paid off because I explained that the definition of 'lyrics' must be in a recognisable language. The evocative female hum in our opening sequence (0.00 to 0.16) can hardly be constituted as lyrics right?
I mean, if you can subtitle that section for me and tell me which language it is sung in, I would gladly concede that point.
The judges took awhile to deliberate the merits of my thought provoking thesis and finally agreed- the C-Div boys only had to wait for about 10mins standing still before I was informed that there would be no penalty for us.
Incidentally, the fact that the immediate previous school before us had, by sheer coincidence used the EXACT SAME piece of music and immediately been given their score without protest or query seemed to slip the judges minds.
It is perfectly understandable that in the long arduous competition, you might have a temporary episode of short-term memory and in our tropical climate, it might be contagious and infect people around you.
When I mentioned it to the advisors and convening authuourity, they agreed that spontaneous memory loss was an issue that I could legitimately lodge a protest against. I declined cos I believe that I made my point, the C-Boy's didn't get deduction of their points and also by that time I was seriously confused whether I was teacher-in-charge at a Inter-school Wushu Championships or teacher-in-charge at Inter-school Debating Championships.
For their efforts, the C-Boys managed to get a 3rd place in this event.

Having seen their juniors go through the judging fiasco, the B-Div knew that they would be severely scrutinised. To their credit, they pulled-off their Group Quan with aplomb. In the clip, you can see that many of their slaps and strikes were able to echo with just one single sound. While our other competitor teams strove for mastery over technical and acrobatic movements, we strove for unity and togetherness:

Nevertheless, B-Div were not able to place as there were 3 ties in 2nd position at 8.11. VS just happened to get 8.1 and was relegated to 5th place, so we were unable to garner any points for B-Div in that event.

In the C-Div Group Weapon, our C-Boys were the first ever group in the Inter-School Championships (and as far as I know, in National Championships) to do a Group E-mei Needle routine. It was a challenging routine to choreograph because prior to this I myself never learnt that weapon; but we discussed it and agreed as a team to try something new and challenge ourselves.
The main problem with this weapon is getting it to spin consistently and we knew that it would present opportunities for multiple point deductions; but heck, it's a damn fun weapon to practice with and despite small mistakes today, the boys did manage to pull off most of their spins successfully:

Our Sec 1s are just so adorable-- when they reach Sec 4 and still run around like that spinning needles, then I'm going to get worried :P
After the event, we were tied in 4th place- however after moderation of scores, we were relegated out to 5th and C-Div did not place in this event.

Having not placed in the previous Group Quan, the B-Div boys needed to secure at least a 2nd place in this event in order to earn enough points to contend for Top 4 Divisional placing. We were the last to go in this event and from the moment our boys went up, we definitely caught the attention of the crowd. Friends, fellow supporters and even our competitors were cheering us on. We delivered a tight routine and I felt my hopes soar....

I don't know whether the audience members close to me were more shocked by the fall or my loud groan while filming.
Understandbly, the boys were feeling down and I rushed over to them. My main concern was if anybody had been injured because I overhead some audience member say they saw one of our guys limping. Thankfully, no sprains were evident.
While I vehemently questioned the motivation behind certain procedures invoked against us today, this mistake me and the B-boys gotta take it on the chin.
Because in this instance, it was through our own mistakes that we let our chances slip away. Any major fall in an event is a deduction of 0.5point. Given our final score of 7.66, if we had not made that unforced error, we would be tied for second in the event with 8.16 points.
With that , VS B-Div stayed at 22points and was relegated out of Divional Top 4 placing.

Now, before we all go pointing fingers in the team. Boys, it is a Group Event so there are NO such thing as individual mistakes.
Would I scold you guys if it happened in training? You bet your life!
But I know you've been training hard and in this event you all gave your best- How can I bear to reprimand you all when I feel the pain and disappointment for each of you too?
For the boys who have not done as well as they have expected in the Individual events, especially when they end up getting getting 2nd or 3rd place after a close fight; I've been telling you all
"Don't turn your minor victories, into major disappointments"

Look at us receiving our C-Div Group Quan 3rd place today:

We got a chance to go on stage and bring the Victorian flag with us- only the top 4 schools out of the 17 schools in that event get a chance to do so.
Isn't that in itself something for the entire team to celebrate?

Look at our total number of Individual medals this year:

Isn't that cause to still celebrate?

Whatever our results today, we went in knowing that at the very least, C-Division had cemented itself for C-Division 3rd Place.
Isn't that cause to still celebrate?


