Nice post, Xiao3 Meng4
Fencing uses electric scoring and there’s been instances of tampering and cheating. I was wondering when electric TKD would elicit similar controversy.
In Kung-fu, we believe
English.news.cn 2010-11-18 16:19:35
GUANGZHOU, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) – Although familiar sports ranging from soccer to swimming dominate the Asian Games, Wushu has attracted a solid fan base of both the faithful and the curious.
Uzbekistan’s blonde Karmazina Olga ended her first Asian Games by finishing the last at the women’s taiji boxing and Taijijian all-around. The 18-year-old iatrology freshman suffered a major setback since she started practice Wushu at five, as her score is nearly 4 points less than that of the gold medal winner.
“See, I’m the only one who scored less than 16 points,” said the four-time national championship winner with some embarrassment.
However, Olga said she wouldn’t give up.
“It’s my first time to come to China and I saw so many good players. They show me what’s the best of the best, I learned a lot from them,” she said. “Next time, I believe, my name won’t be the last one.”
Wushu, literally meaning "martial art"in Chinese, is more wildly known as Kung-fu. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, it has been developed into routines using hands, swords, spears and staffs involving stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps and sweeps over centuries.
Thanks to Kung-fu movie stars Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Wushu has got known by more people as cool, healthy graceful art similar to gymnastic floor exercises.
"Jet Li is my idol. Actually it’s because of him I started to practice Wushu, " said Japan’s Ichikizahi Daisuke in Chinese. He was silver medal winner in men’s changquan, or long fist boxing at the Guangzhou Asiad.
To make his Kung-fu dream true, Ichikizahi traveled between his hometown Osaka and Tokyo, where the coach’s Wushu club is, for years. He used to do several part-time jobs to make the ends meet, because the Japanese Wusu organizations only cover the costs for important events like the Asian Games.
The 23-year-old named Japanese chess and soccer as his hobbies, but those sports are what he only does when he is off the Wushu training room.
“The more I practice, I’m more clear of that I can’t be another Jet Li,” said Ichikizahi.
“Wushu is such a profound topic. It’s far more than fighting skills. It’s also about philosophy of balance between man and nature,” he said.
“If possible, I will practice Wushu all my life, because I have so much to learn.”
TICKET TO OLYMPICS?
For many spectators, the inclusion of the non-Olympic regional sports, such as Wushu, Kabbadi, cricket, is what gives the Asian Games its charm. For the athletes, however, competing at the Olympics is a common dream.
“A Olympic gold medal is my one last dream as a sportsman,” said Wushu player Yuan Xiaochao, who won the Asian Games’ first gold.
The International Wushu Federation is one of the IOC’s 31 recognized federations along with cricket, golf, karate, rugby and squash, meaning a spot on the programme is not impossible.
With a growing popularity cross the world, the Chinese have been working hard to make Wushu an item on the Olympic menu. They claim a victory for the first time to hold an unofficial competition on the sidelines of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The Asian Games are seen as a good stepping stone with more than 140 athletes competing for 15 gold medals.
“It’s a good opportunity to show the world that Wushu is such an beautiful, but at the same time, very competitive sport,” said Gao Xiaojun, president of the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA).
However, patience are required. Sports for the 2012 Olympics have been decided and Wushu is not shortlisted for 2016.
“There is no need of rush to make the Wushu an Olympic competition, because I believe, what comes first is the cultural nature of the sports. It’s a symbol of China. If Wushu exists as an competitive competition, it loses its essence,” said Sardor Tashkhatjaev, secretary general of the Wushu Federation in Uzbekistan
The founders obviously don’t think so. On the contrary, they believe an Olympics ID of Wushu will means a passport with free visas for Chinese culture.
“Olympics is such an important stage for the cultural communication, more powerful than Asian Games in terms of influence,” said Gao. “It won’t kill, but promote the Chinese culture through wushu”
The Chinese have been exercising each muscle to make Wushu into the Olympics menu by widening its presence worldwide and helping improving the skills of foreign practitioners.
“We know it will be hard. but we are trying. We have sent our coaches and provided free training abroad, and we have invited foreign athletes to come to train in China with Chinese athletes as well,” said Gao.
However, revolutions need to make on both management and the Wushu formats.
Sun Jianming, coach of the Japanese Wushu team, suggested that CWA should simplify the formats of the sports.
“Chinese wushu has such a rich collection of routines, but most of them are too hard for beginners. They may appreciate it, but they won’t practice,” said Sun, a teammate of the famous Kung-fu star Jet Li when he was training at the Wushu team of Beijing.
“Why shouldn’t we have something easier and more suitable for common people?” he asked.
Sun has been running his own Wushu club in Tokyo for more than 20 years, with more than 200 members following him to learn Taijiquan, or shadow boxing. In his eyes, both the boxing formats, featuring 24 moves, and the designed music are too “old”.
“They were developed in 1950s, and never changed,” he said.
Sun found his own way by reducing the standard set of 24 moves to eight.
“More seniors and youngsters thus join in, and they get to know Wushu is not only for the Jet Lees – it’s something every one can do,” said the 51-year-old.
Sardor Tashkhatjaev, however, looks forward to more international cooperations.
“I hope they can airdrop some Chinese coaches for us,” said the 38-year-old, a former national championship of Chinese Sanda (free sparring).
“I know the Japanese, the Iranians and many other athletes are coached by Chinese, and I hope the Chinese may consider spread the seeds in Uzbekistan too.”
