The Daily Cardinal

Interview and Coverage - October 28,1998

By Jennifer Schupp of the Cardinal Staff

Though not an NCAA team, UW-Madison's Eagle Claw Kung Fu members are just as dedicated-practicing seven days a week for at least two hours a day. If you have not heard of UW-Madison's Eagle Claw Kung Fu team, you are certain to hear its name this year, judging solely from their stellar 1998 start.

In October, the Eagle Claw team captured an impressive 13 trophies at the Diamond Nationals, the largest karate tournament in the country, where team members competed with over 3,000 martial artists. Just one weekend later, the team brought home gold, silver and bronze medals at another national competition, the North American Tae Kwon Do Championships in Beloit, Wis. Besides winning 20 medals at the 1998 Eagle Claw Cup in San Francisco, they were also featured in the world's largest distributed kung fu magazine, Inside Kung Fu.

With impressive credentials such as these, not only is talent required, but also an amazing amount of hard work and time.

Sifu Dana G. Daniels, the national Eagle Claw coach for over 20 years, echoed this idea in a Chinese saying. It states: To even understand a single move, it must be performed 1,000 times; to master it requires 10,000 performances.

"We train as hard as the hockey or football teams," Daniels said. "Our high fitness level and hard training is part of the Shaolin tradition."

According to Noam Reininger, national team captain and Madison club chair, UW-Madison's club is more oriented to sport and art and differentiates itself from other clubs because of its national competitions.

Paul Villarreal, one of the club's black belt instructors, believes Eagle Claw is very practical in terms of physical fitness and personal health.

"[Eagle Claw] is very focused and can focus those who are unfocused," Villarreal said. "It's moving mediation and very physical. When you're done training, you're energized, not drained."

"I find I study better when I am training," Reininger said. "It's a good way to work on concentration and discipline."

Eagle Claw is not limited to its own members. The club also trains UW hockey team members during their off season. However, Eagle Claw's focus is not on brute strength.

Daniels described Eagle Claw's style as "panther-like" and as a "running back-type energy."

"We use a lot of technique and speed," Daniels said. "We get strong through our speed, focus, and abilities and are able to out do people who are bigger."

UW-Madison's Eagle Claw club is also the collegiate base for the national team, which is made up of nine members who are selected through tryouts. Currently there are approximately 25-30 members involved with the club. There is a beginner level, just for training; a local level, which works with self-defense and fitness; and the national level, which participates in competitions.

"We're a very flexible style and we're able to compete with many other different styles." Daniels said.

Reininger agreed with Daniels and said the club has many types of people in their club.

"We get people who were wrestlers, football players or were never in any other kind of athletic sport," Reininger said.

Daniels said he believed martial arts produce confidence. He referred to a success story of a member who was able to prevent herself from being assaulted as a result of her training.

"To me, part of being a martial artist is to be able to defend yourself," Daniels said. "That's what I like to do. Even if someone comes to only one class, I like to have them come out of it knowing at least one way to protect themselves."