July AAU NEWS

The weather is heating up in Texas as well as all across the nation as the "Good ole summertime" is once again upon us...and what would July be without a few very big Kung Fu bashes?

If you're in the Mid West it would have to be JK Wong's (Tai Chi Legacy) now called "Legends of Kung Fu"! We will have an AAU booth there along with banners and everything you ever wanted to know about our event. Our event is being held for the last year in Round Rock, we have opened the bidding to start at the National Meeting the day after the event Aug 23 9:30 AM at the La Frontier Marriott for next years event.

This month will also be taking nomination now for those seeking to run for the four National Executive Board opening we will have this year. To be considered you must be an AAU member, an official of some sort be it a judge, a regional director, a district manager, or an ambassador at large. You must declare your desire on or before August 1st to be on the ballot. Voting members will be comprised of those with similar qualifications attending the National Meeting. You also must be an AAU member before you can vote and have served in some type of official capacity.

The remaining National Executive Board members Greg Watson, Dug Corpolongo, and my position will be up for election in 2010. With Ty Nunez and Glenn Guerin terms coming to an end in 2011. The term will be three years so if you come on board in 2009 you will be up for re election in 2012. Our four, three, two term schedule allows for some dynamics in growth which we hope will lead to even greater things in store in the future for the AAU.

Last month we were happy to announce the appointment of Charles Middleton as District Manager for Virgina. Charles brings loads of enthusiasm and drive for bringing the east coast on board.

This month it is my pleasure to announce that the Gulf District had their new District Manger appointed as a result of a draft by the instructors that are current members and Lucy Xiaoping Wu was their pick. Sifu Wu is the youngest daughter of Dr Wu Cheng de and the late Grand Master Wang Ju rong. She is the grand daughter of the legendary Wang Zip-ping. It is expected that the Gulf District will soon be transformed into one of the AAU most premier Districts in Chinese Martial Arts with this pick.

We our currently beginning the interviews with our AAU All-Stars young up and coming Champions with the desire to succeed. This month we have interview with a Gulf District member, Casey Hall a teen aged National Advanced Champion out of Lake Jackson,Texas. Casey will be back in Round Rock defending his national title.

I am happy to announce that at this years National Championships we will have separate boys and girls forms divisions as well as Shuai Chiao and Sparring divisions.

We have also extended our early registration to the end of July. Also note there will be no checks accepted the day of the event.

Instructors we need you to become a success more than ever, we are building our regions and districts up and now is the time to jump on board please I invite you to go to our tournament WEB page

See what we are building and why with your help we believe America Chinese Martial Arts can reach and even bigger population!

Interview with Casey Hall

For those of you that do not know Casey he is one of the shining upcoming stars on the American Kung Fu movement. Casey is an AAU Champion and a young man with a bright future as an American Kung Fu Artist. Casey hails from Lake Jackson, Texas (Houston) in the Gulf District. He is a fierce competitor with a great sense of dedication and yet an even keel when the pressure is on. The following is a person snap shot of this young AAU Champion.

Casey how old are you now?
I am 16 years old

How long have you been practicing martial arts?
I have been practicing for 9 years.

What styles do you practice?
I am a Shaolin stylist.

What weapons forms do you practice?
I practice the Ku Wu Gun, which is my staff form and Ba Qua Dao which is my sword form.

Casey can you give us some history about your instructors?
I started with Sibok Dan Suhan, he was someone that taught locally. I then went to Sifu Rob Roy who was part of the Wal Lum system, I next went to Sifu Willie Galvan's school before studying with Sifu Jeff Bolt. When Sifu Bolt left the country I studied with Sifu Charles Graham and currently am studying with Sifu Michael Aronson (one of Sifu Bolt's students) whom I hope to study with and not change teachers anymore.

What is your favorite competitive event?
I would have to say the short weapons division because I love the saber it is my favorite weapon.

What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to go to the Naval Academy and I hope to become a Naval Pilot.

With the drive and desire Casey has shown so far in his young life, it's a good bet that he will accomplish that dream just as he has in the world of Kung Fu so far.

For more information on the AAU and how you can fit in or our upcoming AAU National Kung Fu Championships e-mail rrkungfu@hotmail.com.

YOUR AAU WANTS YOU!

Founded in 1888, the oldest sporting organization in America, wants YOU to help in it’s continued growth!

After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts on providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grassroots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by nearly 550,000 participants and more than 50,000 volunteers. The AAU is divided into 56 distinct districts. These districts annually sanction more than 34 sports programs, 2,500 individual national championships and more than 100,000 local events!

