New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Team 2007

NEWS RELEASE

New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Team 2007

The New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Federation Incorporated is sending a team to the International Wushu Federation's 9th World Wushu Championships in Beijing China to be held between 11-17 November 2007. The World Championships will be held at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium and will include, Sanshou (full contact fighting) and Taolu (forms routines).

The Olympic Sports Centre has a capacity of approximately 7,000 people with coverage of the event extending to various local, national and international media. As a popular Chinese martial art, the event is expected to be sold out for the entire competition.

A placing in either the sanshou or taolu events is required to qualify for entry into the prestigious ‘Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008’, to be held simultaneously to the Olympic Games as a tribute to Chinese culture.

The event will be between 21-24 August 2008, (Day 13-16) of the Olympic Games at the Olympic Sport’s Centre Gymnasium (Olympic Green). The 2008 event will be another key milestone towards sport wushu evolving into an official Olympic event.

The New Zealand Community Trust and Asia New Zealand Foundation have kindly contributed towards team costs; however a key sponsor is still being sought. A profile of the New Zealand Wushu Team 2007 and contact details is attached. Please feel free to contact individual team members direct should you wish to promote or document the activities of the team. For more information visit www.iwuf.org.

Yours sincerely

格兰 凯思

Glen Keith
President
New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Federation (027) 249 3298

P.O. Box 24-456 Manners Street, Wellington, New Zealand
Ph +64 4 239-9454, Fax +64 4 239-8453, Mob +64 27 249-3298
www.wushu.org.nz president@wushu.org.nz

NEW ZEALAND KUNG-FU WUSHU TEAM MEMBERS 2007

Wushu Taolu (Forms Routines)

Master Shi Mei Lin - (Taolu Coach) – Johnsonville
Johnsonville based Master Shi Mei Lin who moved to New Zealand in 1988, has spent her entire life studying and teaching Martial Arts, beginning her own training aged 7. She graduated from the Beijing Sports and Cultural University in Chinese Martial Arts.

A Tai Chi Wushu champion in the 1970's, she toured with Chinese Wushu teams internationally, including an elite group of Chinese Martial Artists to the USA in 1974. In later years she was an instructor for members of the Shanghai Wushu Team and she also coached the Taiwanese Wushu Team in 1994 as well as coaching in Japan. Shi Mei Lin is an international Tai Chi champion and five times Chinese National Tai Chi Champion.

In 1986 she won the Chinese National Tai Chi sword competition as well as becoming the Wu Style Tai Chi Champion. Shi Mei Lin has learnt the full Wu style Tai Chi system including the Wu style Long form, Wu style Tai Chi Quick from, Wu style weapons forms and pushing hands training. Shi Mei Lin is the 1st New Zealander to attend and pass the International Wushu Federation Taolu Coaches’ Course and is currently the New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation Head Taolu Coach.

Shi Mei Lin is the adopted daughter of Grand Master Ma Yue Liang 馬岳樑 (1901-1998) and Grand Master Wu Ying Hua 吳英華 (1907-1996). Wu Ying Hua’s father, Wu Chien Chuan, founded Wu Style Tai Chi and was the son of renowned Tai Chi expert Wu Chuan Yu. Grand Masters Ma Yue Liang and Wu Ying Hua successfully handed down the Wu Style taught to them to their adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin, who now teaches Wu Style Tai Chi, Shaolin Kung Fu and Contemporary (Sport) Wushu.

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Nick Grimwood - (Taolu Athlete) – Wellington
At 25 years of age, Wellington based Nick Grimwood is New Zealand’s up and coming elite kung-fu wushu taolu athlete. He has been practicing wushu for 8 years under the professional instruction of his coach, Master Shi Mei Lin. Nick moved to Wellington from Melbourne when he was 15. In recent months Shi Mei Lin organised a special trip for her and Nick to travel to Shanghai so Nick could train with the prestigious Shanghai Wushu Team at their training centre. She wanted Nick to experience the new style competition carpet and see the team practice, something not allowed to most. Following his return to New Zealand, Nick claimed a gold medal in his first competitive appearance at the New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Federation Nationals in Porirua on 4 August 2007. Nick's hobbies include jumping high and writing about himself in the 3rd person.

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Wushu Sanshou (Full Contact Fighting)

Shane Dargaville - (Sanshou Coach) – Hamilton
Hamilton based Shane Dargaville has been a practitioner in the martial arts for over 20 years. Shane has studied exclusively in and holds titles under Kickboxing, Thai boxing Western style boxing, Tae Kwon do and Kumite (full contact Karate) rules. Shane says that he would like to thank Mr Terry Hill for teaching him about the eye of the tiger, the heart of the Lion and the Warrior Spirit within.

