A Student Body in Motion: Vincent Huang

A constant knock against Alsion is that our student body is neither agile nor sporty. Sometimes, a quick glance at the sports court during P.E. confirms this: the flailing limbs, the ungainly strides, the sudden shrieks, the crooked coordination, the slow, swamp-like pace. Our infamy is mainly the effect of our small population and lack of sports facilities. It is definitely not because we have a dearth of athletes. So many of our students–itching to kick, shoot, glide, hit, throw, slide, catch, spin, dive, splash, fall–find their kinetic outlet off campus. It would be a shame not to give their endeavors any acknowledgment.

For this feature the student athlete we spotlight is Vincent Huang, martial artist.

How did you start your Wushu journey? How long have you been competing?

I started when my parents wanted to have me learn a new extracurricular activity, and they decided on Wushu since it was close to home literally and traditionally. I first started off dancing at Lisa Dance Studio but transitioned to Wushu in search of something more suitable. I have been competing for around  five to six years, attending around two competitions yearly.

Martial arts can be very dangerous. Have you ever gotten injured? What’s the story behind your worst injury?

Despite the many stories I hear from my coaches of people injuring their bodies, I have fortunately never received a serious injury.

Participating in a sport makes you passionate about professional athletes. Do you have a favorite martial artist?

I am not too passionate about professional Wushu athletes, but my favorite one is most probably my coach Stephenie Lim since I do not know any other famous athletes who compete. She participated in a world tournament and earned 6th place in a women’s event. I do not know any details of it though.

What’s your favorite part about competing in Wushu?

My favorite part about competing is definitely the community. In competitions, the overall team environment is very enthusiastic, and there is always a very supportive atmosphere. Teammates will always shout or scream words of encouragement in the middle of competition performances, and training with them makes the suffering of physical pain more bearable.

Coaches are a big part of being an athlete, and oftentimes they give great advice. What’s the best advice your coach has given you?  

I think the biggest piece of advice my coaches have given me is to never stop in the middle of a competition performance if I forget the movements. It is better to continue and make up new movements when competing rather than stopping to think about it and then continue once [the moves are] remembered. It is a very standard and staple piece of advice but one of the most important things athletes need to remember as well.

Competitions can be one of the most nerve-wracking aspects of playing a sport. Tell us a competition story whether it be a great victory or a heartbreaking loss.

When I was 15 years old, I was slotted into the 16- to 18-year-old group. The competition rules decided that if I was close enough to 16, I was slotted in the group, even though my birthday would still be around 6 to 7 months later. There were around 10 other people competing who were all really muscular and intimidating, and my parents gave up on me getting any award since I was the child of the group. I also went last, which meant I had to see all of the other athletes’ forms first, which made it more clear to me that I was not going to win anything. However, I ended up getting 2nd place in the event, and it was a very fulfilling moment.