So although I felt the pain in each one of you, I wanted you all to pick yourself up and celebrate with pride what you all have accomplished as a team and still sing the Victorian Anthem at the end of the day

In one of our classic cheers, we say:
"We walk from the game with pride and fame; we feel no fear and we feel no pain"
Where does that pride come from? In doing our best!
Where does the fame go to? The fame goes to Victoria- the school that watched us grow!

Grow into Gentlemen, Professional and Sportsmen!

So I saved the best video for last.
So this morning, while you all were warming-up before going off to competition grounds. I sat quietly in the corner, sipping tea, just watchin you all. To be honest, I myself totally shack out liao.
But watching you all take ownership of your own training- peers leading peers, seniors guiding juniors, that made me feel that the seeds I planted back in 2005 have not only taken root but are bearing fruit.


As always, I am proud of what you have become.
And yes, I will still scold you and be hard on you so that YOU will be proud of yourself in what you will become in the future.

VS Wushu, Jia you!

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Behind the scenes

Finally, after an agonising 2 weeks- we have reached the Group Finals.
At this stage each of our divisions has 2 events: Group Quan and Group Weapon.
The C-Div boys were currently ranked 3rd in Division standings- We were secure in it as 4th place was about 30pts behind; but Chung Cheng and Anderson were leading at 65 and 61 points respectively, so it would also be hard to catch up.

For B-Div, we were 5th with 22 points currently but 1st ranking school, Beatty only lead by 6 points with total of 28- so there was a real chance for B-Div to contest for Top 3 placing. With so much at stake, it was an intense 2 weeks for all of us.

How intense? First of, let me show you the HARD CORE training that the boys went through. M18 audience only pls.



We were actually inspired by the hardcore training the Floorball team undergoes from Mr Amir during the afternoons- so on a hot sat afternoon after morning training and then lunch, the boys decided go 'commando' and do it bare-bodied! That's the Victorian Spirit for you!

Then last night, the senior boys stayed back to work with me to refurbish and 'upgrade' their halbreds. The weapons they had been using were rusted through constant contact with skin and sweat so they looked really bad-


but we couldn't do anything to them earlier cos then the rust would set in again, so can only work on it the night before:


Check out the finished product, man!


Check our next blog post for coverage of the final days events.
Stay tuned- video files uploading, will be done by 10.45pm

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 6

Today is the last day of our Individual events, in both C and B Divisions, VS and our fellow competing schools are neck to neck in the divisional standings- thus every point garnered today is a crucial one.

Today we had Samuel Tam from Sec 2B taking part in the C-Div 5-Duan Spear event:

Samuel managed to hold on to a 4th position till the middle of the pack but was edged out when the later athletes delivered their well-polished performances. Nevertheless, Samuel proved that he was not a one-trick pony and that apart from his Taiji, he was equally competent in other wushu disciplines. His hard work has definitely made him a versatile athlete able to be deployed in many ways for the benefit of the team

Where Samuel failed to placed in his spear event, fellow team-mate Lee Jingwei from 2H took part in the C-Div Spear 1st International Routine.

Jing came back from the set-back he faced in the Changquan routine the previous week and gave us a much needed Gold medal to boost our divisional standings.

The 'dark horse' of the C-Division was Chee Jay Sian from 1A. Jay had set his sights on Victoria School since Pri 6 and made it an effort to work hard both in wushu and his studies to make it here. Ever since he has stepped into the school, he has pushed himself hard and worked quietly to improve himself.
In the heavily contested C-Boys 4-Duan Cudgel event with 30 plus participants, Jay would have to really distinguish himself just to make it into the top 4:

With his never-say-die attitude, Jay proved that even the underdog has it's day. Jay managed to clinch a Bronze in 3rd place and added some more points to our C-Div for our divisional standings.

The C-Division overall standing is tight this year, with VS and many other teams running head to head with 40 plus points. So not to be out done, our pioneer 'recruit' Fung Jin Jie made it a fantastic swansong in his graduation year. Jingo competeted in the B-Div Cudgel 2nd International Routine and despite a costly deduction of 0.2 for an extra step, he achieved a personal best by bagging his hat trick of 3 Gold Medals in one competition.

Do ignore my sudden outburst- when I heard the cudgel hit Jingo from the extra rotation, I feared that another similar situation like 2008 would happen again where a single error cost him dearly. Maybe it's my scolding, maybe it's my nagging or maybe Jingo finally grew up- he ignored the error and we could see him pushing himself harder to ensure that he impressed the judges and make up for it. The crucial moment was the butterfly jump but when Jingo nailed it flawlessly, I knew he had not given up and was still in the game.

