| Martial artist impresses judges at Disneyland (4/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Jenny Ng | |
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“Power Rangers, Shaolin monks and Jet Li got me interested,” rising martial arts prodigy junior Patrick Lee said.
Despite the hardcore, butt-kicking image often portrayed in films, Lee said that martial arts really is the art of self-defense. “Once in eighth grade, there were these five guys who asked me for money,” he said. “One guy reached into my pockets. I zipped up his fingers, stepped on his foot, hit his jaw, kneed him and ran.” Lee practices for one hour hour twice a week at the Shaolin Martial Arts School located in Millbrae, which greatly differs from his former martial arts school, San Francisco’s Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy. “Real monks are the teachers,” Lee said of his new school. Lee is also a student in the unofficial Filipino Martial Arts School run by mixed martial arts teacher dean Ray Cordoba, whose martial arts expertise extends to not only Filipino martial arts but also judo, karate and Korean martial arts (tae kwan do). Lee and four other students practice mixed martial arts in the school cafeteria on Sundays with Cordoba. Lee “has a lot of potential,” Cordoba said. “He has skills, talent, motivation and a positive attitude. When he first started with the Lowell Martial Arts Club (of which Filipino martial arts is the base), he only knew kung fu. It’s good that he’s open to other forms because a lot of people are stuck with only one. Everyone is different. By learning and trying new forms, you can find what works for you.” Lee learns a lot from Cordoba. “We practice stick fighting and fighting with other weapons,” he said. “He teaches me moves and techniques. He’s going to show me how to fight with knives.” With his experience in fighting, as well as the skills learned from Cordoba, Lee has competed in six competitions around the Bay Area and in two distinguished martial arts competitions in Disneyland, Anaheim and Disney World, Florida. Invited by Cordoba’s contacts, Lee and several other Lowell students attended the 2007 Martial Arts Festivals hosted in Disneyland and Disney World, which featured the very best martial artists from various disciplines from all over the world, including kung fu, Filipino martial arts and karate. Lee competed in Disneyland’s Filipino martial arts teen division and in Disney World’s kung fu teen division. He dominated and won not one, but two gold medals. He also demonstrated his skills in an original solo “routine” performance. Lee’s showcase of advanced kicks, punches and hardcore fighting stances proved worthy enough for the number-one title. “The best part of the competitions was training hard,” Lee said. “It was a great experience overall.” Yet the competitions are not all about hard work and no fun. “I met people from all over,” he said. “We would ‘spar,’ or play fight with gear for fun, during the competitions.” For Lee, martial arts began as a childhood interest and developed into much more. “I started getting into martial arts when I was four,” he said. “Then I stopped for a while but started again in sixth grade. It’s more of a hobby and for exercise.” Lee doesn't plan on taking martial arts to a professional level in the future, but he definitely plans on sticking with it for a while and spreading the art of self-defense. “Maybe I’ll become a part-time teacher in the future or something for fun,” he said. Cordoba approves of this goal. “I plan on teaching him skills so he can eventually reach the level of a guru, or teacher, when it comes to the Lowell Martial Arts Club,” he said. “He is on the highest level right now in the club and he can teach others soon.” Lee encouraged other students to participate in martial arts. “Find a form you’re really interested in and work hard,” he said. “(Martial arts) is a big stress reliever. It teaches you discipline and teaches you to organize yourself mentally and physically. And you get to learn some really cool ‘ninja moves.’” |
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