The Badger Herald

Tournament Coverage and Interview - October 22,1998

By Allison Heine, Features Editor, The Badger Herald

Keeping a long-lasting Chinese tradition alive at UW-Madison, the Eagle Claw Kung Fu club traveled to Minneapolis last week to compete in the largest karate tournament in the country.

Although many UW members were first time competitors, two veteran national team members competed in the black belt level. Noam Reininger, Eagle Claw president, and Nate Sonnenberg, chairman of the club, took the gold and silver in the Chinese hard style forms. In all, the team took home 13 trophies.

Reininger said the club includes members of all ages and the levels of expertise.

"Although we have team members who have only just begun mastering kung fu, those with higher levels of expertise can compete and do excel," Reininger said.

According to Reininger, the secret of Eagle Claw's success lies in this emphasis of the "team aspect" in competing and its diligent work ethic: training seven days a week and during off-season.

The club's success is also due to the players' passion for the sport.

"Not only is it great athletically, but it helps your focus when it comes to all other aspects of life," Reininger said. "If you train hard to be a national champion, you're going to do the same in a lot of areas."

Rick Parrish, UW graduate student and member of Eagle Claw said practicing kung fu has helped him gain a better understanding of his true potential and abilities.

"[Kung fu] provides spiritual grounding," Parrish said. "In situations where one is usually thrown off balance and becomes flustered, kung fu teaches grounding and self confidence."

Founded in the Sung Dynasty by General Gnok Fei, the sport combines a system of simple blocks and punches with intricate locks, grabs and pressure-point strikes.

The Eagle Claw club also uses the techniques found in most martial arts, such as sweeps, jumps, flips and splits. Weapons, such as the staff, short stick, sword, saber and spear also play a major role in the training.

Last weekend, the team performed in the 1998 Open North American Tae Kwon Do Championships. There, the UW-based players also gained a number of medals in the Black Belt Division.

Along with their high number of awards, Reininger said they have also gained national coverage from "Inside Kung Fu" magazine. An issue published in the Nov. 1998 covered the teams' 20-medal victory at the 1998 World Eagle Cup in San Francisco on June 25.