10,000 Victories Team Wins Gold at CMAT 26!!!!
Sifu Jensen and the members of the 10,000 Victories Team after CMAT26.
On March 25th, 2018, the 10,000 Victories School Team won an amazing 32 medals in The Chinese Martial Arts Tournament 26 held at UC Berkeley. The tournament is also known as CMAT 26, this being the 26th year in a row the tournament has been held. CMAT 26 featured competition between many styles of Tai Chi, Traditional Kung Fu, and Modern Wushu. This is one of the strongest performances by the 10,000 Victories Team yet. Local Tai Chi and Kung Fu students from the cities of San Rafael, San Anselmo, Novato, Larkspur, Greenbrae, Woodacre, Kentfield and Lagunitas. We are proud of every member of the teams performance. The 10,000 Victories Team had 16 strong team members, many making their first competition. Congratulations to all our brave competitors!
Joseph Vigneri receives the Bronze Medal from judge John Palmer. Congratulations!
The majority of the events at this tournament are forms performances. Traditional Kung Fu like Northern Shaolin and Tai Chi includes studying many practice routines or sequences of movements. After enough practice, students can compete in the performance of their forms. In addition, to the solo routines, there are routines with weapons, and routines with partners fighting in epic mock battles. With many schools present, and hundreds of students in a variety of colorful uniforms, CMAT 26 is a visually rich and beautiful event.
Tai Chi Team
This was also the first performance by our Tai Chi Sword Team, and a strong tournament for our Pushing Hands Team. The Tai Chi Sword team won the gold medals for their performance! Congratulations to Erica Bermudo, Pauline Bermudo, Teresa Lau, Susanna Van Leuven, and Selin Yildiz. The 10,000 Victories School teaches a complex and beautiful Tai Chi sword routine that includes a great variety of traditional fencing techniques done with a Tai Chi principles. Called the 46 Style Tai Chi Sword this stunningly beautiful routine is inherited from Chen Yun Ching. The Push Hands Team swept the light, middle, and heavy weight divisions winning the Gold medal in every division. Pushing Hands is the partner exercise of Tia Chi teaches self defense and improves balance. Few schools teach organized classes in these advanced aspects of Tai Chi like the 10,000 Victories School. In the solo Tai Chi forms competition, Erica Bermudo won the Gold medal in 36+, and Ila Cantor won the Gold in the 16 – 35 division. In all a strong performance by the Tai Chi Team.
Ila Cantor performs the Yang Family LOng Form of Tai Chi. Cantor won the Gold Medal Congratulations!
Judge Robert Alexander raises Henry Geddes hand to signal his victory in his match in Tai Chi Push Hands division.
Henry Geddes off Balances his opponent and scores in the Light weight Push Hands Division.
Northern Shaolin Team
Our Northern Shaolin Team did a fantastic job competing. Our senior students competing in the advanced divisions face off against literally the best competitors in the Bay Area and beyond. They did a fantastic job with nearly everyone putting in career best performances. We are especially proud because our students competed with some of the most difficult and lengthy forms they know. By challenging themselves like this push their skills to the next level.
Joseph Vigneri performs Plum Blossom Spear from the Lohan or Buddha Palm Style of Kung Fu. In this trick move Vigneri is tossing the spear under one leg to catch it with the other hand in a tricky thrust.
Joseph Vigneri performs Plum Blossom Spear from the Lohan or Buddha Palm Style of Kung Fu. This is an expert level spear form.
Burak YIldiz performs Rising Block Spear from Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.
River Rudl performing Rising Block Spear from Northern Shaolin.
Harry Rudl performs the Immortal Sword Form and wins Bronze!
Harry Rudl performs the Immortal Sword Form and wins Bronze!
Harry Rudl performs the Immortal Sword Form and wins Bronze!
Fethi Yildiz winning the Gold medal for his performance of Buddha Palm #1!
