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Croydon:
Nick Evagorou Faces the Ultimate Challenge
by Nick Evagorou (3rd Duan)
July 2008

The World Wushu Championships held in November 2007 was a very special event. It was THE selection for the Wushu tournament to be featured at the Beijing Olympic Games! Only the top eight competitors from each of three weight categories were going to compete at the Games. Naturally enough this attracted more fighters than ever to compete at the World event. One of the fighters taking part was our own Nick Evagorou who distinguished himself against 28 fighters in the -85 kilo division by winning the bronze medal - and then only after being defeated by the eventual World Champion and World renowned Sanshou fighter - Muslim Salihov (Russia).

Watched by millions all over the world, the Olympic Games are perhaps the greatest spectacle on earth. According to the host city contract, no international or national sports competition is allowed to be held in the Olympic host city one week before the Games, during the Games and one week after. But a Wushu competition has been specifically approved by the International Olympic Committee and the International Wushu Federation has been allowed to host the '2008 Beijing Olympic Games Wushu Tournament'.

To be selected to compete in such an event is a dream come true for any athlete! Now I have an opportunity to compete against the best Sanshou fighters in the world and I am going to do the utmost to turn my dream of success into a reality.

Wushu is a Chinese term which literally means 'martial arts'. It comprises two disciplines: Taolu (forms) and Sanshou.

Sanshou (Sanda being its traditional name) has a long history in the Chinese martial arts. It literally means 'free fighting' and is mainly based on barehanded one-to-one combat involving both striking and grappling techniques. Sanshou developed in the military through bouts most commonly fought between soldiers to test both the efficiency of their barehanded fighting skills and the value of the techniques. Rules were developed and safety measures - such as gloves - were introduced, leading to its incorporation into modern Wushu as a full-contact combat sport.

I have studied martial arts for 16 years and though I fight - I do not consider myself a fighter. What do I mean by that? Well, I do not train so I can win medals at competitions (although I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy doing that!) I regard myself as a true martial artist and my commitment to training is primarily based on the need for self-development.

To be both a good fighter and a good martial artist, you need to put in hard work, apply discipline, build determination, believe in yourself, develop confidence (but not over-confidence!), acquire skill and learn patience. A bit of luck sometimes helps too! Whether speaking of martial art, sports or everyday life, the prime directive is the same: if you want to achieve something and be successful you must NEVER give up!

I began learning karate at the age of 11 and I trained for about 18 months but it seemed to lack something I felt I needed, so I moved over into athletics. But a couple of years later, at age 14, I found both a martial art and an instructor that I realised, even at that age, could show me the way I needed to go.

Ren Yi Wu Kwan Tang Sou Dao, founded by Grandmaster Meng Kwong Loke was that very art and Master Adam Goward (6th duan) was that very instructor. He teaches in the Surrey/Sussex/Kent area.

Seventeen years later and I find myself both a 3rd duan in Tang Sou Dao and an instructor. It's true that I have tried to model myself on Master Goward's approach to teaching and I believe that my success has been influenced by his teaching methods and his pursuit of technical perfection.

Another tremendous contributor to my development is my own father, Panayiotis Evagorou. He is a national and European Sanshou referee who has been present for every one of my Sanshou fights, many times in my corner. He's studied various Chinese and Japanese martial arts himself over the years and holds a black belt in Judo. He has helped me develop my grappling and throwing techniques and I regard him as being a huge influence on my fighting skills.

I was 18 years old when I began training for Sanshou. I was still training hard at Tang Sou Dao but I wanted to test the skills and techniques I gained there in a wider arena. It was thanks (again!) to my father for introducing me to Shi Fu Ian Armstrong of the Nam Yang Pugilistic Association where I study Traditional Tiger Crane Combination Kung Fu, Iron Shirt Chi Kung, weapons, and of course Sanshou.

Ian Armstrong helped me build on the strong kicks developed through Tang Sou Dao, adding boxing, body movement and all round fighting skills. Thanks to his teaching and my commitment, I have become a three times British Sanshou Champion, European and World Bronze medalist, and I know he is very proud to have one of his students competing at such a prestigious event as the Olympic Games.

The British Kung Fu Council was modeled on the then British Karate Control Commission (itself set up in accordance with the UK Sports Council's guidelines) and established in 1973. it became the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts (BCCMA) in 1980 and was granted Sports Council Recognised Governing Body status. It remains the official governing body for Chinese martial arts in the UK. The Nam Yang Pugilistic Association is a member of the BCCMA and that affiliation has provided me with the opportunity to compete at the highest level of Sanshou.

It is only now that I have come to fully realise how adaptable Grandmaster Loke's Tang Sou Dao really is! Tang Sou Dao is a Chinese martial art embodying traditional Chinese theories and principles - but it is taught in an open and disciplined modern way, rather like the way Japanese and Korean arts are taught. Its syllabus includes sophisticated techniques and principles of footwork, taken from the Grandmaster's considerable knowledge and experience of both Chinese and Japanese fighting systems.

During an intriguing interview with him from the October/November 2007 of Combat magazine, he explains how techniques and martial arts themselves must evolve and improve - or they will become stagnant. Tang Sou Dao, I have found for myself, has the ability to adapt to any fighting style. It teaches practical techniques for realistic applications and its philosophy is based not on teaching you to fight (!) but rather - how to defend yourself.

Echoing a comment made in a different article from Combat magazine, it's not so important to know a lot of techniques so much as being able to perform a few versatile and practical techniques really well! This is not to say that all you need practice is one technique! But if you correctly practise a particular and practical technique for 15 years, then it must become very fast, very strong and very effective.

Take the front thrust kick in Grandmaster Loke's Tang Sou Dao system. Break it down to its essentials: body position, distance adjustment; delivery timing, targeting, maintaining defence even as you are kicking; generating power through hip movement and forming the foot shape. You might well say "A kick is just a kick" but an effective kick needs to embody all those previously mentioned essentials because it is only through incorpoating those that the kick will succeed.

Many effective Chinese martial arts teach the principles of evasion, centre line and footwork, and these principles are the cornerstones of Tang Sou Dao system. What is the use of having a powerful kick when you aren't in a good position to use it, or at the best distance to use it effectively? I've applied these principles in the fighting arena and I attribute a great deal of my success in Sanshou to the footwork and evasion I learned from Grandmaster Loke and Master Goward.

I know there are teachers who would disapprove of a student training in two different systems at the same time, but that has never been the case with Grandmaster Loke. He supports me 100%. I have learned from his philosophy and from his teaching and through that learning, I have been able to improve myself as a martial artist and as a competitor. His teaching has made me realise not only the potential I have but the knowledge and experience I am now able to pass on to my own students.

Through the Olympics, I have this great chance to achieve what I never thought possible in my martial arts life. But once my fighting career is over, my martial art journey continues. As I said before, competing at the Olympics is what dreams are made of but my true dream is to pass on my skills and knowledge to my students. I want to make them realise what my instructors and influences made me realise - that through hard work, discipline and belief, you can fulfil your maximum potential.

I will never expect all my students to become world champions although I will expect them to give their all (not just in their training but in everything they do).

You do not need a medal around your neck or a trophy in your hand to know that you have won - but I can certainly give them an incentive by becoming an Olympic Champion myself.

Wish me luck!

Tang Sou!

To watch Nick's promotional video on YOU TUBE
click here ....

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