Student Reporter: Ms Law Tim Wai (COMM/2)
Student Translator: Mr Chan Chun Hong (TRAN/2)
English Editor: Mr Jimmy K K Lau, English Language Teaching Unit
Photographer: Mr Bard Wu

Mr Ho Yin Ching (PESH/2) has been involved in martial arts since childhood. Through participating in various competitions, his talent was discovered by his family and coach. The sense of achievement and challenges that martial arts brought have fascinated him, and he continued to train diligently. He was later recommended to join the Hong Kong National Team, becoming a professional athlete representing Hong Kong. Throughout his martial art career, not only has Yin Ching won plenty of awards, but he has also faced injuries and setbacks, all of which he has tackled with the support of his family and coaches, helping him to roll with the punches. Looking to the future, Yin Ching hopes to focus on developing his martial art skills and continue to shine on the world stage, striving for more prestigious awards.

Starting from the age of four, Yin Ching was encouraged by his father to explore different interests and participate in various extracurricular activities, such as tennis, rugby, and piano. Yin Ching noted that martial arts have a lower entry barrier and are less dangerous compared to other sports. He later accomplished outstanding results in various competitions, achieving the top three in a territory-wide martial arts competition in sixth grade, and consistently ranking in the top five in various events. He stated humbly that “Martial arts emphasise physical coordination and flexibility, which are innate qualities, and I happen to be well-suited for practicing them.” He has seen his potential through martial arts himself and gained a sense of achievement that sparked his interest in the sport.

Although the martial arts routine lasts only 1.5 mins, it is the result of countless high-intensity training sessions. (photo provided by the interviewee)

Yin Ching won the Gold Medal in the Changquan event at the “10^th Asian Wushu Championships” in 2024. (photo provided by the interviewee)

“Martial Arts Training is Tough; Persistence is Key to Success”

Yin Ching mentioned that the training cycle for martial artists is gruelling. Since this sport is  evaluated mainly based on the difficulty of movements and the quality of execution, he gladly pushes himself with high-difficulty tasks and often develops challenging movements. To him, the period from August to November is the most exhausting, where he has to perform a complete martial arts routine for four consecutive weeks, with each lasting one and a half minutes of high-intensity practice. He needs to complete one to two routines each day to finish his training. “Just stick to it!” – Yin Ching emphasised that persistence is the key to completing his training. Fortunately, the winter training period is more manageable since it focuses more on cardiovascular exercises.

“Facing Setbacks with Family Support”

“Family support is so important to me!” Yin Ching believed that he wouldn’t have achieved such great results without his parents’ support, despite having talent and enthusiasm for for martial arts. He recalled that when he was studying in secondary school, he had to wake up early travelling from Tuen Mun to Ma On Shan, and subsequently attending to the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Fo Tan after school. He would usually finish training at 9 in the evening, but he still had all the time to rest only because his father would drive him daily home at a reasonable hour. Unfortunately, in his third year of secondary school, he injured a ligament during training about three weeks before the competition as he was preparing for the World Junior Wushu Championship in Brazil. Rejecting doctor’s suggestion, he took painkillers during the 26-hour flight to endure the pain of his injury. Eventually, with his father’s support and love, he successfully won the gold medal in the broadsword category of the competition.

“Balancing Martial Art and Academics”

Being asked how he balances his busy training schedule with academics, Yin Ching said that university courses offer significant flexibility, which alleviates his academic pressure during training periods. Additionally, the department is very supportive of him as a full-time athlete, regularly providing courses selection information and facilitating consultations with professors, allowing him to manage both his intense training and his studies.

“Looking to the Future: Aiming for Continued Success and Popularizing Martial Art”

Yin Ching‘s short-term goal is to achieve a top three finish in the long fist category at the World Wushu Championships next year. Furthermore, he aims to win a medal at the Asian Games in the long run. He hopes to achieve good results for the Hong Kong National Team while making martial arts a more popular sport. He notices that Hong Kong just held its first inter-school martial art competition this year. He hopes to bring martial arts into schools, nurturing talents and introducing more young people to the sport, discovering gifted martial artists, and advocating this underappreciated sport in Hong Kong. Finally, he encourages young people who are pursuing their dreams: “Always believe in yourself even in the moments of doubt!”