The 4th Pan American Kung Fu Championships was held from August 4th to 6th in Markham, Ontario. This competition showcased a variety of disciplines and styles, including traditional kungfu, contemporary Wushu, tai chi, Sanda, and Wing Chun. With approximately 900 competitors travelling from all over the Americas, Ji Hong is proud to have attended the event and made new friends through our shared love for martial arts.
Throughout the three days in the Markham Pan Am Centre, the five fields each had their own dedicated audiences, filling the gymnasium with the glints and flashes of swords and sabres, fortifying cheers of family and friends alike, and applause in the air. Although this was a Pan American championship, many avid members of the broader Wushu community in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and numerous European countries all flew in to participate as well.
Ji Hong Wushu and Tai Chi College, representing Edmonton, performed exceptionally well and brought home many accomplishments. Masters Hong Yuan Luo and Jennifer Gu, the respective President and Vice President of the college, led a talented team consisting of 21 members, competing in Taijiquan, Taiji fan, Taijijian, Changquan, Nanquan, Daoshu (broadsword), Jianshu (straight sword), Qiangshu (spear), Gunshu (staff), Nandao, Nangun, Double-headed Spear, and various other hand and weapon forms.
The Ji Hong team consisted of members as young as 10 years old to experienced tai chi veterans aged over 70. There are members that have been training with Masters Luo and Gu for over thirty years, being seasoned competitors at multiple international level tai chi competitions; athletes that have been selected on multiple occasions for the Canadian Wushu Team and represented the country at the World Wushu Championships; and even rookies that have been on the competition training team for less than a year, with this competition being their debut to large tournaments. Over the course of the intense three-day event, Ji Hong’s 21 team members all proudly received medals for their exemplary performance, especially noting: 18 gold medals, 18 silver metals, 19 bronze medals, adding up to a total of 55 medals overall. Congratulations to everyone!