Boys, (and parents- whom I'm sure are reading) and fellow Victorians, that is the purpose of learning martial arts and wushu- it is to make a resounding comeback when we are faced with defeat. I'm sure everyone will be talking tonight of the number of medals VS and our various competitors have and that is only to be expected. After all, it is a competition and we all want to strive to be the champion.

But Victorians, always remember it is who you are, what you do that gives value to the medal that you wear round your neck and not the medal that defines who your are.

We are going to battle against some very strong teams on Friday for the Group Events. My goal and instructions for you is not to go out there and win me a medal.
My goal and desire for the team is to go out there and share your hardwork this last years with your friends and fellow competitors from other schools, win their recognition and respect by showing them the results of your hardwork in our own Group Events.

If you do that, win or lose; medal or no medal, you will walk away from the carpet with pride and satisfaction that no one can take away.
Believe in that.

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 5

After an intensive week of competition, the boys still met up with me on Sat for practice from 10am to 3.30pm. They've been working hard and the efforts are paying off.

Jeconiah Tan How Ruan from Sec 1F scored first-blood for VS today and achieved his hat-trick in this Championship by getting his third individual medal for VS in the C-Div Nan Gun.

With his vigourous performance, Jec mangaged to achieve a Bronze in 3rd place-- just narrowly losing out to the second place athlete by 0.01 point.

In B-Div, Fung Jin Jie from Sec 4B dominated his event, the B-Div Broadsword 2nd International Routine with a score of 8.66, 0.5pts higher than his closest competitor, to come in first with his second Gold medal for VS:


However, it was the Taiji duo of Samuel Tan and Ho Mun Yong, both from 2B that continued to establish our strong hold in the Taiji events. In the C-Div 42-step Taiji Sword, Ho Mun Yong took a Gold in first place with Samuel Tan coming in a close second for the Silver:


Our B-Div boys also competed in the same event, the 42-step Taiji. Ang Kang Jie from Sec 3C showed his progress in taiji compared to his performance in Sec 2. With his score, he was able to hold on to 4th position for a moment, however the seasoned veterans in this event soon over took him.

However, Kangjie remained undaunted and was the first student to return back to school to join his school mates back in training. A fitting example of how our incoming Vice-Captain should behave- Kangjie leads by example. Well done!

The intense competition was enlightened by John Png from Sec 3B. Participating in the same event as Kang Jie, John stunned all of us with his marked improvement- especially since he had just completed his routine.
What stunned the entire crowd of audience, judges and fellow competitors was John's total immersion in his routine until he stepped right out of the performing area.
(You can hear my scream of anguish at 2.19 kekeke)

It was obviously mix up in direction and confusion in routine; but wait... there's more!
This is where John showed the true Victorian spirit of 'Never Say Die'
Despite an error in direction and stepping out of the performance carpet entirely (an incident I have never ever seen before in any Taiji event-- and something which I doubt any of the judges have too!), John kept his cool composure and continued his routine calmly and managed to finish his routine and reface the correct direction!
(See clip at 3.01)
I couldn't help but smile as I watched this episode :P and indeed, while 2 wrongs don't make a right, in John's case negative x negative got him a positive.

And I guess that is the lesson worth learning for all of our boys training wushu- in life, we are bound to make mistakes and step out of line. Some of our mistakes may even be unthinkable and unexpected; but it is the ability to find your way back that makes a man out of you.
So if I may wax philosophical here, let us realise that often in life,"the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong... but time and chance happeneth to them all."

So In Other Words..... none of you athletes control the score that you get on the carpet; but for that brief minute or so, you control the time, the space and the attention of everyone there. It is how your use that time, that space and the attention that everyone has on you that gives your wushu training purpose and value.

The medals, well... they are just (im)material.

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 4

After a long week of competition we reach the end of the week. Today we have Lloyd Teo from Sec 2A competiting in the C-Div 5-Duan Nanquan Routine:


Despite showing improvement, Llody missed out some movements in his routine and was penalised 0.2 points.

Next up were our Taiji boys. When the taiji events were first introduced into the wushu competition, there were relatively few competitors. Now, the level of competition in the taiji events has gone up tremendously and the 24-step Taiji Quan, 42-step Taiji Quan, 42-step Taiji Sword are all hotly contested events:


Here we see our B-Div boys Tan Yu Da from Sec 4I and John Png from Sec 3E competeting in the 42-Step Taiji:





Although our B-Boys were not able to place in top 4 in the Taiji events, our C-Boys did us proud and achieved 2 more medals for the C-Div

First up, we had Samuel Tan from 2B representing the C-Boys in the 24-Step Taiji:

Samuel has been training intensively since last year and his hard work really paid off. His improvement in his flexibility and strength comes from his willingness to listen to the advice the coaches and I give him. Samuel gave the C-Div it's first Gold medal of the season.

