Andre is taking the kung fu world by storm. In January he was named the grand champion in the six to eight year old division at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championships. Andre has placed first in 55 of 74 worldwide championship competitions and represented the United States at the World Traditional Wushu Championships last year. The nine-year-old is so committed to his sport that he moved to China to attend the Beijing ShiChaiHai Sports School. Andre is fluent in Mandarin and raises money for the American Cancer Society. Andre Magnum SportsKid could just happen as he was recently nominated and is a final runner up for SportsKid of the Year 2016 from Sport Illustrated.
In the United States, Andre is ranked first for his age for Kung Fu, which earned him a spot on the US Traditional Wushu Team. He has won first place in over 55 competitions worldwide. Andre is featured in the October 2011 issue of Blackbelt Magazine. A documentary on Andre released in the Spring of 2012. He has been interviewed many times for CCTV/China’s ESPN equivalent.
Andre lives in China; he is the first foreigner to be accepted to an elite Chinese student program at Shaolin Temple where he attended the first half of 3rd grade. Andre was accepted to ShiChaHai (China’s Olympic Training Center)for the remainder of 3rd grade and elite Wushu training. On the Chinese academic standardized tests, he scored 98% and 96%.
WangZiLong (as Andre is known to his Chinese peers) is considered an unofficial ambassador for Kung Fu and China. He has been a presenter at UTEP and WAB. He volunteers his expertise at Festivals around the United States. He was invited by the Abbot of Shaolin to showcase his traditional Kung Fu at the opening of the San Francisco Shaolin Temple.
Andre’s Story
Red headed Andre Magnum is taking the kung fu world by storm. This little boy was diagnosed with severe hyperactivity at 3 years old and his parents were told that he would need to be drugged if he wanted to attend school. The other alternative was lots of exercise. At first he ran around the track at a local junior college, but after watching a few minutes of a Jackie Chan movies he said “I want to do that,” and he did. Andre age made finding him a kung fu instructor difficult, but his father, Kenn Magnum didin’t give up. He studyed for about a year with wing chun master Richard Loewenhagen, who made an exception for the young boy and then with Master Joseph Eagar of Eagar’s Kung Fu Academy when Andres parents moved to Chandler, Arizona. Andre learned northern style shaolin kung-fu as well as modern wushu and he burned off his excess energy by practicing for a several hours a day. Master Eagar’s school didn’t offer ranks and there were no other children to compare Andre abilities to, so his parents allowed him to compete to help keep him motivated. In his first tournament, Andre took first place and he loved competing. Master Eagar worked with Andre individually and the little red head showed his genius by winning competition after competition. He joined the schools adult demo team and performed everywhere, taking center stage wherever he went. During one of the demo performances Andre met a performing shaolin monk at a show in Phoenix, and he invited Andre to train in China.
Andre’s family had already been studying about China and they jumped on this oportunity for their son. Andre’s mother couldn’t leave work so Andre and his father traveled to the official school of the Shaolin Temple, Tagou, and stayed there so Andre could train for three months. He was young and his first instructor went easy on him. He missed his mom and wanted to go home. He had a competition he had committed to so he remained for the competition. Kung fu competition in China is nothing like competitions in the US. There were thousand upon thousands of spectators and thousands of competitors. When the press found Andre, they kept Andre and his father talking through one of the reporters who knew a little English. When Andre’s turn came to compete, he performed flawlessly and the experience brought him back to life.
Andre felt his instructor treated him like a baby so he was given to Li Jie for training. Li Jie was not patient and demanded not only perfect Kung Fu, but he was teaching Andre using Chinese, forcing Andre to learn the language. Andre thrived and soon the 3 months of training was over. Returning to the United States, Andre competed in again but this time he had real competition from the son of a Shaolin monk whose father had recently opened a local school. Andre took first place in traditional forms and second place in long weapons to the other boy, who had also been shaolin-trained.
Andre returned to training with Master Joseph Eagar and Wushu Master Jin HenLi. He also studied some with Kung Fu Master Kenny Perez.
While home, at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championships he was named the grand champion in the six to eight year old division.
In 2010, at eight years old, Andre began a year of living in China at Shaolin focusing his training on Shaolin, Black Tiger. He is living with other Chinese students and attending their academic classes while he trains in Kung Fu.
