Tags: Martial Arts
By Marjorie Gorospe
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA—With more discipline and commitment, Filipino martial artists can still excel in international competitions.
Filipino wushu world champion Michael Co says Filipinos are “rich in skills and talent” but often avoid committing to “hard practice.”
Co, who is also a wushu coach at the Wushu Discovery center, says practice and discipline are necessary if Filipinos want to excel and become more competitive against their international counterparts.
“I have observed that some athletes tend to relax because they already know that they are good at martial arts. This is unfortunate because I know the athletes can get even better than me,” says Co.
Co was a gold medalist representing the Philippines in the 4th World Wushu Championships held in Rome, Italy in November 1997.
He won under “cudgel play,” a routine exercise that falls under the category of taulu, one of the disciplines of wushu.
Co started at a young age in a Chinese school in Ongpin Street and it took him four years before he became good enough to compete.
He says every time he got the opportunity to represent the country in international competitions, he would practice at least three times a week for six months to be physically and emotionally ready.
Co adds that the more you achieve, the more you should always learn to “empty yourself and reflect what you still have to improve on,” especially in wushu, a sport that puts emphasis in aesthetic body movement.
“Once you involve yourself to wushu, you have to understand that wushu is about discipline, movement and character development and it is not the usual martial arts that always involve fighting,” says Co.
Right now, Co is thankful that he has the opportunity to teach young Filipinos the principles of wushu and even help them be more competitive by offering advance techniques for international competition level.
“I’m glad that in my own little way, I can tell my students understand that wushu is not just about the usual fighting they see in the movies, but it is about learning to discipline oneself for better reasons,” says Co.
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