Next up, we had Ho Mun Yong, also from 2B. Munyong represented the C-Boys in the 42-Step Taiji.

Munyong's smooth delivery of his polished routine gave the C-Div its second Gold Medal.

It has been a tough week and it's still not over yet. We can see the boys competition getting closer each year and the hard work put in by our competitors.
Tomorrow, will be an intensive practice session again in school and we must push through and perservere through to the end.

Push on boys!

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 3

In Day 3 of the National Inter-school Wushu Championships, we saw our B-Boys taking part in the Nan Dao event.

Here we have Darren Tan from 3I:


Darren had a good opening segment and maintained his poise, however a shortage of one advancing step caused a penalty of 0.1 and that proved to be a costly deduction for him.

Next up, was Kong Wei Chung from 4D:


Wei Chung's earth shattering roars reverberated around the entire hall and managed to garner him an 8.05. It allow him to maintain 4th position for a brief moment. However, with several veteran athletes still to take this place on the carpet, Wei Chung was eventually relegated beyond the top 4.

In the B-Boys Broadsword 1st International Routine, we had Bernie Ang from 3G:

Last year, Bernie competed in the Formulated Events in C-Div. This year, moving up to B-Div, the challenge of learning 2 new International Routines indeed made it clear that the stakes were much higher in B-Div. After reviewing the footage and assessing the shortfalls, I was impressed with maturity when Bernie was able to analyse how he needed to step up his training to make up for the time lost last year while recuperating from an injury. In fact, the set back in this event seems to have allowed him to have the determination to push for full participation in the 3 Individual events next year. Bernie told me, "Don't worry, Sir- I still got next year!"
The way Bernie said it, I could hear that it wasn't to console me and the team; but rather it was his determination to overcome his personal barriers.
Bernie, for that, I am proud of you and proud of your amazing come-back to the team.
That is the champion spirit that I wish for all of you.

Despite our various set-backs, we didn't leave empty-handed- our gentle giant, Jeconiah from Sec 1F blazed his way through the C-Boys Nan Quan 1st Intl routine to emerge with a 2nd place Silver for VS

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 2

Today, is Day 2 of the Inter-school Wushu Championships.

First up, we had Ryan Goh (Sec 4A) and Darren Tan (Sec 3I)in the B-Div Nan Gun event:




It was great to see our out-going Sec 4 Team Captain, Ryan Goh, competeting side-by-side with our incoming Sec 3 Team Captain, Darren Tan. It was a tough event with many season competitors and to be honest, the boys and I knew that our hopes were not high in this event. Nevertheless, they gave it their best and sometime after the event we received clarification from the officials that Darren Tan had actually managed to achieve a tie for Bronze in 4th place after all the moderation of scores!

Next for the B-Boys, we had Bernie Ang from Sec 3G in the B-Div Broadsword 1st International Routine:

With 40 over competitors, it was a tough fight for Bernie. He gave it his best but was unable to place in the event.

Next we had the C-Div Boys Changquan 1st International Routine.
First up, we had Leonard Tan from 1F:

Despite a few fumbles, Leonard was in high spirits and is looking forward to pushing himself in next year's competition.

In this even, we also had Lee Jingwei from 2H:

Jingwei gave a good and stable performance- however, the competition for this event was overwhelming and Jingwei was not able to place within the top 4.

As I shared with the boys and their parents, in life there will be people whom you surpass and they will also be others who surpass you.
Do not be arrogant when you have triumphed over your opponent- for only a worthy opponent can bring out the best in you.
Also, do not be dismayed when the efforts of others surpass your own- it does not diminish your own capabilities; rather it gives you a target for your future endeavours.
It may seem to be a profound concept, but when I looked into the faces of the 2 boys I spoke to, I was confident that they understood my expectations and philosophy in training.

The highlight of the day came from Fung Jin Jie from Sec 4E in the B-Div Changquan
2nd International Routine:

'Jingo' as he is affectionately known, put on a stella performance and delivered VS with our first Gold of the season. It was a tough and close fight as all the competitors were seasoned veterans and Jingo narrowly edged his way into first place with a lead of 0.03 pts to get a total of 8.66.

Tomorrow is a new day! Rest well boys, for a new day brings us a new challenge!

National Inter-school Wushu Championships- Day 1

Tue 6th Apr was the first day of the Inter-school Wushu Championships held at Chung Cheng High School.

Our C-Div boys were first up in the Sword 1st Intl Routine.
Here we have Leonard Tan from 1F:


In the same category, we also have Lee Jing Wei from 2H:

Jingwei put in a great performance to achieve a 3rd Place Bronze Medal- our first triumph of the day!