Andre has placed first in 55 of 74 worldwide championship competitions and represented the United States at the World Traditional Wushu Championships last year. The nine-year-old is so committed to his sport that he moved to China to attend the Beijing ShiChaiHai Sports School. Andre is fluent in Mandarin and raises money for the American Cancer Society.
For more information check out Andre Magnum on Facebook and on YouTube!
Age: 9 years
Sport: Wushu Kung Fu
Sports Illustrated Kids SportsKid of the Year contest
Andre Magnum
ShiChaHai Beijing Sports Academy
Wushu Student Resident’s Hall
DongCheng District
BeijingChina, 100007
Margot Magnum
(Mother lives in USA)
5025 N Central Ave. #641
Phoenix, Arizona,85012
Phone: 480-361-6852
Email:margot.magnum@gmail.com
Kenn Magnum
(Father *lives in China to be close to Andre, Andre lives in the dorms of China’s most Elite Sports Academy “Shichahai”)
49 BaBaoKeng, Hutong, DongCheng district
Beijing, China, 100007
Chinese Phone: 0086-18611846411
Email:kenn.magnum@gmail.com
Coaching Staff
Jin HengLi (Contemporary Wushu/Kung Fu Coach Phoenix)
World Martial Arts Academy
2028 N 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phone: 480-612-3583 or 602-253-9134
Email: worldwushu@yahoo.com
Joseph Eagar (Traditional Kung Fu Coach Phoenix)
EagarWuShuAcademy
150 E Mariposa
Phoenix,AZ 85012
Phone: 602-264-4222
Email: josepheagar@yahoo.com
Juan Fernandez(Gymnastics Coach)
Ultimate Gymnastics
7812 N 12 Street
Phoenix,AZ 85020
Phone: 602-248-4212
Email: info@ultimategymnastics@com
Gao Xiang (Tradional Shaolin Kung FuBeijing)
49 BaBaoKeng, Hutong, DongCheng district
Beijing, China, 100007
Gaoxiang006@yahoo.com.cn
Liu QingHua (Contemporary Wushu/Kung Fu Beijing)
ShiChaHai Beijing Sports Academy
Wushu Student Resident’s Hall
DongCheng District
Beijing China, 100007
Sports
Andre Magnum (Wang ZiLong) has placed First in 55 of 74 championship competitions. Andre competes in both Traditional and WuShu competitions which is an oddity in martial arts.
January 2011 – ICMAC San Diego 5th
Grand Champion for 6 – 8 yr old Division
First Place in Contemporary Broad Sword, Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Contemporary Long Weapons, Staff, Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Contemporary Weapons Other, Double Daggers, Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Traditional Forms (Tiger), Advanced (division 6 to 8)
November 2010 – Shaolin Temple Competition
First Place in Traditional Forms
First Place in Traditional Weapons
October 2010 – 4th World Traditional Wushu Championships, Shiyan City
Represented United States Traditional WuShu Team in Competition
September 2010 – Shaolin Temple Competition
First Place in Traditional Forms
First Place in Traditional Weapons
August 2010 – 5th Annual Hong Kong International
Grand Champion for 6 – 8 yr old Division
First Place in Traditional Forms (Tiger), Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Contemporary Forms (Longfist), Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 6 to 8)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 6 to 8)
August 2010 Las Vegas Chinese Martial Arts Championships
First Place in Traditional Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Second Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Second Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Second Place in Wu Shu, Advanced (division 9 and under)
June 2010 – 7th Annual Shark City Nationals – San Jose
First Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Wu Shu, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Other Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
May 2010 – CMAT 18 (UC-Berkeley)
Second Place in Traditional Forms, Advanced (division 8 to 12)
Second Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 8 to 12)
Third Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 8 to 12)
March 2010 – Dallas International Chinese Martial Arts Championship
First Place in Nan Quan, Advanced (division 16 and under)
First Place in Forms, Advanced (division 8 and under)
First Place in Wu Shu, Advanced (division 8 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 8 and under)
Second Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 8 and under)
January 2010 – San Diego International Chinese Martial Arts Championship
First Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Wu Shu, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Other Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
November 2009 – Master Jinheng Li’s Holiday Competition – Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Empty Hand, Advanced (division 13 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 13 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 13 and under)
First Place in Other Weapons, Advanced (division 13 and under)
November 2009 – ASKA/Kung Fu Competition – Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
October 2009 – Washington, DC Chinese Martial Arts Championship
