Wednesday, October 8, 2008

International Wushu Federation

The International Wushu Federation is an organization established on 3 October 1990 to promote . Since 1991, the IWUF has held eight World Wushu Championships, and has also helped the around 100 federations under the IWUF all around the world to hold their own championships . Currently, the IWUF has 106 member countries . The IWUF has also been actively trying to get wushu to be a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games.

List of international competitions organised by the IWUF:
* World Wushu Championships
* World Junior Wushu Championships
* World Traditional Wushu Championships
* Sanshou World Cup

Hao Zhihua

Hao Zhihua started her training at the age of nine at the Beijing Sports Academy under the instruction of Wu Bin, director of the Beijing Institute for Wushu Research and a pioneer of modern wushu in China. For fifteen years she competed in China as a member of the world-renowned Beijing Wushu Team, winning the title of National All-Around Champion three years in a row.

Hao Zhihua has the unique distinction of being the only person in China's history to have won six gold medals, in addition to one silver medal, in a single national competition. She is also one of only two wushu athletes who have ever received the "Ten Best Athletes in China" award. In total, she accumulated over 80 gold, silver, and bronze medals during her competitive career.

In addition to coach Wu Bin, Hao Zhihua trained under coach Li Junfeng and studied yang-style Tai Chi under master Yang Zhenduo. She is proficient in , and , , , , , , , , , and .

After leaving the Beijing Wushu Team she received a special invitation to attend the Beijing Teacher's College of Physical Education for an intensive degree program in physical education. After graduating she continued to teach at the college for two years before leaving China. She taught abroad before finally settling in Berkeley, California in 1990, where she currently provides instruction in wushu, Tai Chi, and bagua in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

Hao Zhihua runs a dojo in Berkeley, California.

Gun (staff)

The Gun refers to a long weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the ''Qiang '', '''', and the , called in this group "The Grandfather of all Weapons".

Variants



There are various kinds of ''gun'' , and they include the following:

* Monkey Staff
* Biangan
* Mad Demon Staff
* Tianqi Staff
* Staff of Five Tigers and Goat Herds
* Nunchaku
* Taiji Staff of Thirteen
* Taiji Quarterstaff
* Taiji Staff
* Staff of Eight Trigrams and Seven Stars
* Staff of Eight Fairies
* Flail

The types of gun normally used nowadays for exercises and competitions are the bailangan and the nangun .

Traditionally, the gun is made out of a material called wax wood, rather than bamboo as many people might think. Wax wood is strong, yet flexible, making it ideal as a material for the gun. The gun is fashioned with one thick end as the base and a thinner end near the tip, and is cut to be about the same height as the user. Today, more modern versions may be purchased made with metal and rubber parts.

=Characteristics and Techniques



For a demonstration of the wax wood style gun characteristics and techniques, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iOO1rfBo4.

Other external links



*

Dragon yoga

Dragon Yoga is a synthesis of Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu and the Yogic Practices of India
Created in the Year of the Dragon by Jeremy Safron this diverse art offers a variety of practices that train strength, speed, focus, agility, flexibility and endurance.

Butterfly kick

A butterfly kick or horse kick is a kick featured within many disciplines of martial arts, but originally practiced in Chinese martial arts, in particular modern wushu. It is so named because as the legs reach the apex of their arc the arms are stretched out, leaving all limbs extended in a position similar to that of a butterfly's wings in-flight . Although the specific nature of the kick varies, it is generally composed of a twist of the body while both legs are lifted from the ground and swung around, while the torso remains as as possible. It is an advanced maneuver that requires the use of the whole body and the strike can occur with either leg. It is often seen as a kick used to "cut a swathe" through multiple opponents. There are many variations, and different movements may be captured under the same name or likewise similar movements given under a different name depending on the martial arts school or style. It can be executed either from standing or from a step up run.

Because of its aesthetic appeal the move is often used in movies .

Variants



There are many butterfly kick variants, as each student adopts slightly different maneuvers and style depending on his specific martial arts background. For example, a -derived butterfly kick would be somewhat more graceful compared to a tae kwon do-derived kick, which would have a more dynamic, energetic look.

;Butterfly Twist
:Also known simply as a twist, this is a move that is very popular within the tricking community due to its floating and twisting motion, as well as its ability to easily link into other moves. It is used in various martial arts, including Wushu and Capoeira. It's wushu name is ''xuàn zi zhuàn tǐ'' , and its Capoeira name is "''mariposa''" which literally means "butterfly". A butterfly twist can be described as a butterfly kick where a 360° spin is added once one is in the air. However, the takeoff and landing leg are the same, unlike a b-kick.
;HK Spin
:A derivative of the butterfly twist, which is essentially the same move, but the person delivering the move falls onto to ground horizontally. This is not usually performed as a trick, but is commonly used as a type of fall in fight choreography. HK spins are named so because they were popularized in Hong Kong martial arts films. 360° and 720° spins are the two most common, though 1080° spins have been done in the past but the fall was from an elevated surface to a lower surface.
;
:This trick is considered related to the butterfly twist due to the original takeoff used, however a less traditional variant which uses a J-Step/J-Turn has also been developed. The practitioner will take a few quick steps in an arc-shape and, when ready, throw a leg in the air. Along with thrusting the arms upward, this helps to lift the body off the ground. When sufficient height has been achieved, the individual will turn their body towards the "inside" of the kicking leg , executing approximately 540 degrees of rotation, to land on the non-kicking leg.
;Illusion Twist
:Begins almost identically to a normal twist, however the body begins to up right itself during mid-execution. This is because a is thrown with the last leg to take off. The kick is thrown in a very fast whipping motion that brings the body upright and facing forward. Another distinguishing feature of this kick is that both feet generally land at the same time.
;Hyper Twist
:This move adds an additional 90-180 degrees of rotation to the twist. The defining characteristic of this move is the fact that the landing is done with the other leg. Because of the setup of the feet created by this landing, it is possible to immediately go into another butterfly, twist, or other variant.
;Hyper Hook
:Essentially a Hyper Twist with a thrown after the landing leg has swung over into position for a landing.
;Twist to the splits
:Like most tricks and their variants, these too can be landed in the splits.

