Unremitting Efforts for Wushu Becoming Olympic Sport

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 18, 2001

Unremitting Efforts for Wushu Becoming Olympic Sport

With the door of the Olympic Games still open, China will make unremitting efforts to list Wushu as an Olympic sport even there is a hope of only one percent, said Li Jie, a leading official of the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA) December 17.

China Wishes to List Wushu As Olympics Event

Li Jie, president of the CWA and former secretary-general of the International Wushu Federation (IWF), said that there is a Chinese saying, "Man proposes, God disposes." "Everyone involved in Wushu world has being making consistent efforts to have listed an official sport at the 2008 Olympic Games, but we all know it's up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a decision," Li said.

More and More Popular

The traditional Chinese martial arts Wushu has now become popular in many parts of the world, with a total of 86 member nations and regions worldwide, which stands eligible to be a candidate Olympic sport, according to Li.

The IWF also conducted doping tests during the sixth world championships last month in Armenia, in light of the practice of the World Anti-doping Agency.

Apply to Add Wushu at 2008 Olympics

The IWF will officially apply to the IOC later this month to have the sport included for the 2008 Olympic Games, based on a proposal made the executive committee of the IWF. The executive committee had proposed to have eight events for the sport at the Games.

Officials of the IWF and CWA know there exists only a slim hope to reach their goal as the IOC faces the pressure to slim the size of the Games. "There is a chance as long as the door to the Games remains open. The international Wushu world would never give up their efforts to reach the goal even there's a hope of only one percent," Li added.

Brief Introduction to Wushu

Martial arts or Wushu, have been created and developed for self-defense and survival throughout human history. Correct Chinese Wushu training improves physical ability, health, and willpower; it gives an individual an excellent method of exercise, a personal art form, a competitive sport, and a basis for self-defense and sparring.

Total martial training includes Ti (kicking), Da (punching), Shuai (throwing), Na (controlling), Gi (hitting), Ci (thrusting), etc. Related to each style are basic forms, or sequences, which may involve defense strategies, offense, retreat, mobility and immobility, speed and slowness, hard or soft postures, emptiness and fullness, with or without weapons.

Wushu (literally, "martial methods") was historically termed "Wu-Yi" or martial arts. Fairly recently, the Chinese government changed the term to "Guoshu," or "national method." The term most popular in North America is "Kung-fu," which actually means one's ability in any skill, not necessarily martial.

Forms And Classificatons of Wushu

To attempt to classify Chinese Wushu is very difficult because of the number and variety of styles in the enormous country of China. One-fourth of the world population is in China! Traditionally, Chinese martial arts are classified by one of three methods:

Internal or External styles.

Southern or Northern styles.

As "Shaolin" or "Wudang" or "Ermei."

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