WARRIORS OF WU

Ever thought of executing flying kicks or leaping deftly over walls? Get schooled in the art of wushu, and you may just find yourself as nimble and quick as Jackie Chan!

Think of Chinese martial arts (wushu in Chinese) and period movies like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' or Jackie Chan's action movies come to mind. More specifically, action celebrities like the late Bruce Lee, Samo Hung, Jackie Chan and local actor Vincent Ng were all trained in wushu.

Originating from China, wushu consists of many forms, such as taiji quan, taiji sword, nan quan, bei quan, and also involves using the cudgel, spear, broadsword, sword and other weapons.

Whichever form interests you, it is vital that you have a strong foundation. This means mastering basic stances like the ma bu, basic kicking, jumping and punching movements like the gong Ii quan and tan tui, before you move on to learn different forms or to use weapons.

Strengthening body and mind

While wushu is essentially a form of self-defence, it also keeps you in shape and improves your stamina and energy.

"The main benefit of wushu is the strengthening of the body," said Mr Leo Kee Ann, 50, deputy wushu coach from the De Wu Pugilistic Association.

He said that parents of children with health conditions, like asthma, are understandably concerned about any possible risks involved in taking up wushu.
But Mr Leo assured that it is not a problem, as long as the parents inform the instructors about their children's condition. They can then pay special attention to these children and teach them accordingly.


"Anyone can learn," said Mr Leo, who has 32 years of coaching experience. "Achieving your aim and being good at it are two different things because everyone has different intentions."

Wushu looks easy on television or in the movies but, as with most things, involves lots of hard work.

"The most difficult part is the foundation work. Some people give up because they can't take the toughness of that," said Mr Leo. "For someone who learns wushu, confidence, tolerance and perseverance are very important."

"Wushu builds up your determination. To be an instructor or an outstanding wushu exponent, your determination must be very strong. If you can achieve your objective in learning wushu, you won't be defeated easily in society," the wushu master added.

Bond to train

Some females in their 30s and 40s are apprehensive about whether they can learn the sport at their age. To Mr Leo, who is also a registered trainer with the People's Association and conducts classes at community centres and clubs, that is the wrong mentality.

"The main thing is whether you like it or not. You don't have to care about what others think, or feel embarrassed because there are a lot of kids in the class," said Mr Leo.

Besides, learning wushu can strengthen a family's relationship as well. Mr Ho Wah Kit's whole family has picked up the sport: his nine-year-old son started learning wushu at the age of four, while Mr Ho and his wife, both 44, and his daughter, five, joined in two years ago.

"I find that a lot of students are not close to their parents, so we must have an activity that involves the whole family. My wife and I also prefer an activity that we can do anywhere, anytime," said Mr Ho.

"For wushu, we can practise outside the house. When we went to Beijing on holiday, we practised in the hotel."

Linda, too, learns wushu together with her nine-year-old son, Charles. Initially, you may not spot her and her son in the huge class of students. But you'll soon notice a lady and a boy with white skin and brown hair.

Mrs Linda Mcfadden, is Canadian. She was fascinated by kung fu and started learning wushu when her husband came to Singapore to work three and a half years ago.

Initially, the language barrier caused some frustration. But this soon disappeared because people would come forward and help explain the instructions to them in English.

The 49-year-old is thankful for that and now enjoys wushu tremendously as it makes her "feel energetic and fresh".

"I think it has also brought my son and me closer because we can practise at home. And it makes him feel good when I make a mistake and he goes, 'Mummy, you are doing that wrong'!" she said, with a laugh.

Charles was candid about why he likes wushu: "It's fun, and I like doing it because it improves my soccer performances! It makes me stronger and flexible."

Whether it's for passion, exercise or bonding, have a go at wushu today. You might just be the next big martial arts star!

About Wushu:

• Competitions include the Asian Wushu Championships as well as those at the national level.
• It is an official event included in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games.
• It is not included in the Olympics but China is lobbying for the sport to be included in the 2008 Games in Beijing.
• Singapore's national representatives train at the Singapore National Wushu Federation.

For more information on wushu courses available at community clubs, visit http://pa-online.pa.gov.sg/cc-online.

To find out more about the De Wu Pugilistic Association, visit www.dewuwushu.com.