Multi-rotation variants


Some variants add additional rotation to the standard Butterfly twist. The extra twisting generally requires faster twisting of the body, more torque and extra height in order to land safely.
;720 Twist
:This is essentially a normal twist but rotates 720° instead of 360°. Variants of this include, 720 Hyper Twists, 720 Twists to the splits, and a hybrid twist to gyro —begins as a twist, rotates 360°, continues spinning in the air as it uprights to 360 gyro.
;Cheat 720 Twist
:Cheat 720 Twist Hyperhook
:Practically every variant of the twist begins with the lead leg of the body taking off last. With a 720 Cheat, the take off is very similar to a standard 540 kick except that it lays a bit more horizontal. After rotating about 180° in the air, the body then the assumes the normal mechanics of a standard twist, add twists a total of 540°.
;1080 Twist
:A triple butterfly twist. While it is rumored that some wushu practitioners and advanced trickers can perform this move, it has also never been caught on film.
;California Roll
:Is Cheat 720 twist with an added rotation, or a Cheat 1080 twist. The take off is very similar to a Cheat 720, but instead of twisting 540°, the practitioner twists 900°.

Popularity


The spectacular appearance that is both graceful and powerful as from its martial arts origin has made the Butterfly kick versatile in a wide range of performing arts such as breakdancing, tricking, martial arts films, various video games , gymnastics and even on the ice as seen in Olympics figure skating. It has also appeared in the sport of professional wrestling by trained martial artists like Low Ki. It also appeared in '''' as one of Darth Maul's signature techniques, Ray Park being a wushu champion. Though not as well known as some of the other tricking moves such as aerials and flips, the Butterfly kick holds a unique position in the acrobatic world for being a traditional defensive move incorporated into the modern popular arts and international sports.

Beijing Wushu Team

The Beijing Wushu Team is a world renowned team from Beijing, China. The team has produced many famous international stars such as Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Huang Qiuyan, Zhang Hongmei and . The Beijing team members also work with movie producers to make films. Aside from Jet Li, many other athletes have also been featured in movies Every year, the Beijing Team performs demonstrations of wushu for the citizens of Beijing as well as visiting dignitaries. They have performed for former US President Jimmy Carter as well as many other foreign heads of state when they visited Beijing.

History



The Beijing Wushu Team was founded in November 1974 by Wu Bin and Li Junfeng as a successor to the Beijing Wushu School. The Beijing Wushu School was created in order to prepare the city of Beijing for the first . Beijing Sports University wushu department graduate Liu Peiwei was appointed team leader and coach. After the first All China Games, the team found a home at the Beihai Sports Center, with Liu Peiwei serving as the first director.

In 1963, Beijing Sports University graduate Wu Bin came to the school as a coach, bringing new vitality into the sports school and establishing the foundation for the Beijing Team's later success.

In the nearly three decades since its founding, and through the hard work of the athletes and coaches, the team has achieved remarkable levels of success. From 1974 to 1997, they won the National team championship 11 times. From 1975 to 1985, the Beijing Wushu Team achieved a feat that no team has ever accomplished, before or since – winning the championship for ten consecutive years. The Beijing Wushu Team received 40 individual gold medals during this 10 year reign.

Many of the earlier generations of Beijing Wushu Team athletes have gone on to teach wushu abroad. Many have emigrated to the USA, Australia, Japan and other parts of Asia.

Beijing Wushu Team Performance Tours



The team has showcased its skills through the Beijing Wushu Team Tour many times over the years. The worldwide tours showcase a mix of veteran athletes and rising stars demonstrating their very best routines. As part of a world tour in 1974, Jet Li was reputed to have performed a two-man fight for US President Richard Nixon on the White House lawn. The Beijing team has toured the USA several times in the 1980s and 1990s and into the current century. In 1995 they performed in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, CA and Calgary, Canada. In 1999 they were invited to perform at Arnold Schwarzenegger's Annual Arnold Classic. The team performed and served as judges for the 1998 and 1999 Collegiate Wushu Championships as well. Most recently the 2005 tour saw the team performing in Washington DC, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Aerial cartwheel

An aerial cartwheel is an acrobatic move in which a is executed without touching hands to the floor. During execution of a standard cartwheel, the performer's body is supported by the hands while transitioning through the inverted orientation, whereas an aerial cartwheel performer is airborne while inverted. To compensate for lack of support from the hands, leg momentum is employed to keep the performer airborne until the leading foot touches down. Aerial cartwheels can be executed while running or from a stationary, standing position. Aerial cartwheels are also known by various other names, including ''side aerials'', ''no-hands cartwheels'', or simply ''aerials''.

Aerial cartwheels are performed in gymnastics, acro dance, tricking, and in martial arts such as and Capoeira. In a martial arts context the aerial cartwheel is visually interesting but of little value to combatants. Consequently, it is commonly seen in martial arts exhibitions, performances and movies, but seldom used in sparring matches and fights.

