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Kung Fu Canadians win big in North Korea!

Chinese Cultural Society of Saskatchewan

Pyongyang, North Korea was the host of the recent inaugural International Martial Arts Games. The Canadian team was well-represented, returning home with great success!

Master Lee Chi Wai of Mississauga won gold in weaponry and silver in Shaolin styles. Sifu William Kan from Markham took silver in the Tai Chi division with a classical Yang style form. Saskatchewan's Sifu Timothy Mrazek, a long time student and disciple of Lee, captured silver medals in Northern style hand forms (Praying Mantis style) and in special weaponry performing the Iron Fan.

Mrazek cites hard work and good training as his secret to success. “It was a great test and I'm really pleased with the result, but I owe my Sifu great thanks for teaching me.” Kung Fu practitioners believe that there are no short cuts in real achievement—it all takes time and effort. “It was an honour for me to compete among so much experience…some of these traditional masters show that in Kung Fu, the longer you train, the better, wiser…more powerful you get—quite a difference from other sports!”

Lee and Mrazek also received a special excellence award for their stunning display of Kung Fu weapons free-sparring. The two displayed authentic Kung Fu combat skills using specially designed swords, two-handed medium-range weaponry, and long spears in several rapid-fire free-sparring matches. These exhibitions were so well received that the duo were requested to add on performances, all to crowds in the great Tae Kwon Do stadium, constantly filled to its 15, 000 capacity.

Also telecast nightly, the weapons sparring was viewed with great interest by spectators and competitors alike. Master Lee states, “This was the first time they've seen something like this…even Hong Kong and China were captivated by the concept…I believe we have the eyes and ears of the international Kung Fu community so we can expect further developments in the near future!” he says, adding that a friendly challenge has been issued to Hong Kong and China, “to train weapon sparring teams to meet at the next IMGC!”

Created in Canada, the specially designed weapons have been developed by Master Lee and his colleagues at the Canadian Chinese Kuo Shu Federation (CCKSF). “Chinese martial arts can be subdivided into so-called modern and traditional”, states Lee. Modern 'Wushu' focuses on acrobatic difficulty and aesthetics, and is highly standardized, just like figure skating or gymnastics. Traditional Kung Fu encompasses a much greater scope. Further, Kung Fu practitioners maintain that their art retains real combat application. Lee explains, “At the CCKSF, we felt an imperative to create a realistic but safe way to test these traditional techniques, both for the preservation of the art and its continued development.” The special combat weapons made their international debut at the Canadian Martial Art Games held in Ottawa in 2000, which served as a stepping stone for many Canadian athletes in different arts to attend the IMGC in Korea.

The IMGC Games enjoyed the full support and sponsorship of the Korean government. The Games, said to represent the true spirit of martial arts and athletic competition, welcomed close to one thousand competitors of the highest caliber from fifty countries gathered to test their skills. Whereas the Olympics favours only a select few martial sports, the IMGC competition is the first of its kind to embrace all the arts, giving practitioners an opportunity to compete at the highest levels. An internationally sanctioned event, analogous to a 'Martial Arts Olympics', the Games may be the most prestigious martial art competition in modern history, embracing the arts of Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Karate, martial arts of the Philippines SE Asia and Europe.

Sifu Kan notes that coming to Pyongyang was a big commitment for a lot of people. “Everyone left their jobs and families…most have no sponsorship of any kind… so it's not easy to just show up here...and you know those who do are ready to do their best! These games are what a lot of us have been waiting for a very long time, and to attend the inaugural games in Pyongyang is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

All three medalists are professional instructors. Sifu Kan teaches Tai Chi and Kung Fu to children and adults in the Scarborough-Markham area. Dr. Mrazek has a Naturopathic Medical practice in Regina and also runs a wide variety of classes throughout the week. His school is the Western Canadian branch of Master Lee's Chung Wah Kung Fu International System, which boasts a university-like curriculum in Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Lion and Dragon Dance, self-defense, and other healing arts. Master Lee, also a doctor of Chinese medicine, and is very active in the community, promoting Chinese culture and education through his ancient arts.

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