Wushu Queen Janice Hung: Television’s Sexy Villain

Actress and international Wushu champion Janice Hung gained countless fans as Encantadia’s Bathaluman Ether, the GMA show’s sexy villainess. With her dangerous curves and graceful yet powerful fighting style, it’s no wonder she entranced fans who cheered her on in fight scenes even though she was actually playing the bad guy. 

Janice’s passion for Wushu drives her to excel in everything that she does. When she’s not in tapings and shoots, she’s teaching public school kids the art of Wushu or training even further to hone her fighting style and her physique. We caught up with Janice at a shoot for Shape magazine to get to know her better.

THE PHILIPPINE STAR: When did you get into Wushu and what made you decide to pursue this? 

JANICE HUNG: I started Wushu when I was six years old. I saw the National Wushu Team perform and it was so fascinating. I told myself I wanted to be like them. I know Wushu is a very challenging sport. I think it really shows my personality.

How did you succeed in both studies and sports as a student athlete at UST? 

It’s really hard because in the morning, I go to school and in the afternoon, I train with the UST team, and then at night, I train with the Philippine team and after that, I would study and finish my homework, review my lessons for the following day. It was really very hard, but it’s more of time management and as long as you love what you do, you will never feel tired because of it.

Why did you set up the Janice Hung Arts and Sports Foundation?

The Janice Hung Arts and Sports Foundation is for music and sports. I started it to raise awareness because no one is really supporting Wushu. I put up the foundation to promote the sport and to help rally support for the sport of Wushu. This year, we’re supporting a lot of Wushu clinics in different public schools.

Some people think Wushu is a sport that one should have started from his/her formative years, but we know that people can get into this martial art as a daily workout or fitness regimen, too. What are the physical requirements for people who want to get into this sport? 

I have a YouTube channel where I have what I call a fitness sheet. It’s a cardio workout that I did and designed for them. Aside from that, there’s Wushu 101 for people who want to try Wushu even if they’re in their 30s, 40s, 50s, it’s Wushu for everyone.

How effective is Wushu for people who just do this as a cardiovascular and toning exercise to stay fit? 

Wushu is a very effective and efficient sport. It’s a total body workout. It does not only focus on your cardio but also on your flexibility, strength, power, agility, and body coordination, which are all really very important. It can actually improve your lifestyle.

When you’re in the gym, what exactly do you do? Describe to us your workout routine. 

What I do in the gym depends on what I’m focusing on that day — for example, for today, I will focus on the abs. But every day, I do my stretching. It can improve a lot of things and help you in a lot of ways. If you do other sports, it’s actually very helpful. I work out at least three times a week as long as I have time.

We know that maintaining that great physique is really a challenge. Aside from playing the sport and working out in the gym, do you follow a strict diet?

Diet? Maybe you would be shocked if I told you that I eat in buffets all the time. But what I do is, of course, when I eat, it should always be in moderation. It’s like a balanced diet; I love steak and salmon. For shoots, I eat a lot of vegetables. I love carrots. For protein, I would eat chicken breast.

Why do you love your shape? 

I love my shape because it speaks about the kind of person I am. I’m all about discipline, determination and dedication to stay in shape. It speaks about what I’m pursuing in life.

Please share with our readers a fitness quote that you live by. 

 “Whatever you do in life, never give up.”

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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.