Variations


*Tucked Aerial
:The motions are virtually identical to a regular aerial except that the legs are tucked in instead of extended. Because the legs are tucked in it is easier for a practitioner to gain more speed with this variant. The move is sometimes confused with a side flip, but are actually very different when their mechanics are analyzed. For added difficulty, some tricksters execute kick while their body is inverted.
*Axe to Aerial
:This is where a leg is brought up, normally shoulder/head height, and then swung down . Instead of placing the foot back on the ground it continues to swing and becomes the initial leg of an aerial. A variant of this where the practitioner lands in the splits was popularized by Anthony Atkins and was even called by some the Atkins Aerial.
*Aeriola
:This move can be described as a step back aerial, and is also called a Reverse Aerial. The practitioner will take a step back with one foot and then begin to swing the other leg backwards. Once the swinging leg pushes off, it will continue to swing and become the initial leg of an aerial. The step back motion is to give the body enough momentum to continue moving backwards while executing the aerial. The practitioner should ideally land further back from the initial point of takeoff. It was popularized by Chris Devera from the West Coast Action Team.
*Brandy
:AKA the "Free Round-Off" This take off is similar to a standard aerial but the legs are brought together in mid-air. The landing is on both feet, like a roundoff without the hands touching the floor. This skill can also be started from a punch set-up like a front flip. Note: This is not a front half. A barani rotates as you flip like a roundoff. The front half is a front flip where the twist happens at the end of the flip, after the point of inversion.
*Aerial Sideswipe
:This was originally called a sideswipe, in fact some older tricksters that began in the 90's still refer to it as this. It is also called an Aerial Switch. Essentially, after beginning the aerial and the body is inverted, the leg that took off last will swing ahead of the other leg and perform the landing as well.
*Aerial to the splits
:Most variants of an aerial can be landed in the splits. This is requires extra rotation along the axis of rotation. If not, it's possible to hyperextend or seriously injure the landing leg.

Aerial Twist


An aerial that incorporates an 180° rotation during the peak of the aerial's height. What adds difficulty to this move is that the same leg is used to take off and land. Gymnasts normally perform the twisting with the legs together to obtain a faster spin and more aesthetically pleasing execution. Tricksters normally perform the twisting with the legs apart; mainly for style. Many martial arts tricksters first learning this move have a tendency to begin more like a than an aerial. In the tricking community, this move can be done from either a running start, a small hop skip, standing, or from another trick in a combo.
*Hyperswipe
:This variant of the Aerial Twist is executed the same way as an aerial twist, but normally requires extra height and faster/more rotation. The defining difference is that the other leg is thrown out and is used to land on rather than the leg used to take off. Its name is derived from the fact it is a twisting move that lands on the other leg like a and that the ending of it looks almost identical to a
*Aerial 720 Twist
:This variant is an aerial twist that rotates an additional 360°. Though in actuality, the practitioner only rotates a total of 540°. It is referred to as an aerial 720 twist because a normal twist that adds an additional 360° is referred to as a . An Aerial 720 Twist is considered more difficult because of the added rotation, extra speed and height that are required to successfully land this variant.

Training Guides


*'''' by Raymond Wu, ISBN 978-1-4303-1820-0. Excellent step-by-step book that includes how to do both the aerial cartwheel and the more difficult aerial twist. Free downloadable companion training guide.

540 kick

The 540 kick, also known as inside turning kick, jump inside kick, tornado kick and Xuanfengjiao , is a martial arts move present in various disciplines including Taekwondo, Wushu kung fu, , Capoeira, but traditionally most associated with the Chinese martial arts. This technique is so named because, at completion, the performer has performed a rotation of approximately 540 degrees . However, the most prominent defining feature is that the same leg is used for taking off, kicking, and landing. The other leg mainly helps get the performer into the air, and then the leg is pulled back before the landing. Many martial arts choose this move as their first move to attempt.

The '540' has a history in ballet too, where it is performed as an advanced variation of a 'barrel roll'. Principal male ballet dancers include the move in their variation as a crowd-pleasing feat of excellence. The move and a variation of it, the reverse 540, has been present in ballet for quite some time now, and is used commonly by dancers such as Tetsuya Kumakawa and Joseph Phillips. This move has been recently introduced into the world of professional wrestling and is popularized by its current users, wrestlers Johnny Jeter, Layla El and Kofi Kingston.

