Jacob Buckley competes at the Wing Chun World Championship, where he won a gold medal.
Submitted Photo
Staff Report
GREENFIELD — Three members of Meng’s Shaolin Wing Chun in Greenfield traveled to Fuzhou, China for the inaugural Southern Shaolin Wing Chun Championship in late August and returned home with medals.
From August 23-25, the USA National Wing Chun competition team and the Meng’s Shaolin Wing Chun international team competed at the inaugural event. Team USA won 36 medals and Meng’s team members, from around USA and internationally, brought the total medal count to 42.
Meng’s members included representatives from Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, and internationally from Argentina, Columbia, France and Taiwan.
Locally, Meng’s Shaolin Wing Chun school in Greenfield had three USA team members.
Sifu Scott Stapleton, the head instructor and owner of Greenfield’s Meng’s Shaolin Wing Chun, competed along with his wife and three-time national champion Rebecca Stapleton and son Jacob Buckley, a four-time national champion.
The trio won a total of three medals at the World Championship, with Buckley bringing home gold. Just 14 years old, he won his first gold medal and earned his first world champion title in the Advance Biu Ji (Thrusting Fingers). Buckley also placed fifth in both Chum Kiu (Seek/Destroy Bridge) and Muk Yan Jong (Wooden Dummy).
Sifu Scott Stapleton brought home two medals from the four events he competed in. He won a silver medal in the weapons division Baat Jaam Dao (Eight Slashing Blades), and a bronze medal in Chi Sau (Energy Hands). He also earned a fourth-place finish in Advance Sil Lim Tau.
Rebecca Stapleton competed in three different events in combined male/female divisions alongside master-level participants. She placed fifth in Baat Jaam Dao, sixth in Muk Yan Jong and ninth in Advance Biu Ji Form.
The competition to earn a spot at the World Championship began back on April 3 and attracted nearly 1,000 professional and amateur Wing Chun martial practitioners from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Held across nine different venues, the event unfolded in three stages, initial registration and selection, a secondary contest, and the culminating World Finals.
Over 170 Wing Chun martial artists advanced to participate in the final rounds. The World Championship was one of historical significance, bringing the Shaolin Wing Chun system back to its roots and home in Fujian, China’s Southern Shaolin Temple. The original temple was burnt to the ground in the 1600s, and the new temple was built next to the grounds of the original temple location.
“Some of the best parts of this trip were the lessons learned in history, culture, fellowship and sportsmanship,” Scott Stapleton said. “Being at the temple was overwhelming at times as it is so beautiful and steeped in such history.”
The USA Team was also treated to a special VIP dinner hosted by the Chinese government in the Fujian province.
Meng’s SWC of Greenfield and Stapleton’s family would like to thank all those who helped with the fundraising process and the donations that helped minimize some of the cost of the events. These include local businesses Riley Park Tire, Lincoln Square Pancake House, Jersey Mike’s, Wooden Bear Brewing Co., Nutty Mutt Bakery, Dave’s Meat Market, Lucinda & Sam Anderson, Chicago’s Pizza, Hometown Comics, Hitherto Coffee & Games, Family Bike Chain, the Mug, and Ashley Radtke.
