Spartan Wushu at San Jose State University is a martial-arts sports team that revolves around discipline, choreographed techniques and performances.
Wushu is a Chinese martial art with similar movements to Kung Fu, Tai-Chi, Judo and Taekwondo.
Wushu is performed on a carpet or mat and competitors wear chinese garments to complete the attire.
Nina Chuang, President of the Associated Students and of Spartan Wushu, has been practicing wushu for 15 years.
Chuang said she is a big advocate for teaching people what wushu is.
“Wushu is a chinese martial art originated from China, it’s very performance based,” Chuang said. “It’s not as combative as some martial arts as this is much more leisure and maintaining your health and discipline.”
Wushu strives for discipline through exhibition in acrobatics, gymnastics and martial arts.
Discipline is proven in showcases during wushu competitions and performances.
In wushu competition, judges give points based on the competitors movements that involve balances, jumps, kicks, punches, stances, sweeps and throws.
Later this year, San Jose State University is set to host the 24th Collegiate Wushu Tournament. This tournament brings in competitors from universities across the country and Spartan Wushu will compete. The date has not been announced.
According to Wushu Adventures, there are many techniques to learn in wushu. Some are jumping techniques, conditioning exercises, kicks, punches or stances. Some stances in wushu are horse stance, bow stance, drop stance and rest stance.
“What makes wushu different from other martial arts is I feel it’s more complete,” said Spartan Wushu secretary and justice studies senior Nikolas Maldonado. “There’s coordination, flexibility, strength, rhythm, which is stuff you find in different movements but wushu takes it to another level and combines all of it.”
During some forms, martial artists use weapons including bo staffs, broadswords, straight swords, spears and nunchucks.
Spartan Wushu doesn’t teach techniques for combat purposes, but to showcase movements.
“The goals are difficult to achieve, the feeling is much better once you get there, it’s a source of fulfillment getting to these goals,” Maldonado said.
Psychology junior and co-secretary of Spartan Wushu Kelso Rivera said he was excited to join Spartan Wushu when he found out about the team.
“I transferred into SJSU and I heard our associate president Nina Chuang give a speech about wushu club and I thought, ‘that sounds so cool’,” Rivera said.
He said he is thankful for the lessons learned from wushu.
“Wushu has taught me to push myself to the limit,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t think I could possibly do in the club and seeing how Nina manages all of this, I’m impressed by her. It makes me want to push myself, reach higher kicks, do newer things, get deeper with all my moves, and discipline.”
Wushu does a large amount of fitness, especially in areas such as aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
Andrew Lee, industrial and system engineering junior, has been doing wushu for one semester. He said that the little time spent in wushu has already made a huge impact on his health.
“Wushu helped me a lot with my flexibility, agility and especially endurance,” Lee said. “After I joined four to five weeks of practice, I stopped getting so tired and my leg strength increased.”
Wushu involves plenty of physical movement along with performing choreographed techniques.
“It helps you feel elegant, you present yourself in a much more professional way in wushu compared to other disciplines like taekwondo, kajukenbo and karate,” said Lee.
Spartan Wushu invites students to join the club and be part of a close-knit community.
“We’re a group of friends, we like to focus on the community. We build from wushu, get to know each other, and from there you never know,” said Nikolas Maldonado.
