SAT 4/10
Kung fu means “disciplined person” in Mandarin and implies hard work or skill applied to any endeavor, not just martial arts. Chinese today use the word wushu to describe their style of martial arts — generally a more flowing and circular form than the stereotypical “hai-ya” sparring of Korean taekwondo or Japanese karate. At the twelfth annual UC Berkeley Chinese Martial Arts Tournament this Saturday, more than five hundred women and men from all over the United States will showcase the many varied styles of wushu. “The visual aspect is the most emphasized,” says tournament organizer Modi Wetzler, referring to the high jumps, striking moves, and acrobatics that characterize Chinese martial arts. The tournament, one of the largest in the country, will have divisions for kids up to seniors to compete in Traditional, Contemporary, and Internal Wushu, as well as special group exercises. Look for barehanded forms, styles named for different animals, and the use of weapons such as swords, staffs, and spears. Those who practice internal wushu work to unite the chi, or energy inside the body (one form is taijiquan, sometimes called tai chi). At day’s end, six different all-around champions will be crowned, based on scores from three to four individual events. This student-run tournament is a must-see for other martial artists looking for inspiration, kung fu movie fans who have never seen wushu done live, or anyone who appreciates a beautiful physical performance. Haas Pavilion, UC Berkeley, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., $7 admission for adults. Info: CalWushu.com — Annika Dukes
Credits: Al Cameron
SUN 4/11
Sticky
Criss-crosse
When the Cal women’s lacrosse team began its 2003-2004 campaign last fall, coach Jill Malko hoped the squad would be able to move into the national Top 20, behind such returning standouts as Molly Brady, Colleen O’Mara, and Julianne Wu. All three players have been impressive, as has freshman Laura Cavallo, but Cal has had its ups and downs against competition from traditional lacrosse hotbeds back East. The Cal women enjoy a home stand at Memorial Stadium this Sunday (12 noon) against Northwestern. Maybe the Wildcats can bring out the fury of the Bears. Info: CalBears.ocsn.com — Kelly Vance
4/7-4/13
Hand Me My Niblick
Attention golfers: Need a little work on your short game? Are your approaches looking more like retreats? Do you have water-hazard nightmares? Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland can help. Sequoyah’s newly-opened two-acre Practice Complex boasts numerous bunkers plus 12,000 square feet of greens, enabling golfers to dig in and work on the types of shots that drive them crazy — lob wedges, chip shots, long sand explosions, etc. The Practice Complex, including an area devoted to the “Junior Golf” program, is one of several ongoing improvement programs at Sequoyah, a scenic course founded in 1913 that lies outside the fog bank in the Oakland hills. To learn more, visit SequoyahCC.com — Kelly Vance