Variations


Like most variations of martial arts kicks, the name of the kick is normally determined by the position of the foot, degree of rotation and positioning of the hips, and any additional kicks that may be added.
*Fake 540
*:A jump kick that mimics the 540. If you are back on your right foot, you throw it up into an inside crescent, tuck the other and land on that right foot. The left doesn't take off like a true 540.
*540 Crescent
*:This is the most traditional variation of the kick. The kick is executed as a , meaning that the toes are pointed directly up. If aiming for a target, the target would be hit with the inside of the foot .
*Reverse 540
*:Take off is like a 1-over 360 kick. If back on your right foot, throw it forward counterclockwise, tuck it and push off with your right. Jump up and complete 360 with an outside, counterclockwise crescent kick and land on the same foot. Look at the reverse image of a 540 and you can see it.
*540 Roundhouse
*:This version is rotates the hips about 90° more than a crescent before executing the kick. The kick is executed as a roundhouse kick, meaning the foot is flat and the toes are pointing straight forward. If aiming for a target, the target would be hit with the top of the ankle to avoid breaking the toes. It is also called a Bolley Kick in Tae Kwon Do.
*Lazyboy 540
*:Also referred to as simply a ''Lazyboy'', this version is practically identical to a typical 540. The defining characteristic is that the hands are placed on the back of the head. Sometimes they're placed on top of the head. This is to simulate the image of a person relaxing or laying down. This pose is struck in the air as the trick is performed to show the ease in which they can perform the trick, that they don't need the momentum of the arms to complete the trick, and/or to add style to the trick. This trick is also known as the ''Playboy 540'' for its extravagance and confident posture such of a playboy.
*Double leg 540
*:Take off on two legs with inside crescent kick.
*True 540
*:1 1/2 360's with outside crescent then land after kick,so 1.5 rotations.
*
*:Though, the body mechanics/execution are different, the Sideswipe and 540 are often categorized together because they both use the same leg to take off, kick, and land. This version is similar to a 540 kick, but the body is spinning as close to horizontal as possible. After the non-kicking leg is thrown up in the take-off, the body is leaned back so it is spinning horizontally. This move is not very useful as a fighting move, because it is hard to direct the kick to actually hit someone, and if the foot actually hits the target, all rotation will stop and the performer will be left without a leg to land on. Some may say this is the same case for the normal 540, but in the sideswipe, the body will be horizontal and it will be much more difficult to quickly direct the other foot to the ground to land on.
*540 Wheel
*:Also called a "540 hook", "Cheat 720", and "540 crescent" . It uses the same takeoff, but instead of using the jumping leg to kick, the performer spins around another 90-180 degrees and performs a kick with the other leg. This kick can be either a hook or a crescent kick depending on the position of the foot. This kick is one of the few variations that actually spins a full 540°.
*540 Gyro
*:In this move, the user will execute the typical 540 kick but instead of landing immediately on the kicking leg, he/she will rotate an additional 180-360 degrees before landing. It is rather uncommon in the tricking community, but is present in martial arts disciplines. It is most prevalent in
*540 to
*:The traditional 540 however can be landed into the splits simply by sending the kicking leg backwards after the kick as been executed and extending the other leg forward during the landing. ''Theoretically, almost every trick can be landed in the splits, however, landing some of the more advanced versions of tricks like this would require extra height in the jump, extra rotation of the body, and a very keen sense of timing and spatial awareness.''

Multi-kick variants


Some variants of the 540 include multiple kicks being executed while in the air. Some of those variations are:
*Crescent 540
*:Not to be confused with the 540 crescent, a crescent 540 is were a crescent kick is thrown out with one leg before the 540 kick is thrown with the other, essentially executing two separate kicks during the same motion. A slight variation of this is were the crescent kick is thrown as a sideways snap kick, followed by a round house kick. The hips must be rotated more before the kicks are thrown and the body tilts in the direction of the kicks, which can cause a person to lose their balance on the landing.
*Jacknife
*:This is similar to a crescent 540 in that each leg does its own kick, however, the 540 kick is thrown out first. Immediately following the first kick, the other leg throws a . Ideally, both kicks should be executed before the first 540 kick lands. The mechanics to this variant are practically identical to a 540 wheel or cheat 720.
*540 Triple
*:This is the combination of a crescent 540 and a jacknife, essentially executing three separate kicks during the same motion. One with the landing leg and two with the other. The kicks and their execution are similar to those of a .

Learning the move


Training Guides


* '''' by Raymond Wu, ISBN 978-1-4303-1820-0. Step-by-step training book that describes how to do the kick, 360°, 540°, 720°, etc. Free downloadable companion training guide can be found on the site.
=

Zui Quan

Zui Quan is a traditional Chinese martial art concept as well as a classification of form. It is a category of techniques, forms and fighting philosophy that appear to imitate a drunkard's movements. The postures are created by momentum and weight of the body, and imitation is generally through staggering and certain type of fluidity in the movements. It is considered to be among the more difficult wushu styles to learn due to the need for powerful joints and fingers. ''Zui Quan'' is sometimes called ''Zuijiuquan'' .

While Zuì Quán is often accompanied by actual intoxication in fiction, if one were to actually attempt fighting while drunk, they would likely severely hurt themselves and not be able to fight at all, as the form requires a great amount of balance and coordination .

Zui Quan Within Chinese Martial Arts


Many Traditional Chinese Martial Arts utilize drunken techniques and fighting philosophy within forms and techniques. For example:
* Some lineages of Choi Lei Fut contain "drunken" forms. CLF drunken technique teaches feints, explosive power generation, swaying motions and various other distraction techniques.
* Monkey Kung Fu contains a variation of monkey style called "Drunken Monkey" which involves "a lot of throat, eye and groin strikes as well as tumbling and falling techniques. It incorporates a lot of false steps to give the appearance it is defenseless and uses a lot of off balance strikes. The practitioner waddles, takes very faltering steps and sometimes fall to the ground and lies prone while waiting the opponent to approach at which time a devastating attack is launched at the knees or groin areas of the opponent."
* Some Hung Gar lineages.
* Performance contains several exhibition forms called "Drunken" forms that bear no actual connection to the forms found in Traditional Chinese Martial Arts.

Zui Quan in Mixed and non-Chinese Styles


Shaolin-Do teaches Drunken forms beginning at the first degree blackbelt level. It has not been verified whether or not Shaolin Do is a Chinese, Japanese or Indonesian style, or a mix of these and/or other arts.

Zui Quan Practiced as a Style in Modern Times


'Drunken Boxing' techniques are based on the legend of the '. Each of the techniques in the Drunken Set demonstrate an attribute of one of the Immortals. These "elements" from all eight Immortals' styles are combined to form an effective fighting art.

