Livingston residents and martial artists Derek Wei, eight years old, and Sophia Shen, nine years old, succeeded at the Presidential Wushu Cup in Olney, Maryland. Wei won 5 Gold and Shen won 4 Gold.
As a result both qualified for the U.S. Kung Fu Team, which will represent the United States in the fourth Pan American Kung Fu Championships, which are scheduled to be held August 3 to 7, 2023, in Ontario, Canada.
Wei also won the All-Around Grand Champion title for the “Male 11 and under” age category. Shen was First Runner Up in the All-Around Grand Champion title in the “Female 11 and under” age category. Both are students of the Wushu-Kung Fu Fitness Center in Livingston.
Chinese martial arts, also referred to as Wushu or Kung Fu, has a 4,000 year long history, and consists of many fighting styles that have developed over the centuries and are an important part of Chinese culture. Today, Wushu is a very popular international sport and is also widely practiced for fitness, performance, and self-defense.
