NexusJunisBlue

Farewell, Zabit: The Wushu Sanda UFC Champion That Could Have Been By: Matthew Lee Written June 15th, 2022 “Taekwondo, Wushu Sanda, grappling…I tried every combat sport.” —Zabit Magomedsharipov, Mixed Martial Artist, and Russian Sanda Champion Abstract: Zabit Magomedsharipov has recently confirmed his retirement from the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). A Sanda champion and true MMA (mixed martial arts) prodigy from Dagestan, Russia, he made an impression with his flashy and entertaining fighting style. He is notable for beating Chinese Sanda athletes time and time again. This write-up will serve as an ode to his background, an analysis of his fighting style, and what his career could have been had he continued fighting. At the time of this writing, the retirement of Russian Sanda (散打； sàndǎ, free fighting) champion and MMA (mixed martial arts) Featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov has been confirmed. After a long hiatus since his last fight in 2019 against Calvin

Translation of Chinese Article Excerpt “Tongbei Ten Treads Tan Tui” by Ma Xianda By: Matthew Lee Written February 22nd, 2021 “The article excerpt consists of an introduction to and history of Tan Tui, in particular Ma Style Tongbei Tan Tui, including a poem describing Ma Style Tongbei Tan Tui, and is followed by step-by-step instructions of some movements from its Taolu (套路； tàolù, forms).” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: The following is a translation of an excerpt of a Chinese article, roughly translated as “Tongbei Ten Treads Tan Tui” by Ma Xianda, for the Chinese “Sports World” academic publication. Although such a task is usually not worth sharing publicly, I have decided to do so in the spirit of sharing great knowledge and information about the well-known but rare Ma Style Tongbei traditional Wushu system. It is ironic that despite being well-respected in the Wushu community, little is known about Ma

What Karate Got Right (That Wushu Got Wrong) By: Matthew Lee Written July 19th, 2020 “…disconcerting is the lack of consistency between the competition divisions in Wushu, resulting in an inconsistency of the sport’s entire collective model…If one were to explain that all these different divisions were all Wushu, this would be hard for the detached observer to believe, because there is no visual consistency between the competition categories. Wushu could be said to be undergoing an identity crisis.” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: In July 2020, the 2020 Summer Olympics were originally set to kick off. Karate is also set to be included a sport in the Olympics at this time, something that Wushu has failed to achieve with multiple attempts. There are numerous factors for this, which surround different factors of each respective sport, including the communal, modal, and political. This write-up will discuss where Karate has succeeded where Wushu has failed and suggest

Shenmue, an Experience: A Game Review – Part 3 By: Matthew Lee Written March 30th, 2020 “Where ten years ago, many people, including myself, would have thought certain things to be impossible, we are now seeing these things become a reality. Now, when I am asked about how likely something that is implausible will happen, however improbable it may be, I’ll say, ‘Stranger things have happened recently’, and point to Shenmue III as an example, right up there with Donald Trump being President of the United States and Wushu becoming an Olympic sport.” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: This write-up is a follow-up of a two-part segment entitled “Shenmue, an Experience: A Game Review – Part 3.” The two-part segment was originally dedicated to a specific game series, Shenmue and its sequel, Shenmue II, both of which hold a special place in my childhood memories. With the release of Shenmue III, it now serves for me to continue the segment. As the name suggests, the segment

China’s First UFC Champion: The Keys to Zhang Weili’s Success and What It Means By: Matthew Lee Originally written March 9th, 2020 for Jiayoo Wushu “‘The Chinese are warlike and we have a very good tradition of practicing martial arts…If traditional kung fu can demonstrate this ability on the world’s highest stage, it can still win the championship and that’s what all Chinese would like to see. That’s 1.3 billion Chinese people that want to see this. That would be a big following, and whoever this champion is, is going to be very proud and very fortunate. If I had the chance, I’d take it. The key is the combination. It needs to combine Chinese kung fu with modern fighting. That’s what me and my coaching staff have been after.’” —Zhang Weili, Mixed Martial Artist and UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Abstract: Zhang Weili has recently successfully defended her UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Women’s Strawweight Championship title. A mixed martial artist with a Sanda and

My Time in Taiwan: A Personal Account By: Matthew Lee Written December 20th, 2019 “All in all, this was a very positive experience for me, and I’m glad I at least got to experience everything I wanted to while I still had the chance. I will never forget what I have seen and experienced, it is something that will influence me and stay with me for the rest of my life.” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: This is part of a segment of write-ups entitled “A Personal Account.” These write-ups mainly consist of play-by-plays as well as my detailed personal experiences, as the name suggests, of specific Wushu-related events I attend. These events will range from Wushu performances to competitions, and other such martial arts related events that I can afford to attend, given that I am in the area. This specific edition will be about my trip to Taiwan. As of right now, I am on my first return flight back from Taipei, Taiwan, with a layover in Narita, Japan, before my destination

USA At The 15th World Wushu Championships: An Interview with Naoki Tang By: Matthew Lee Written November 19th, 2019 “It felt amazing and nerve-racking to represent Team USA. Since it was my dream and goal to be in the A-team, I was very proud that I could finally wear the Team USA jacket to a high-level competition. However, it was also my first experience, so I was nervous about how I would be able to prepare and execute my best performance.” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: The following is an interview with US Wushu Team member Naoki Tang. Competing at the World Wushu Championships is a very prestigious feat, and an opportunity only few can dream of. With a new generation of US Wushu Team members, it will be interesting to share their views and thoughts on the sport. The goal of this interview is to discuss Naoki’s experience competing at the 15th World Wushu Championships, and his views in Wushu. Nearly a month ago, I was asked to write about the 15thWorld Wushu

Muslim Salikhov In The UFC Champion: The New Herald of Sanda? By: Matthew Lee Originally written October 29th, 2019 for Jiayoo Wushu “I fight Muay Thai, K-1, MMA, but Sanda is more difficult because you must be focus[ed]. Because every time [there is a] level change. You can punch, you can kick, wrestling, everything.” —Zhang Weili, Mixed Martial Artist and Chinese Sanda and Shuai Jiao Fighter Abstract: Muslim Salikhov has recently secured his third win in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). A true Sanda champion from Dagestan, Russia, he has gone into other styles and rule sets such as Muay Thai, K-1, Sambo and MMA (mixed martial arts), and has done well in all of them. He is notable for beating Chinese Sanda athletes time and time again. This write-up will serve as a breakdown of his most recent fight, an analysis of his skills, and what his success means as a true representative of Wushu Sanda. On Saturday, October 26th, 2019, Russian Sanda (散打； sàndǎ, free

Why China Losing Might Be A Good Thing By: Matthew Lee Written October 24th, 2019 “One of the questions that remains is how exactly China will take this recent string of losses. This will light a fire under China if they take their own sport seriously. If not, at the very least we should expect to see other countries take the helm as champions of the sport.” —Quote taken directly from the write-up Abstract: Recently, China successfully hosted of the 15th World Wushu Championships. The success of the competition marks a high point in the sport of Wushu, with peak attendance and performances by participating athletes and teams. Even more astounding are the results of the competition, with China losing multiple times. The purpose of this write-up is to list and explain what this means for the sport of Wushu. From October 17thto October 23rd, 2019, the 15th World Wushu Championships were held in Shanghai, China. It would be twelve years since the last time the World Wushu Championships