Later, we had our B Boys taking part in the Nanquan routine. First up, we had Darren Tan from 3I, our incoming Team Captain. Darren has matured greatly in the last year to become a pillar of the team:


Next we had Kong Wei Chung from 4D- Wei Chung is an ASEAN Scholar and although he just joined the team in Sec 3 last year, he has shown tremendous spirit and determination to contribute to VS:


Despite their best efforts and solid performance, luck was not on our side and together with several other crowd favourites, our boys fell short of the top 4 placing in the event. Nevertheless, they remain undaunted and will strive to work hard for their subsequent events

Our final competitor for the day, was Jeconiah Tan from 1F. Jec gave us a solid performance in the C-Div Boys Nanquan:

For his solid performance, Jec won for VS our second medal and garnered a 2nd place Silver in his event.

Well done boys! Let us not let the minor disappointments eclipse our triumphs in our first day and work hard to push ourselves onwards!

National InterSchool Wushu Competition: Day 0- The Eve of Battle

Tomorrow, the VS Wushu Team will be competing in the National Inter-School Wushu Competitions.

For the boys in the team and myself, this is what we live and breathe for- the passion for martial arts that allows us to push ourselves to achieve mastery and perfection in mind, body and spirit.

This year, we have a mature team and are fielding a full turn-out of competitors in both divisions for Individual and Group events. Every year, the competition gets tougher and tougher because teams get more proficient, more experienced and more creative (especially in the Group Events).
To make sure that we do ourselves proud and prove worthy of the challenge, our VS Wushu Team has been working hard and the boys have sacrificed their long weekend on Good Fri to give an awesome 3 day intensive workout.

We had regular training on Thur 1st April, then on Fri 2nd Apr and Sat 3rd Apr, the boys had a full day training session with me starting at 10am and ending at 4pm.
(with lunch break and nap time as well :P)

The boys took turns to work on their individual events:

It was good to see the senior boys cheering their juniors on and giving them pointers and tips.

We also took time to work on the crucial Group Events to tighten up on our timing, transitions and poses:


Apart from that, we also got the boys to do some relays and fitness training to raise their spirits and enhance their endurance:


Tomorrow is the big day! Jia you! VS Wushu- power, PoWeR, POWER!

25th SEA Games @ Laos *Updated with Video

Fung Jinjie from Victoria School represented Singapore to participate in the 25th Seagames in Laos this year.

Jinjie and his team mates did Singapore and their schools proud when they emerged with the Silver in their Group Sparring event.



A triumphant Jin Jie said :
"The 25th seagames at Laos was really a very good experience to me. I am only 16 years old, so for me to participate in his major event and do singapore pround by winning a silver medal, is really a honour and a very good lesson for me."


"With 2 days of rest, on the day of event I felt really fresh and fit, I was really able to focus on my event and was confident that i would be able to do really well. The moment I stepped on the carpet, I told myself-" This is it."
I was really focused on performing the routine well and did not think of the outcome."



"At last, we did a perfect routine and got a score of 9.4 currently first position with only the Vietnam team left for the event. They too, did a perfect routine and their score was 9.5. They won us with a score of 0.1. I felt really delighted with the result as we got second place. Overall, I felt that the process of the competition was really good and it is not any usual competition that we would have that type of feeling. The 25th SEA Games at laos taught me alot of things and was really a wonderful journey and experience for me."


Well done, Jin Jie
We are really proud of you.

You have placed Victoria School and Victoria School's Wushu team on the map!
Nil Sine Labore

39th Schools Colors Awards

Today, was the presentation of School Colors Award at Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School.



VS showed our strong presence today and we were happy to have many of our parent's join us for the award presentation today!


Also, I felt proud and priviledged to be with our first graduating batch of GCE PE candidates- the "Serious PE" Class of 2009 to share in their pride in receiving their awards.



Of course, not forgetting our VS Wushu Team.
This year, our C-Div managed to achieve National 3rd Position.
Also, we had Individual medal award winners:
Ho Mun Yong (Sec 1B):
42 Taiji - Gold

Bernie Ang (Sec 2F):
4 Duan Broadsword - Silver, 4-Duan Cudgel - Silver

Fung Jin Jie (3E):
Changquan 2nd International - Silver
Cudgel 2nd International - Silver
Broadsword 2nd International - Gold


Congrats to all award winners- Let the Victorian Spirit fly high!

The Triumph of Saw Eh Tha Khu aka Xiao Qiang!

Today, our VS Wushu Team sent Saw Eh Tha Khu to participate in another invitational Wushu Sanshou Free-Sparring event.