Drunken boxing includes techniques contained in other kung-fu style and applies its deceptive philosophy. As the pugilist staggers about, he or she is concentrating on creating momentum and avoiding attacks with the style's trademark unorthodox adaptive moves; for example, if someone is going to push the pugilist, he or she rolls over his arms and hits him, and sometimes sinks his or her weight upon him, according to the situation.

Bayingzuiquan Style



Based mainly on three things: Finesse, Deception and Whole Body Connection on a Physical combative level. Finesse is the ability for the Drunken Boxer to move from technique to technique fluidly and smoothly. The human eye picks up staccato movements easier than smooth and graceful ones and thus a practitioner who possesses a lot of finesse will have more success than one who does not. The intricate movements and applications in Drunken Fist require one to be fast, smooth and powerful to make them plausible techniques. This is the reason much of Drunken training is done with swaying and rocking movements coordinated with each technique.
Deception is the heart and soul of Drunken Boxing and without it the style simply will not work effectively. The purpose of many of the postures during combat and training is to appear off balance when one is balanced, weak when one is powerful and slow when one is fast. This involves taking the practitioner to the very edge of his balance, strength and ability in order to know and understand when a movement does not just appear awkward and weak but truly is. Once one has trained diligently in the Drunken Forms the body becomes conditioned in such a way that to the uninitiated the practitioner appears weak and soft at all times.

Connection of the body relates to the creation and usage of power in the Drunken fist. In order for any style to be effective in combat it must be able to deliver powerful blows to the opponent and this style is no exception. The connection of the body means that when punching, the practitioner’s entire body generates power for the blow and not just his arm. This is a major difference in what is termed ”external” and ”internal” martial arts. External arts use the force generated by the strength of the bodies limbs for blows while the internal arts utilize the power of the entire body in each blow and thus deal a great deal of damage to the opponent. While Drunken Boxing relies on both external and internal power it is this training for the connection of the whole body that makes it possible for the practitioner to deliver real penetrative power in the awkward positions the style uses.

Drunken Boxing is a system of Chinese Martial Arts usable for combat and preservation of health if trained properly. One does not have to do back flips nor leap great heights like you see in the movies to be proficient. The art of deception and finesse can be learned by anybody and make them an effective martial artist.

Schools


, located in British Columbia Canada.

Verified Practitioners


Ma Qing Lung

Neil Ripski

Media Appearances




Zui Quan received mainstream media attention outside of China after the premier of Drunken Master in 1978. Drunken Fist's legendary style and execution is featured in many books, movies, comics and television shows.

Wushu at the 2006 Asian Games

was contested by both men and women at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 11 to December 14, 2006. It was competed in the disciplines of ''Taijiquan'', ''Taijijian'', ''Changquan'', '''', ''Jianshu'', '''', '''', ''Nanquan'', ''Nangun'', ''Nandao'', and ''Sanshou''. All events were held at Aspire Hall 3.

Men


Taijiquan



*December 12 - Taijiquan
*December 13 - Taijijian



Nanquan



*December 11 - Nanquan
*December 13 - Nandao
*December 14 - Nangun



Changquan



*December 11 - Changquan
*December 12 - Daoshu
*December 14 - Gunshu


Sanshou


52 Kilogram



Final 16




56 Kilogram


Final 16




60 Kilogram


Round of 32

December 11



Final 16




65 Kilogram



Final 16




70 Kilogram



Final 16




Women


Taijiquan



*December 11 - Taijiquan
*December 13 - Taijijian



Nanquan



*December 12 - Nanquan
*December 13 - Nangun
*December 14 - Nandao



Changquan



*December 11 - Qiangshu
*December 12 - Changquan
*December 14 - Jianshu



Medal Summary


Winners


Men




Women




Medal Table

Wushu at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games

at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games took place in the , in Ermita, Manila, Philippines.

The event was held from November 28-30.

literally means "martial art". It is a more precise term than the widely used term kung fu, which can mean either martial art or "''skill''": a craftsman or artisan could be said to have good "kung fu" in the way in which they carry out their craft; in the same way, a wushu practitioner can also be said to have good "kung fu" in their wushu practice. In the broadest sense, the word wushu may refer to any martial art in the world, though in practice it often refers to all categories of Chinese martial arts, traditional, contemporary, hard and soft. Today, the terms "modern wushu" or "contemporary wushu" refer to forms that are practised for health, exhibition and competition. Common "hard" or external styles of contemporary wushu are southern fist, ''Nanquan'' and long fist, ''Changquan''. Common "soft" or styles are Taijiquan, and .

Wushu is practised in forms which comprise basic movements particular to each style and can be changed for competitions to highlight one's strengths. Competitive forms can vary in length from 1 minute, 30 seconds for the hard styles to over five minutes for internal styles.

Medal winners

Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008

Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 is a competition which was held from August 21 to 24, 2008 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Beijing, .

The International Wushu Federation has been promoting wushu as a potential Olympic sport for some time. The award of the 2008 Summer Olympics to Beijing presented an opportunity to showcase wushu in an Olympic competition environment. Although, according to the contract signed between the and the host city, no international or national sports competition is allowed to be held in the Olympic host city during the Games and one week before or after, the IOC specifically permitted the to organise the Wushu tournament in parallel to the Olympic Games, due to wushu's place in traditional Chinese culture.

