"I am very proud to participate in the Universiade" (Universiade Focus) Project | Martial Arts | Universiade
On July 29th, Song Cuifang, a member of the Chinese university sports delegation, won the gold medal in the women's southern sword event at the Chengdu Universiade.
Photo by our reporter Li Yanfei
On July 29th, Chinese university sports delegation athletes Feng Hao and Wang Limin competed in the mixed team archery and reverse bow competition at the Chengdu Universiade.
Photo by our reporter Jiang Yushi
On July 29th, Cao Maoyuan, a member of the Chinese university sports delegation, won the gold medal in the men's Nanquan martial arts event at the Chengdu Universiade.
Photo by our reporter Li Yanfei
On July 29th, Li Huilin, a member of the Chinese university sports delegation, competed in the first round of the individual all-around final of artistic gymnastics at the Chengdu Universiade.
Photo by our reporter Yi Xiao
"Although the movements are not very difficult, there is still some nervousness on the field." On the morning of July 29th, just after playing a strong and vigorous set of Nanquan, Cao Maoyuan met up with the coach and calmly reviewed his game. A few minutes later, all the players finished the game and no one could exceed his score. With a score of 9.770, Cao Maoyuan won the gold medal in the men's Nanquan martial arts event at the Chengdu Universiade, marking the first gold medal for the Chinese university sports delegation at this year's Universiade.
Three years of careful polishing and more than twenty years of hard work, condensed into this set of only 93 second movements. "I am very proud to participate in the Universiade, and I believe my performance did not disappoint everyone's expectations!" Cao Maoyuan said.
"I have been adjusting my breathing, calming myself down and thinking carefully about every action."
The Chengdu Universiade was Cao Maoyuan's first world competition, and although he was already one of the top Nanquan players in China, he dared not slack off at all. On the morning of the 29th, less than 8 o'clock, more than an hour before the start of the competition, the Chinese university martial arts team arrived at the training hall next to the field to start warming up. The coach closely monitored Cao Maoyuan's movements and occasionally reminded him.
There were also a large number of enthusiastic spectators who arrived early at the martial arts competition venue, Chengbei Sports Center. After the competition started, they gave encouraging applause to each contestant's performance. The lively atmosphere on the field excited Cao Maoyuan, who was waiting to take the field. However, Yu Bo, the coach of the Chinese university martial arts team, made a mistake by saying, "The enthusiasm of the audience makes people excited, but it is also more prone to mistakes for athletes." Therefore, during the preparation for the event, Yu Bo specifically pulled Cao Maoyuan outside the venue to "calm down.". Repeatedly remind him to remember the technical essentials, control the rhythm, and do every action clearly.
Cao Maoyuan appeared in fourth place. Amidst the cheers of the audience, dressed in a red martial arts uniform, he performed a set of vigorous and powerful movements, and the referee gave him a score of 9.770. Cao Maoyuan said, "I have been adjusting my breathing, calming my mind, and thinking carefully about every move." After the game, Yu Bo said that Cao Maoyuan's performance in this game was normal.
"We have integrated multiple martial arts styles and found movements that are suitable for his physique, image, and technical style, and created them."
According to the competition rules, each contestant's entire set of movements must be at least 1 minute and 20 seconds long. Cao Maoyuan's gold medal winning movements this time have a total of 1 minute and 33 seconds. Yu Bo said that in just 93 seconds, the entire team spent 3 years carefully choreographing, and every move was carefully polished.
The characteristics of Nanquan are its strength and varied techniques. Among the male Nanquan athletes, Cao Maoyuan, who is 1.76 meters tall, is much taller than other athletes, making his movements appear loose. Based on his physical condition, Yu Bo combined various Southern Boxing styles such as Cai Lifo, Da Xiaohong Boxing, and Hakka Boxing to create movements for him. "We have integrated multiple martial arts styles and found movements that are suitable for his physique, image, and technical style, and created them," said Yu Bo.
In the 93 second set of movements, Cao Maoyuan's movements are very numerous and relatively rare. Yu Bo said that the more actions a player takes, the more fully their style is expressed, but it also means that their physical energy consumption is greater. "Cao Maoyuan was able to master this set of movements thanks to his excellent physical fitness, which fully demonstrated the impact of the entire set of movements," said Yu Bo.
In this competition, Cao Maoyuan perfectly showcased his "tailor-made" movements, which were constantly honed in terms of strength, physical fitness, and other aspects. "We particularly emphasize the physical fitness of athletes during training, focusing on improving their physical fitness and strength, in order to continuously refine this set of movements," said Yu Bo.
"Winning the gold medal at the Universiade is my starting point, and I will strive for more gold medals in the future."
Cao Maoyuan, who is 25 years old this year, comes from Chengdu Sports Institute and has been practicing martial arts for over 20 years. In Yu Bo's view, this path of martial arts practice was not smooth sailing, but rather went through ups and downs. "He won many championships when he was a child, but later his grades fluctuated."
The 14th National Games held in 2021 became a turning point in Cao Maoyuan's sports career. After losing the first game, Cao Maoyuan made adjustments and got better and better in the last two matches. In the end, he finished third in the South Stick event. "If it had been in the past, he would have been in a mess in the first game if he didn't perform well," Yu Bo said. "It was this competition that made him mature, and every step he took in the future was very solid."
Nowadays, when facing competitions, Cao Maoyuan is more mature than before and begins to focus on summarizing the gains and losses of each game. "I used to think it was about comparing myself to others, but now it's more about competing with myself." Winning the championship in the first world competition, Cao Maoyuan is more willing to take it as a new starting point for his martial arts career. "Winning a gold medal at the Universiade is my starting point, and in the future, I will strive for more gold medals."
Cao Maoyuan also hopes to further promote martial arts projects through his own efforts. "The Universiade is also a platform for spreading traditional Chinese martial arts culture. I look forward to allowing more people to experience, understand, and fall in love with martial arts."
