McAllen martial arts students head to California for national tournament
Four young students from a McAllen martial arts school will attend a national tournament Friday in California.
The students study at McAllen Wushu, located at 2200 Trenton Road in McAllen. Wushu is a type of kung fu, often seen practiced in movies like “Kill Bill” and most recently “The Last Airbender.”
The four students will travel to San Jose, Calif., for Nationals and International Wushu-Kungfu Championships, which begin Friday and end Sunday. Two of the best young competitors from this tournament will be selected to represent the United States in an international Wushu tournament.
“It’s kind of like the Olympics of martial arts,” said Lina Madrid, owner of the school.
The four students are Paulina Lerna, 15, Andres Hernandez, 11, Manuel Lerna, 11, and Jaime Hurcado, 8. They will compete in several events, including empty hand, broad sword, straight sword, staff and spear.
“We’ve been training for six months,” Madrid said. “These kids started training in January. The team is hand-picked. Only the best of our 60 students are allowed to try out.”
The children are coached by school instructor Felipe Corona, who was a seven-time national Wushu champion in his native Mexico. For more information about the tournament visit www.wushutrials.com.
Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.
