Lincoln junior is tai chi world champion
Originally published in The Cardinal Times
by Hana Fares
In October, junior Marshall Brayton competed in the World Kung Fu Championships in Emeishan, China. After a decade of dedication and hours of practice, Brayton is now the Tai Chi world champion.
“You get to the competition, and you’re on the competition mat. You feel like you can do anything,” said Brayton.
Kung fu is a broad term for Chinese martial arts. One of these arts is wushu, the national sport of China. Wushu has two components: a choreographed routine featuring kicks, jumps and weapons, and a full-contact fight that includes kicking and throwing.
“Recently, my focus has shifted more to tai chi. It’s a subcategory of wushu,” said Brayton. “But it’s modernized, so there are fast moves and jumps.”
Students across the Portland metro area practice at the U.S. Wushu Center on Northwest 16th Avenue. Senior Kaden Wong started training there in first grade and is now a member of their competition team.
“I always really liked the movie ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ so I was always reenacting it, and that’s what sparked the interest,” said Wong.
Senior Noah Von Dem Brunch joined Brayton and Wong when he was 12.
“Initially, my mom wanted me to do ballet. According to her, I cried in the car and chose wushu instead,” Von Dem Brunch said. “I was enjoying the performances I was watching. Eventually, I developed a love for the sport, especially when I started competing with my friends.”
After placing at a U.S. competition, Brayton and his teammates were invited to compete internationally. “Competition is really fun, especially because you get to meet a ton of athletes that put in the work, but from different cultures and different countries,” said Von Dem Brunch.
Practicing for these competitions is not easy. “We have this training camp during the summer where we practice from 9 to 3 every weekday,” Brayton said. “Just because you’re getting harsh advice, it doesn’t mean you’re bad. You’ve got to find the good and see what you can improve.”
“The pain you feel today is the strength for tomorrow.”
— Noah Von Dem Brunch, Senior
“My coach is like the LeBron of tai chi in China. When we went to China, she was actually getting asked for autographs as we were walking around by people on the street,” said Wong. “It’s a lot to live up to.”
Winning the Tai Chi World Championship is not the end of Brayton’s story. “I’m going to China again in March for Junior Worlds, and if I do well there, I might have the chance of going to Junior Olympics,” Brayton said.