The AAU Chinese Martial Arts Division is a true grass roots program that is geared as much for the individual as it is the small school.

The AAU Sports Programs boasts a long list of well-known alumni in 34 different sports. They include Olympic gold medalists Evelyn Ashford (track), Tracy Caulkins (swimming), Bart Conner (gymnastics), Dan Gable (wrestling), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (track and field), Carl Lewis (track and field), Lisa Leslie (basketball), Greg Louganis (diving), Cheryl Miller (basketball), Shaquille O'Neal (basketball) and Kerri Strug (gymnastics).

Our Chinese Martial Arts Program combines member schools to form a network for recommending students around the country to participating AAU schools.

We offer schools affordable liability insurance, while offering an arena for competition and fellowship.

We share marketing ideas while upholding the values of (Wu De) the Chinese Martial Arts virtuosos values .

We offer the availability to host a very select group of masters for workshops and seminars.

We are developing one of the most profoundly deep and authoritative video libraries and archives in the United States on Chinese Martial Arts.

To grow and to spread we need YOU! In return you have access to being involved in one of America’s largest sports organization that gives you instant public recognition.

We are currently looking for instructors to fill and expand the AAU efforts around America.

The AAU Chinese Martial Arts National Executive Board welcomes and supports all efforts in America to spread the values of Chinese Martial Arts and we will continue to reach out and embrace all the tournaments and organizations working so hard to achieve this goal.

The AAU TODAY has seen a tremendous change as the results of past AAU National Chair for the Chinese Martial Arts, Sifu Dug Corpolongo.

Presently the National Chairman for Chinese Martial Arts is elected by the vote of the National Executive Board.

Under Sifu Dug, the National Executive Board has formed the groundwork for changing the methods in which previous Chairman appointments are made.

When Sifu Dug found that he had some family issues that required his attention, he stepped down as the Chairman. This started the nomination and election process for the new AAU CMA National Executive Board Chairman. That is when I, Dave Pickens, was elected to serve. Presently, my term is for 2008 – 2009 with the next election scheduled for 2010.

We are working to make more changes in step two of our long-range plan by building a voting structure that combines District and Regional Memberships having a role in the development of National policy and national leaderships by coming from the District and Regional membership to assume national positions as well.

AAU 2009 Phase II PLAN FOR CHANGE

VOTING STRUCTURE

Presently we are looking at our voting structure to make the AAU CMA more accessible to those wanting to be part of our growth, to have a vote and say in where we go in development and who our leaders are.

We would like all of your opinions on this proposal; we will then take the recommendations and form some amendments to take to the National Convention to have in place for 2010.

In our Phase II we want to expand the electoral base of our organization as well has implement some needed positions to greater serve our membership base. To review our current policies and rules you can go online to http://aausports.org/sprt_ChineseMartialArts.asp?a=sprt_ChineseMartialArts_Rules.htm

In Phase II our proposed voting membership is to include:
10 Regional Directors
8 National Executive Board Members
1 National Chairman
56 Possible District Directors
26 Possible National Rules Committee Members
50 Possible National Judges
15 Possible National Advisors
10 Possible Senior Advisors

POWER of the Vote

With the districts members still holding the majority of the votes the potential always have the local regions to have a larger role in the power of vote. This promotes and awards activism in areas that work to develop the Chinese Martial Arts program but requires the assistance of the smaller districts and regions support in forming a majority.

ADDED New Positions for Service and Growth

These areas of development positions could be filled with students as well as masters, or parents, or interns. Each Area will be chaired by one of National Executive Board members, the content and implementation will be only done with the approval of the NEB, the National Chinese Martial Arts Chairman has veto rights however a 2/3 NEB vote can overturn his veto.