Other than substituting the Olympics symbol with International Wushu Federation's symbol, all other elements are identical to the Olympics. Athletes are allowed to stay in athletes village. The official BOCOG website also has the schedule&results, profile of the athletes

Medal summary


The wushu tournament featured a total of 128 athletes from 43 countries. Qualification for the tournament was through placing at the 2007 . The medals will not be added to the official Olympics medal tally. The tournament featured a total of 15 separate events in the taolu and sanshou disciplines:

Medal table




Taolu




Sanshou




Results


Taolu


Men's Changquan



Men's Daoshu & Gunshu combined



Men's Nanquan & Nangun combined



Men's Jianshu & Qiangshu combined



Men's Taijiquan & Taijijian combined




Women's Changquan



Women's Daoshu & Gunshu combined



Women's Nanquan & Nandao combined



Women's Jianshu & Qiangshu combined



Women's Taijiquan & Taijijian combined




Sanshou



'''Legend :

DI = Default-injury

KO = Knock-out

TV = Technical victory

Men's 56 kg



Men's 70 kg




Men's 85 kg



Women's 52 kg



Women's 60 kg

Wu Bin

Wu Bin is a world-renowned coach who has produced more Wushu champions than any other coach in China. Among his students are Jet Li, Li Jinheng, Zhang Guifeng, Zhang Hongmei, Hao Zhihua, Huang Qiuyan,Kenny Perez, Tang Laiwei and countless more.

Wu began his career after graduating from the Beijing Physical Culture University Wushu Department in 1963 by becoming a coach of the famous Beijing Wushu Team.

From 1986 to 1992, Wu Bin also held a position as Chairman of the Technical Department of the Chinese Wushu Research Institute. Presently, Wu Bin is the president of the Beijing Wushu Institute, the director of the Beijing Wushu Team, as well as holding top positions in the Chinese Wushu Association, Asian Wushu Federation, and the International Wushu Federation. He has also written 18 books, and is one of only 19 9th-level duan masters in China.

In 2001, Wu Bin was caught in controversies engulfing the United States of America Wushu Kungfu Federation .

In 2003, Wu Bin became involved with a group called Young Champions. The program was founded by Bonnie Hood around 40 years ago. It originally consisted of a group of cheerleaders from Michigan. The program was designed to promote self-esteem, coordination, and physical fitness in children from 4 to 15 years of age. Today, Young Champions is a nation-wide program that also has other sports under its belt, such as self-defense, wushu, and hip-hop dance. Four years ago, Grandmaster Wu Bin was invited to host summer wushu camps in the United States. He was accompanied by three world champion students, and traveled to eight different states and taught over 1,000 students. Since then, he has hosted camps in California, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Minnesota. Since 2004, he has been active in creating a wushu curriculum for beginners, and has sent students to train and sight-see in China. So far, the wushu program has gained substantial improvement and prestige; in March of 2006, the Young Champions demo team won the championship at the 30th Battle of Columbus Martial Arts World Games. The program has since expanded into Wisconsin, Tennessee, Missouri, and North Carolina. Wu Bin likes the Young Champions program because it is a vehicle for expanding wushu to caucasians in America. "The good thing about Young Champions is that it's like a chain store, so wushu can spread extremely fast," he says.

World Wushu Championships

The World Wushu Championships are held every two years and are organised by the International Wushu Federation . This official international competition sees many countries from around the world participating. As originated from China, China has always won the most number of medals in the competition.

Locations of the World Wushu Championships





2001 was the first time doping tests were conducted at the competition and the tests registered clean record as all the 12 samples returned no positive results. .

More than 1000 martial artists from 89 countries took part in the 9th WWC in Beijing. Incidental music was also adopted for the first time for the and Taijijian events.

World Junior Wushu Championships

The World Junior Wushu Championships is an international competition organised by the International Wushu Federation for competitors below 18 years of age. There are two categories for the ''taolu'' events - under 15 and under 18 years of age. The competition also includes a sanshou category.

Locations of the WJWC




Results of the WJWC



1st WJWC



The 1st World Junior Wushu Championship was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in . About 60 countries took part in the competition. .

Tan Tui

Tán Tuǐ is a very famous Northern routine and has several versions due to its incorporation into various styles. For this reason the name can be translated to mean Spring Leg 彈腿 or Pond/Lake Leg.

These styles include Northern Praying Mantis, Chángquán, and Northern Shaolin as well as many other minor styles and systems.

HISTORY:

Due to the lack of written histories we are left to rely upon oral stories which can vary from each teller even within the same lineage. For this reason we supply you with the various versions we have come across.

1. Tang Dynasty. The city of Ling Qing is situated between the warring factions of the Song, Liao and Jin Courts. An infantry soldier named Kun Lung Dai Shi took refuge in the Lung Tan Temple located within Ling Qing City. Becoming a Monk at this temple Kun Lung formulated the routine Tan Tui with 10 Roads. It is said that this set was created in order to counter the Liao & Jin's superior upper body grappling skills. Ling Qing City became a major trading center due to the Canals built during the Yuan Dynasty. For this reason it is believed that Tan Tui was able to spread throughout China.

2. Shaolin's Tan Tui is given credit to Monk Xian Ji who while in residence at the temple in Ling Qing Tan Temple in Shandong Province during the Ming Dynasty. It is said that he traded Shaolin's famous Lohan Fist routine for their Tan Tui routine. Also Xian Ji is said to have also added an additional 2 roads to the original 10 Road Tan Tui Routine.