Although, Saw is originally from Myanmar and doesn't speak Chinese- he has trained hard in both Wushu and Sanshou with the theme and over come the language barrier to persevere in training.

Today's competition for intended to talent spot athletes for centralised training in Sanshou. Despite it being Saw's first competitive match, we are proud to that he won it 2-1



In China, we gave him the nickname 小强. Let us cheer him on to train harder and live up to his Chinese name!


小强， 加油！！！！

Highlights of VS Wushu Team's events during the National Interschool Wushu Competition 2009

Here are the highlights of VS Wushu Team's performances during this year's National Interschool Wushu Championships 2009

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Group Events Final Day

After close to 3 weeks of gruelling competition, we reach the final day for group events.

At lot was at stake for VS. For C-Boys, we were leading the table with 31 points, followed closely by Beatty Sec with 30 points. With such a close margin, the fight for division title could swing anyway.

Alas, a costly mistake cost us the Group Quan. Although the general movements and timing were good, we messed up one sequence of the routine and it was obvious to all who saw it:

It was an unforced error and it cost us dearly, we probably lost 0.2 or 0.3 points and based on our final score of 7.96, it would have meant that without the mistake, we might bave placed 2nd or 3rd for the event.

This is a team effort boys, so there are no individual mistakes here. You need to work harder to gel yourself as a team so that we can push on to greater heights next year.

The B-Boys tried their best to regain our pride- it was obvious that their Group Quan was much tighter and focused than the C-boys.

Unfortunately, the competition levels from the other team was intense and the B-Div also failed to place within top 4 in this event, even though they gave a good showing.

By now, we knew that our fellow competitors in the C-Div had accumulated enough points and that from leading the table at 31, we were now laggin behind in 3rd or 4th placing. If we failed to place in the Group Weapon, we ran the risk of being eliminated from top 4 in the division placing.

The boys' morale was low at this point but I told them this:
If we can't fight for 1st place, then we fight for 2nd.
If we can't fight for 2nd place, then we fight for 3rd
If we can't fight for 3rd place, then we fight for 4th
If we can't fight for 4th place, then we fight to do our school, parents and team mates proud.
There is always something to fight for and at the end of the day, it is not the medal you get that determines the value of your fight but rather the strength of your fighting spirit that determines the value of your medal

So we rallied the C-boys together and urged them to lift up their spirits and give it their all:

Personally, I felt it was one of their best attempts at the group weapon event.
However, competition was tough and many of our opponents had more complicated sequences as well as technical sequences which we lacked.
So again, we were not able to place in top four for this event. With this result, our chances for remaining in top 4 for the division title seemed very slim.

But there was still one more event to go- the B-boys Group Weapon.
The B-boys have really matured this year and spent a lot of time working on their group weapon routine. I was really proud and pleased to see their progress and hard work all the way from last year, through the Mar training trip in China till now.
You can see the results of their blood, sweat and tears here:


Unfortunately, our esteemed opponents had slick moves of their own and their choreography and timing was no less tight and incorporated more technical and acrobatic moves. So no placing even for our most confident event, the B-Boys Weapons.

With such a series of set-back for us, morale was indeed low as we stayed back for the end of the competition. However, a quick check with friends and fellow competitors from other schools indicated that we might stil have a glimmer of hope for the C-Div.

And lo and behold, our C-Div boys edged their way into 3rd Position for C-Division.
Even without any further additions, our 31 points was just barely enough to secure a place for us in division top 4.

It was a small triumph in a day of set backs, but that is what martial arts is all about. Perservering through your obstacles and coming back the better man.



You are always my champions, boys. Not because of the medals and not because of your skills but because I know that I have groomed you all to be something more.

Your values and character will be what sets you apart.
So for VS, for your parents, for your team-mates and for yourself...争气吧！

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Day 6

Today was Day 6 of the Wushu Competition, our final 2 competitors did well in the events.
First up was Darren Tan in the C-Div Nan Gun:

Darren did well and after an agonising tie at 8.26 for 3rd and 4th, results came out with Darren in 3rd place for another bronze medal for VS C-Div

Our final competitor in the individual events was Fung Jin Jie in the Cudgel 2nd International Routine:

Despite facing stiff competition and the usual variance in scoring, Jin Jie did very well and scored 8.81, narrowly missing the Gold by 0.08 only

Well done boys!
We now have the important Group Events to train for.
We have a fighting chance in both divisions and in order to achieve our goal, you know that the next week will be tough.

But I believe in you- because I know you will fight, not for fame; and you will fight, not for reward; but you fight for your pride and belief in who you are.