Shane also attributes a lot of his martial arts grounding to his culture. Shane was chosen along with his older brother (when they were young) to study in Waka Taua (War Canoe). Through Waka Taua, Shane studied traditional and contemporary Maori fighting styles both on land and on the water. Shane says that the greatest moment for him was when he was asked to be the Kaihautu (captain) and lead the Toa (warriors) into the many engagements/reinactments and ceremonial encounters as dictated within cultural practices akin to Te Ao Maori (Maori World View).

Shane has been instructing and coaching in Asian martial arts and Maori warfare strategies from the time he started to learn about the way of the warrior. He states his greatest moment as an instructor came when he was asked to take the Sanshou fighters over to China as the replacement coach to Mr Terry Hill (who could not make it this time).
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Sone Vannathy - (Sanshou Fighter <60kg) - Porirua
Porirua based, 26 year old Sone was born in Laos and has lived permanently in New Zealand since he was 7 years old. With over 10 year’s experience, he is a World Muay Thai Council (WMC) New Zealand Muay Thai Kick Boxing Champion and is ranked 2nd in the world in the WMC. He is also the Brut Force Intercontinental Champion. Sone has fought in Thailand, Japan, Australia and Vietnam. Sone entered the 1st and 2nd Oceania Wushu Federation Sanshou championships and won a gold medal in his weight division on each occasion. Sone represented New Zealand in Sanshou at the International Wushu Federation’s 8th World Wushu Championships in Hanoi Vietnam in 2005. On 29 September 2007, Sone won the WMC Oceania welter-weight title fight at an action packed ‘Brawl in Mungavin Hall’ to the pleasure of the home crowd.

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Deja Finn - (Sanshou Fighter <65kg) – Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island based Deja Finn was born in Caramea New Zealand. Deja has had 3 years Boxing experience and has been training in Wushu and Sanshou on Waiheke Island for the last 12mths. He won a gold medal at the 2007 Auckland Wushu Festival Sanshou competition, and then won gold in the 2007 New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation Nationals and the 2007 Oceania Wushu Federation Sanshou Competition. Deja has had 7 Sanshou fights with 5 wins and 2 losses. He will represent New Zealand this year in Beijing China at the 2007 World Sanshou Championships.

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Paul Scutts - (Sanshou Fighter <70kg) - Hamilton
Hamilton based 28 year old Paul Scutts was born in Thames New Zealand. Paul has been involved in various martial arts over the past 7 years and since June 2006 begun to train and compete in Sanshou. Paul won a gold medal and national title at the 2006 New Zealand National Sanshou competition, a silver medal in the 2007 Oceania Wushu event, and won event one and two of the New Zealand Sanshou Invitational Series in 2007. In total he has had 7 Sanshou fights with 6 wins and 1 loss. Paul will compete internationally for the first time this year by representing New Zealand at the 2007 Sanshou World Championships in Beijing China.

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Team Management

Grant Butcher - (Team Manager) - Auckland
Auckland based, Grant Butcher is an internationally qualified Sanshou Judge and Sanshou Coach. He judged at the last World Sanshou Cup in 2006 at the invitation of the International Wushu Federation. Grant’s versatility has enabled him to act as Team Manager and Team Coach when required at past international events. His detailed knowledge of the rules and regulations of Sanshou fighting and international judging experience is a great asset to the New Zealand team, as is his ability to professionally manage the affairs of athletes at international competition. Grant is also an advanced practitioner of the Chinese martial art of Bad Qua Chan, having learnt from several masters in China. Grant has fought in and won national titles during his martial arts career. Grant is also a hard working and valuable member of the Executive Board of the New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Federation.

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Glen Keith - (Team Leader) – Pukerua Bay
With 35 years kung-fu wushu experience, Pukerua Bay based Glen Keith is a teacher of Traditional Shaolin Fut-Gar Kune (Buddhist Fist) Gung-Fu and Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. He is the Founder and President of the New Zealand Kung-Fu Wushu Federation, Co-Founder and President of the Oceania Wushu Federation and Vice President of the International Wushu Federation. Glen has been inducted into the New Zealand and Australasian Martial Arts’ Halls of Fame and the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, and was awarded Australasian Instructor of the Year for Fut-Gar Gung-Fu in 2006.

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