3. ,are known for the fierce combat skills. They helped in the founding of the Ming Dynasty During the 13th Century. It is said that during Qi Ji Guang's journey to suppress Japanese Pirates along China's Coastal Cities. On this journey a Muslem by the name of ChaShagMir fell ill due to the exhaustion and the harsh weather. His companions left him in the care of the inhabitants of a mountain village in Guan Xian County. So grateful for their care he taught his martial arts skills to the local villagers. In memory of him the called the system they practiced Cha Quan . Tan Tui was the foundation they used to develop their system. It is said that 28 was used to signify the 28 Letters in the Arabic Language. Later this was condensed into 10/12 Roads. The Hui/Moslem are still today known as the best exponents of Tan Tui.

4. Chin Woo was the first Public Gymnasium founded for the purpose of making Martial Arts training available to anyone . The recognized founder was Huo Yun Jia, an exponent of the Mizong System. Part of this system was a version of the 10 Road Tan Tui that Huo Yun Jia demonstrated often. Due to his sudden death not many of his students had the opportunity to learn this version. Chao Lien Ho was hired to head up the organization and as part of his task he formulated a specific curriculum. While an exponent of Mizong he also had studied various Shaolin based systems as well. The first form required to be studied by beginner students is a 12 Road Tan Tui. While it is not sure where this version comes from, it has become the most popular version taught throughout the Chinese Martial Arts due to the fame of the Chin Woo.

UNDERSTANDING TAN TUI

Tan tui is composed of a series of forms, which emphasize blocking, stances, footwork, and most of all, kicks. Tan tui exists as a style on its own, but is commonly used as a basic form for styles like Chāquán.

Today Tan Tui forms the basis for the Bei Chang Quan/Northern Long Fist systems. It improves your fighting skills, balance, strength, and focus, thus, Tan Tui contains the basic skills and flexibility drills required in advanced forms.

In some Schools, Tan Tui is taught as the first form to build the skills necessary to advance in the system. It has been stated that if a new student doesn't find the Tan Tui form challenging that he or she will not like the Long Fist style of Kung Fu.

Tan Tui is deep rooted in China’s Hui Muslim community. One such reference to the Islamic influence is the posture of holding one punch out in front of body as a punch is thrown to the rear with the other hand. The Body is turned sideways so that both the front and the rear punches reach maximum range. Besides being a good exercise to train the fighter to get full shoulder and body trust behind each punch, like a good , it also is a giveaway that the form has a Muslim history. Kung fu forms that use this posture came from China's Muslim community.

Links


*

Sanshou

Sanshou or Sanda is a hand to hand combat, self-defense system, and combat sport. Not seen as a style itself, but is rather considered as just one of the two components of Chinese martial arts training and is often taught along side with taolu training. It may simply be seen as the practice of martial applications in a realistic environment or simply free fighting. However at the same time the modern standard taolu curriculum was created by the Chinese government. They created and formalised a standard curriculum for sanshou as well. This curriculum was developed by experimenting with the Chinese military experiences in close range and hand to hand combat with reference to traditional Chinese martial arts. Chinese martial arts masters that were still in China gathered to contribute the creation of the standard curriculum. This general sanshou curriculum varied in its different forms, as the Chinese government developed a watered down version for civilians for self defense and as a sport. However in traditional wushu circles the practise of sanshou may vary and is practiced in relation to their taolu. Later the official name reverted back to ''Sanda.'' The term ''Sanda'' has a longer history and is more commonly used.



The generalized modern curriculum practised in modern wushu schools is composed of different traditional martial arts fighting styles in China, but mainly based on scientific efficiency. Sanshou is composed of Chinese martial arts applications including most aspects of combat including striking and grappling, however when sanshou/da was developed as a sport, restrictions were made for safety reasons as well as to promote it as a non violent sport. Examples of such restrictions included no blows delivered to the back of the head, spine or groin and the discontinuation of the combat when any of the fighters fall to the ground. However many schools whether traditional or modern, or that practise sanda for competing or not, practise it as an all round martial arts systems with no restrictions, only adapting their training in relation to competition rules prior to the event. Teaching and practicing techniques to restrain, maim, injure or kill an opponent or opponents. Sanda tournaments are one of the two disciplines recognized by the International Wushu Federation.

Sanshou's competitive history involved barehanded or lei tai fights in which no rules existed. However, even sanshou as a competitive event developed in the military as these bouts were commonly held between the soldiers to test and practice barehanded martial skills, ability and techniques. Rules were developed and the use of protective gloves etc. was adopted. It was originally used by the Kuomintang at the first modern military academy in Whampoa in the 1920s. Later it was also adopted as a method by the People's Liberation Army of China.

One can see general sanshou as a synthesis of traditional Chinese kung fu fighting techniques into a more amorphous system and is commonly taught alongside traditional Chinese styles which Sanshou techniques, theory and training methods are derived from. The emphasis of Sanshou is on realistic fighting ability.

As an unarmed self-defense, close combat system, Sanshou includes ''da'' , ''ti'' , ''shuai'' , and ''na'' .
Sanda as a sport has a very great emphasis on throws. One of its most distinguished techniques is the "kick catch". This is when one person kicks and the person performing the throw catches the kick and then trips the person kicking when he's on one leg. While kickboxing styles, such as Muay Thai also allow this, the kick catch is emphasized in San Shou because of the importance it is given by the judges.

Sport


As a sport, San Shou/San Da is practiced in tournaments and is normally held alongside taolu events in wushu competition. For safety reasons, some techniques from the self-defense form such as elbow strikes, chokes, and joint locks, are not allowed during tournaments. Furthermore, when competition is held on a raised ''lei tai'' platform it is possible to defeat the opponent by moving him out of the competition area. Fighters are only allowed to clinch for a few seconds. If the clinch is not broken by the fighters, and if neither succeeds in throwing his opponent within the time limit, the referee will break the clinch.