• Video Taping Director responsible for taping our rules in each event, explaining the scoring ranges as well as what the judges are looking for and what they downgrade for, placing it on a format for being broadcast on u-tube. Producing a tape of the national tournament. We don’t need to do this overnight but we need to start by taking a division like Shaui Chiao for instance and producing a rules and tips CD, then on to continuous contact, right threw each area such as Tai Chi, traditional forms, open forms, wu shu compulsory, Pushing hand, and etc. Each one can be posted on u tube and other avenues for viewing such as my space and etc. The Director can call the head judge for each competitive division and have them help in the taping the rules, and pointers.
• A Web Site Director for both our tournament site as well as sending info to Jennifer Miles to post at the AAUSports.Org site. They may want to be linked with the Video Czar.
• Tournament Program Developer….Lay out Design of a program and developing sponsors to pay for it in our advertisement at the National Tournament, to be year round on our Web Links. Will help to develop a plan for communities to pitch for holding future national tournaments. We need a strong PR type here.
• Hall of Fame Awards Director …..Responsible to continue to develop our Hall of Fame with awards for 2008 and cataloging all our past winners last year. To be posted on line and at a special booth at AAU Events and at other Tournaments around the country.
• Media Director someone to work at gaining us as much press and net exposure on U-tube, google, my space and so on and so forth as we can be viewed on. Helping to publish the efforts of the other developers and directors for wider exposure.
• National Tournament Director we need help in promoting an event this size. We need to share the event duties like finding judges, vip arrangements, and etc.
• Director of Archives and Treasury to be at the National Tournament taking monies and making sure all are current AAU members, or that they join before competing. Running the front of the tournament and keeping the board abreast of AAU membership. Keeping all the records we have of past and future meetings.

This is just a plan that at this time and our National Executive Board is working on to tweak and debate. This is something I envision coming in an amendment at the 2009 General Convention. So this is something we need to continue to work on and have ready before our 2010 National Tournament and elections. Again as I said we are open to suggestions here as we form this plan contact members of the National Executive Board and your District Directors on your thoughts and suggestions.

I hope each of you will look it over and see in which areas you feel you would want to become a part of. There is power in working together as we all know, and there is pride in building which I am challenging you all to do! This is the beginning of a what can become a groundswell…that can only happen with you finding that extra ½ hour to help out by introducing our program to your students, friends, and others in the Chinese Martial Arts community.

Dave Pickens
AAU National Chairman
Chinese Martial Arts Division

2008 AAU National Championships

Saturday August 16
Round Rock, Texas

Clay Madsen Recreation Center
1600 Gattis School Road
Round Rock, TX 78664

• Traditional Kung Fu
• Contemporary Wu Shu
• Modern Tai Chi
• Classical Tai Chi
• Shuai Chiao
• Continuous Lt Contact Sparing
• Foam Sword Sparing
• Fixed and Moving Pushing Hands

Workshops 8 AM – 11 AM

Opening Demonstrations Noon

Late Registration 10 AM – Noon

Tournament Begins 2 PM

One of our more exciting aspects of each AAU District is that they can and are encouraged to develop their own events for growth and membership. I would like to submit one we are kicking off in Texas this year.
I want to encourage you to develop your own programs for building your own districts and regions.

-Dave

South Texas

AAU All Star Select
Kung Fu Stars All Over Texas

Application Team Positions decided by a combined total points for competition in Shuai Chiao, Pushing Hands, Open hand light continuous contact sparring. Each age division shall have a light, middle, and heavy weight division as well as boys and girls divisions.

Forms Team
Each position on this team comes from a total score arrived from doing a traditional, modern contemporary, and weapon form.

Divisions
Young Dragons ages 6-7 year old ( 5 year old can compete for experience)
Junior Youth ages 8-10 year olds
Senior Youth ages 11-12 year olds
Junior Teens ages 13-14 year olds
Senior Teens ages 15-17 year olds
Adults ages 18 – 29
Executive ages 30 – 49
Seniors ages 50 and up

We in the South Texas AAU Kung Fu program are attempting to hold our first All Star select meet open for all Texans on a date in May 17, 2008.

This event is open to any AAU Kung FU Member residing in the state of Texas, other districts in Texas may want to hold similar meets so we can set up a State Showdown for late in the year. Or compete at our event to become part of our All Star Select demo and exhibition team that will appear at different events around the state in 2008.

Facts Sheet:
We have committed to performing at Fiesta San Antonio 2009, and will be challenging other areas to exhibition matches as well as doing demos at various events around the our Lone Star State.

Our goal is to raise the awareness of Chinese Martial Arts throughout the state of Texas and to become a model for development in other districts throughout America to help in the promotion and growth of our CMA program, hosting similar events.

We would like to propose that champions from North (Dallas) East (Houston) West (El Paso) South (South Padre) Central (Austin) form select all star teams compete in San Antonio to form the “Kung Fu All Stars Over Texas."

This team also could travel to each members base school to give a demos, it affords having a group of instructors as coaches who could share tips for improving performance, as well as hold events around the state to help local schools bring attention to the AAU program.

We would find events such as the State Fair for this team to perform at.