维中武术，争气吧！

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Day 5

Today is Day 5 and we only had one competitor- Ryan Goh competiting in the B-Boys Nan Gun event.

There were a lot of strong opponents in this category, with some of them every from the National Youth Squad! Honestly, Ryan spent about just a month or so learning this routine!

When we first talked about it and I asked Ryan if he was willing to stretch himself and just try and see how much he could absorb. Ryan told me, "Why not?"

So Ryan spent the next weeks training hard with Darren- it was good to see our boys helping each other out. I tried my best to help since I learnt this routine before, but the current interpretation is very different from the way I was taught and I've not actively practiced it in a long, long time, so I wasn't able to be of much help to Ryan. But Ryan perservered and learnt the routine from our coaches, got Darren to help him fine-tune the lessons and still gave a pretty good performance.


Not bad right? Not in contention for Top 4, perhaps, but definitely not bad for less than 2 months work.
Now some may ask,"Eh Mr Siow, your athlete haven't even start learning the routine, you sign him up for the event? Liddat how to win?"

Well, it is my belief and philosophy here in the VS Team to send my students for competitions in order to make them better athletes and not to have good athletes in order to win competitions.

Ultimately, it is all about personal growth.
Did Ryan win a medal? No.
Did Ryan grow and achieve a breakthrough under the challenge I set for him?
Definitely.

And that is what the martial arts are all about :)

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Day 4

Today is Day 4 of our competition,
Our boys were scheduled for quite a number of events.

First up, was Lee Jing Wei from C-Div who participated in the Spear 1st International Routine.

Jingwei managed to place 3rd for this event- Yay, you get to play computer for one whole week, hahaha!

Next, our B-Div anchor man, Fung Jin Jie gave a fine solid performance today during the Broadsword 2nd International Routine:

Jinjie's maturity and hardwork has paid off and he achieved First Place with a score of 8.68! Well done!

Next we had another participant in the spear event, this time it was Samuel Tan in the 4-Duan Spear for C-Div:

Like so many other athletes who also gave their best, Samuel was unfortunately not able to place in Top 4- but that is the nature of competition. Boys, I value of you in the team because of who you are; not how many medals you win for the school.

Concurrently, with the 4-Duan Spear event was the 4-Duan Cudgel event for C-Div:
Kang Jie decided to participate in both Broadsword and Cudgel this year in order to complement his skills; rather than stick to doing just Taiji.
I must say that he has improved tremendously:


Although Kangjie didn't place in the event, Bernie Ang, who competed in the same event managed to place 2nd! Woots!
But as I was covering the Spear event for Samuel, I wasn't able to get footage of Bernie- sorry!

Well, it may seem to my readers that I'm using the following phrase alot ".... although xxx tried his best, but he didn't place in Top 4.... but we are happy with his progress"
Some of you may wonder whether this is just a token phrase of encouragement to those of you who 'didn't make it'; but let me assure you it is not.
As I mentioned above, in VS, we value your presence in the team for who YOU are; and not for the amount of medals you bring in.

The difference may not seem obvious to you young guys now but I'm sure your parents will understand the following words perfectly:
If you win a medal for VS in competition, I'm sure you'll feel the pride at having contributed to medal to our competitive efforts.

But for me, it is the day I see you graduate and move on to JC, or Poly, or wherever; and yet come back to help train your juniors and still be part of the team, that is when my heart swells with pride for each and everyone of you here because then I know that the practice of martial arts for you all here in VS is not about winning medals or being number one in competition-- It is then that I say with pride that in training in VS Wushu brings out the best in you and makes you something more.

That boys, is my pride in you and it is worth more than gold.

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Day 3

Today was day three of our competition and for our team, it was all the taiji events.

We began the day well with our first Gold medal of the competition by Ho Munyong in the C-Div 42-Step Taiji


Taiji sounds easy to most people because it's slow compared to the other forms of Wushu-but to those who do it, they know that it is a very technical event. Taiji is not just Changquan done slowly, it's mechanics are completely different. The 42-Step Competition form is a tough one to master

Our other athlete to attempt this was Tan Yuda from B-Div boys. Yuda learnt this routine in less than 3 months just so that our B-Div could also field one member in Taiji. Though he didn't place in the event, the Taiji crash course has helped him improve tremendously in his Group Event. (Don't have footage of his even cos I was on a secret mission at that time. Yup, Yuda is sworn to secrecy for the time being)

Our other C-Div boys did competed in the simplified 24-Step Taiji
They both showed a great improvement from last year.

