By Zhu Linyong (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-07 10:00

A growing number of young Chinese are learning wushu as well as imported, combatant sports such as taekwondo, karate and muay Thai.

"Life changes and times change. But the ancient martial arts continue to be relevant," Zhang says.

Take taichi for example. In the 1950s, the Chinese government organized a group of kungfu masters and sports experts to simplify and standardize Chinese wushu styles.

As a result, a roster of simplified wushu forms (tao lu) featuring a series of postures and gestures were introduced to maintain good health, according to Zhang.

A recent report by China Central Television indicates there are about 100 million people worldwide practicing Chinese taichi, arguably the most popular and best-known Chinese wushu style today.

In provinces where wushu is part of the local tradition, such as Shandong and Henan provinces, the number of wushu enthusiasts run into the millions, says Li Xianwei, deputy head of Shandong Laizhou Wushu Training Center, a privately owned wushu school.

At present, China has reportedly over 15,000 registered wushu schools, besides the numerous private coaching centers.

The number was much larger back in the 1980s when kungfu movies and TV drama series such as Shaolin Temple starring Jet Li and Drunken Kungfu Master starring Jackie Chan were popular among young people, fueling a strong interest in ancient Chinese martial arts, says Li whose training center has at least 1,000 students aged between 5 and 18.

Since its establishment in July 1992, his center has trained over 12,000 students, including some from other countries and regions.

Over the past few years, the center has opened 10 branches in countries such as France, Spain, South Africa, and the United States, providing all kinds of traditional wushu courses for foreigners.

   1 2 3   

   1 2 3