In the US, competitions are held either in boxing rings or on the raised ''lei tai'' platform. Amateur fighters wear protective gear. "Amateur Sanshou" allows kicks, punches and throws. If the rule set is referred to as "San Da", knees to the body are also permitted. A competition held in China, called the "King of Sanda", is held in a ring similar to a boxing ring in design but larger in dimension. As professionals, they wear no protective gear except for gloves, cup, and mouthpeice, and are allowed to use knee strikes as well as kicking, punching and throwing.

Some Sanshou fighters have participated in fighting tournaments such as K-1 and Shoot boxing. They have had some degree of success, especially in Shoot boxing competitions, which is more similar to Sanshou. Due to the rules of kickboxing competition, Sanshou fighters are subjected to more limitations than usual. Also notable competitors in china's mainstream Mixed Martial Arts competition, Art of War Fighting Championship are dominantly of wushu background.

Sanshou has been featured in many style-versus-style competitions. Muay Thai is frequently pitted against Sanshou as is Karate, Kickboxing and Taekwondo.

Although it is less common, some San Shou practitioners have also fought in the publicly viewed American Mixed Martial Artscompetitions, including Cung Le, who won the Strikeforce middleweight title, after defeating Frank Shamrock. Other San Shou/San Da based fighters who have entered MMA include KJ Noons and James Fanshier.

Famous competitors


Some well-known Chinese Sanda fighters include Yuan Yubao, Bao Li Gao, and Liu Hailong who is known as "''The Conqueror of Muay Thai''" as he has beaten many of the top Muay Thai fighters. Some Sanda fighters who are well-known in the United States include the and Strikeforce middleweight champion, Cung Le, as well as Jason Yee , Rudi Ott, Marvin Perry and Scott Sonnon. Salihov Muslim from Russia was a European Champion in 2004, a world champion in 2005 , and in 2006 Muslim beat 4 top Chinese fighters from different weight cateogries, including the Chinese champion from the 90kg category, to claim the Sanda "Wangzhongwang" title.

Nanquan

Nanquan refers to those Chinese martial arts that originated south of the Yangtze River of China, including Hung Kuen, Choi Lei Fut, and Wing Chun.

Contemporary Wushu Nanquan


The contemporary Wushu event Nanquan is a modern style created in 1960 derived from martial arts derived in the Chinese provinces south of the Yangtze River and predominantly those styles popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang. The basis of contemporary Nánquán hail primarily from traditional Cantonese family styles of Hong , Li , Liu , Mo and Cai along with their more contemporary Kung Fu variants of Choi Lei Fut and Hung Ga.

Contemporary Nanquan features vigorous, athletic movements with very stable, low stances, extensive hand techniques and a vocal articulation called fasheng which is the predecessor of the Japanese and Korean martial arts ''kiai''. Power is driven from sharp waist movement with special emphasis on fast stance transition to generate power and speed in the arms. Signature hand techniques of Nanquan are the consecutive downward strikes of the left and right fist called Gua Gai Quan , and consecutive upper cut while driving forward called Paoquan . There are relatively few kicks in Nanquan although the Tengkong Pantui Cepu and Li Yu Da Ting are very common in advanced Nanquan routines. Nanquan also has its own contemporary weapons - the Southern Broadsword and Southern Staff , which were included in the International Wushu competition in 1999.

In 2003, the International Wushu Federation changed the rules of contemporary Nanquan to make jumping techniques mandatory in Nanquan routines. Jump kicks spinning in mid-air between 360 and 720 degrees before touching the ground are now used in all Nanquan forms along with Stationary Back Flip and Single Step Back Tuck for advanced competitors.

Chinese Boxing



Nanquan is also another form of Chinese boxing with a rather long history and a lot of schools and one of the more dynamic styles of Wushu. Nanquan is relatively popular in various parts of Guangdong Province, with each system having different styles and features from the others. To form this series of Chinese boxing, the essentials of the different postures of the various schools were systemized and summed up. As a result, a series of systematic and integrated ''United Nanquan'' has been created. It has very powerful and intense forms and tense postures which enable every part of the body to be fully toughened, so young people are very eager to learn this style. Practicing the various styles within the Nanquan system gives one great physical benefits.

Lotus kick

The lotus kick is also known as jump outside, outside spinkick, or Teng kong bai lian. This is a very popular jump in kung fu martial arts. The kick begins by launching off from the right leg into a 360° clockwise rotation that includes an outward snapkick in the air. The performer may land on the right leg or both legs. The kick may be performed from both a running or standing take-off. Advanced practitioners may increase the difficulty of the move by rotating greater than 360°, usually 540° or 720°.

Note: The lotus kick is completely a different move than the foot sweep kick.

Learning the move


Reference Training Guide


* '''' by Raymond Wu, ISBN 978-1-4303-1820-0. Step-by-step book. Free downloadable companion training guide.

=

Jump inside kick

The jump inside kick is a popular aerial move in kung fu and in martial arts tricking. It is also known as the tornado kick, whirlwind kick, and Xuanfengjiao in Chinese. In this kick, the performer launches from one leg into a 360° rotation that incorporates an inward snapkick in the air and then lands on the same leg. Advanced practioners can complete more than 360 degrees in their aerial rotation, including 540 and 720 degrees. The 540 kick is very popular in the tricking community and has many variations.

Learning the move


Training Guides


*'''' by Raymond Wu, ISBN 978-1-4303-1820-0. Step-by-step training book that describes how to do the kick, 360°, 540°, 720°, etc. Free downloadable companion training guide can be found on the site.