Ang Kang Jie improved this year, showing better stability and fluidity. He was tied for 4th place with a score of 8.05 but final resolution of the highest of and lowest discarded score placed him at 5th. Nevertheless, I am happy to see his improvement.
You can reference this clip with last yeat's competition clip to see his improvement.


Next, was our mischievous little baba hero, John Png. John too has shown good improvement. However, he still needs to polish his fluency and fluidity in the Taiji.
However, his focus and posture is a good improvement from last year. Doing taiji has also helped John in his general movement and I'm sure you'll get to see this in his Group events:


So although we've tasted success with our first Gold medal today, let us not be complacent and push on

We'll be up early tomorrow for training as usual.
Come on boys, we're only half-way through!
Monday, we continue our fight to challenge ourselves to greater excellence!

JIAYOU!

National Interschool Wushu Competition- Day 2

Today was the 2nd day of competition for the Inter-school Wushu Championships.
First up was Lloyd Teo in the 5-Duan Nanquan for C-Div
Although Lloyd wasn't able to place in the Top 4, he's shown improvement especially in his jumpling side-kick and flip-jump


Jingwei took part in C-Div Changquan 1st Int Routine
Competition and skill level for this event and their age group was just so intense.

Well done, Jingwei! You gave your best and that is all that matters.

Despite having 2 upsets, the VS Team still managed to clinch one medal today and we didn't have to walk away empty handed.
Darren Tan competed in the Nanquan 1st International Routine for C-boys and managed to secure a 3rd place.


Well done boys!

Tomorrow, our Taiji competitors take the field and I am sure we can continue to persevere and push ourselves to achieve greater heights!.

Let's go VS, Let's go!

National Interschool Wushu Championships- Day 1

Today was Day 1 of the National Interschool Wushu Championships,

After all our months of hard work and sacrificing our Mar holidays to train in Beijing, China, we approached this day with a mixture of excitment and anxiousness.

First, up was Lee Jing Wei in the Sword 1st International Routine

Jingwei's final score of 8.31 gave him a tie with 4 other competitiors for 2nd place. We kept our fingers crossed and our hard work training in Beijing paid off when the final results were announced with Jingwei placing 2nd!

Next was the B-Boys Nanquan, despite not having access to carpeted training areas, our team boys still managed to training for the technical movements in this event.
Ryan Goh, our Team Captain managed to give a strong showing and managed his jumps well despite the lack of opportunity to practice.


Kong Wei Chung, our 'foreign talent'-- our first ASEAN scholar with wushu background proved that he works hard not only in studies but that he is able to have a balance between CCA and academic achievement as well. Weichung was awarded most hardworking athlete during our trip to Beijing


But despite their best efforts, our fellow competitors were too strong for them and both boys remained unplaced in the Nan Quan event.

Darren Tan was next to take part in the Nan Dao event.

Likewise, competition in this event was intense with strong, vibrant performances from our fellow competitors. Although, Darren was unplaced in this event, he remained undeterred and determined to strive harder for his following events.
That's the spirit!

Our biggest boost in morale came with the appearance of Bernie Ang on the scene today. A few days ago, Bernie was diagnosed with a severe eye infection and it seemed likely that he would have to withdraw from competition.
However, his fighting spirit allowed him to overcome the infection and recover fast.
In fact, he showed up straight for the competition right from the doctor's appointment. This spurred our other athlete Kangjie who was also competing in the same event.
Although Kangjie's designated routine is actually Taiji, this year he decided to push himself and sign up for one more event in the 4-Duan Broadsword. Bernie's appearance must have encourage him because today's performance by Kang Jie was indeed his best ever:

Even though Kangjie didn't get to place, the entire team's spirit was lifted by Bernie's presence and Kang Jie's improvement.

Encouraged by Kang Jie's performance, Bernie gave his best:

Bernie's fighting spirit to overcome his illness and recover was rewarded by a second place in the event! Well done Bernie, we are sure you are on the way to a full recovery!

Last but not least, Fung Jin Jie faced tough competition in the B-Boys Changquan 2nd International Routine:

Despite tough competition, Jinjie gave a flawless performance and it was a close fight for the championship. Jinjie's score of 8.93 lost by a narrow margin of 0.12pts to his fellow competitor Yuxiang who scored 9.05.
It was good to see our boys pitted against such strong opponents- in this way both parties are pushed to excel and give off their best.
Although Jin Jie had to contend with a second place, we were all very satisfied with his performance.

So we have gone off to a good start on our first day with 3 silver medals.


But boys we cannot be complacent now- you have seen the standard and effort put in by all our competitors. Let us be inspired by them and work harder so that win or lose, we will earn the respect of our supporters as well as our competitors!

VS Wushu, 争气，争气，争气！