First Place in Forms (division 13 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons (division 13 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons (division 13 and under)
First Place in Other Weapons (division 13 and under)
September 2009 – ASKA Competition, Phoenix, AZ
Second Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
August 2009 Las Vegas Chinese Martial Arts Championships
First Place in Traditional Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Wu Shu, Advanced (division 9 and under)
March 2009 – ASKA Southwest Open Karate Championship, Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Second Place in Long Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Third Place in Short Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
January 2009 – ASKA Competition, Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
November 2008 Master Jinheng Li’s Holiday Championship & Tournament, Phoenix
First Place Empty Hand, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place Short Weapon, Advanced (division 9 and under)
First Place Long Weapon, Advanced (division 9 and under)
March 2008 – United States Karate Alliance Nationals, Albuquerque, NM
Forth Place in Forms, Advanced (division 9 and under)
Forth Place in Weapons, Advanced (division 9 and under)
February 2008 – Disney World Martial Arts Competition, Anaheim, CA
First Place in Long Weapons, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
First Place in Long Fist, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
First Place in Short Weapons, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
Third Place in Traditional Kung Fu, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
February 2008 – ASKA Arizona State Championships, Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Forms, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
First Place in Weapons, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
September 2007 – USKA & ASKA Competition, Phoenix, AZ
First Place in Forms, Intermediate (division 9 and under)
First Place in Weapons, Intermediate (division 9 and under) 2007- 2008 ASKA Point Year 1st Place Kata, 5 and Under
Run 4 Life, Kids Marathon, Completed – Youngest Contestant at 4 yrs old
Academic
- Fluent in Mandarin (reading, writing & spoken)
- Scored 96% & 98% onChina’s Standardized Academic Test
- EarnedSuperiorMarks in Chinese Academic School 2011
- Performs at or above grade level in all English classes
- Excels in Math
- Builds Lego projects rated for 16 yrs old by himself
Community Service Accomplishments/Recognition
- Raised money for the American Cancer Society over the Summer of 2011, in memory of his aunt Jessica Gonzales who lost her battle with cancer last year.
- Special Requested Guest Performer for the Grand Opening ofShaolinTemple, San Francisco
- Andre Magnum with the Abbot of Shaolin Temple Shi Yongxin
- Regularly Performs at Chinese New Year, Boat Festival, and Moon Festival Celebrations
- Guest Speaker at UTEP’s International Days, 2010
- Speech and Performance
- Inside Kung-Fu Magazine Featured article on Andre and his training at Shaolin Temple China.
- August 2010
- Pages 32 & 34
- http://www.insidekung-fu.com:80/content/view/198/37/
- Current Member of the Official USA TRADITIONAL KUNG FU TEAM
- Guest Speaker atWesternAcademyofBeijing, Sept 2011
- Speech and Performance
- Teaches Children’s Kung Fu classes
- “A Boy in China” Documentary on Andre’s life and training inChina
- To be released October 2011
- By Jon Braeley, jon@emptymindfilms.com, http://www.emptymindfilms.com/
- Shaolin Temple Tiger Lesson By Empty Mind Films
- BlackBelt Magazine Feature article on Andre and his training at Shaolin at Tagou
- Current Edition October 2011
- Page 66-69
- Interviewed by CCTV multiple times while training at Tagou, Shaolin Temple’s Official Kung Fu at Shaolin China.
- CCTV (China Central TeleVision-larger viewing audience then FOX)
- Interviewed for over 10 foreign news outlets
- Featured in 5U.S.Newspapers, both English and Mandarin
- Written about in over 12 International Kung Fu Magazines
- 19 YouTube Videos of both Traditional and WuShu Kung Fu
- Shaolin Training
- Beijing Training
- Recruited to ShiChaHai by Master WuBin. Master WuBin is a legend in the Kung Fu world, he was Jet Li’s and Donnie Yen’s coach. Although he has been retired for many years, he came to theUnited States to view Andre and personally trained him for two days. This was done at Master WuBin’s own volition, and he was not compensated in any manner for his time. Upon WuBin’s recommendation, Andre was the First Western Boy to try out for, and be accepted to, train full-time in the Chinese Portion of one of China’s Elite Olympic Training Centers.
- First Foreigner accepted into the Chinese Portion of the Shaolin Temple’s School at Tagou
- Youngest Foreigner ever to train at Shaolin Temple’s International Training Center at the age of 6 yrs old
- His goal is to win the US National Advanced MEN’S Wushu Championship by the time he is 10 years old. This is not only possible, barring injury, it’s almost inevitable.