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Young Northern Shaolin Competitors
Two of young students competed against the top students of the best Kung Fu and Tai Chi schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Aerin Martinez won the Bronze medal for Six Harmonies Saber beating many other excellent young women. Forrest made a strong showing and gained valuable experience in his first tournament. We’re sure to see many more competitions and medals from these two!! We are looking forward to more of our younger students preparing themselves to compete. If you want to compete in a tournament as part of the 10,000 Victories Team talk to your Instructor, practice hard in your Kung Fu Animal Power classes, and learn either Lian Bu, or Linking Steps form or the Earth Dragon Staff or Lian Bu from Northern Shaolin. An excellent first step for younger students is to come watch the team compete once, and be part of the 10,000 Victories Cheer Squad. Everyone really loves hearing our fans cheering and clapping after their performances!
Fundraising and Leadership Training at CMAT 26
CMAT 26 is a benefit fundraising event for the Cal Wushu and Tai Chi programs and helps fund the clubs activities for the next year. Remarkably the entire tournament is run by undergraduate volunteer members of the Wushu and Tai Chi clubs and provides fantastic leadership experiences. We appreciate the hard work everyone puts in especially Bryant Fong the tournament chair and Mason Tong the tournament director. We are also grateful t UC Berkeley for supporting this event for 26 years and greatly aiding the development of the Chinese Martial Arts community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
Chinese Martial Arts Tournament at UC Berkeley 2018 CMAT 26 for 10,000 Victories School of Kung Fu and Tai Chi.
| Name | Event | Category: Age/Weight | Winning | Count |
| Adam Banakus | Traditional Hand Form Advanced | 36+ | Silver | 1 |
| Push Hands | heavy weight class | Gold | 1 | |
| Aerin Martinez | Traditional Short Weapon Beginner | kids | Bronze | 1 |
| Burak Yidiz | Traditional Hand Form Advanced | 18-35 | Silver | 1 |
| Traditional Long Weapon | 18-35 | Silver | 1 | |
| Erica Bermudo | Tai Chi Advanced | 36+ | Gold | 1 |
| Tai Chi Sword | Group | Gold | 1 | |
| Fethi Yidiz | Traditional Hand Form Advanced | 36+ | Gold | 1 |
| Traditional Short Weapon | 36+ | Bronze | 1 | |
| Harry Rudl | Traditional Hand Form Intermediate | 18-35 | Silver | 1 |
| Traditional Short Weapon Intermediate | 18-35 | Bronze | 1 | |
| Traditional Long Weapon Intermediate | 18-35 | Bronze | 1 | |
| Henry Geddes | Push Hands | light weight class | Gold | 1 |
| Xing Yi Beginner | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Ba Gua Beginner | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Traditional Hand Form Beginner | 18-35 | Silver | 1 | |
| Ila Cantor | Traditional Hand Form Beginner | 18-35 | Gold | 1 |
| Traditional Hand Form Intermediate | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Traditional Short Weapon Intermediate | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Tai Chi Beginner | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Joseph Vigneri | Traditional Long Weapon Advanced | 18-35 | Bronze | 1 |
| Pauline Bermudo | Tai Chi Sword | Group | Gold | 1 |
| Richard Vogel | Xing Yi Advanced | 36+ | Gold | 1 |
| River Rudl | Push Hands | middle weight class | Gold | 1 |
| Ba Gua Intermediate | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Traditional Hand Form Intermediate | 18-35 | Gold | 1 | |
| Traditional Short Weapon Intermediate | 18-35 | Silver | 1 | |
| Selin Yildiz | Traditional Hand Form Beginner | Teen | Gold | 1 |
| Tai Chi Sword | Group | Gold | 1 | |
| Steve Eagleton | Xing Yi Intermediate | 36+ | Gold | 1 |
| Susanna Van Leuven | Tai Chi Sword | Group | Gold | 1 |
| Teresa Lau | Tai Chi Sword | Group | Gold | 1 |
| Total Count | 32 | |||
| Gold | 21 | |||
| Silver | 6 | |||
| Bronze | 5 |
10,000 Victories School
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