Sunday night marked the closing of the London Olympics and the end of a journey for thousands of athletes around the world. But as Micheal Phelps and Abby Wambach step down from the podium and pack away their medals, another group of athletes are gearing up to represent the united states in world competition.

While the world’s attention has been focused on the London the past two weeks, the best Chinese martial artists in the world were competing at the international Kuoshu (Kung Fu) Championships in Baltimore, Maryland hosted by Grand-master Huang, Chien Liang, president of the united states Chinese Kuoshu federation (USKSF). For the Americans there, it served as the national championships and their opportunity to earn a coveted spot on the US National Kuoshu team, which will compete at the 4th world kUoshu (Kung Fu) Championships in Malaysia this October.

When all was said and done, the U.S.A team was selected and bay area athletes dominated the competition. Of the 18 total spots on the team, 7 went to students from Richard Lee’s East West Kung Fu In Alamo. Collin Lee (Danville), Ryan Hodge (Pleasanton), Angie Dominguez (Pleasanton), Anna Liu (Danville), Kaylee Baker (Livermore), Whitney Berch (Walnut Creek) and Ashley Dong (San Jose) will fight for gold in the Lei Tai, or full contact fighting, division. Richard Lee’s east west also secured two of the coaching spots as well, when master john Buckley and Morgan Newman were selected as head usa national team coach and USA national Women’s team coach respectively.

The success of east west’s athletes extended even beyond the national team selections. They took 1st place in the weapons and forms division, 1st place in the Lei Tai, as well as earning them the Wang, Cheuh-Jen Grand Championship Cup for an unprecedented 13th year in a row.

For more information on east west Kung Fu and to follow these athletes as they get ready for the world championships, please visit us on our website at www.bokfudo.com, like us on facebook facebook.com/bokfudo, and follow us on twitter @ewbokfudo.