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Competition Begin at World Taijiquan and Health Conference
The competition hall designated for the first World Taijiquan and Health Conference (WTHC) which opened in this southern Chinese tourist resort on Wednesday was so crowded that the organizers had to arrange an additional site as the exchanges and competitions proper were unfolded on Thursday.
The participants of the six-day event and fans watched with great interest outstanding performances by famous Chinese experts in the field and practitioners from various schools and ways of practice. Famed performers demonstrated their skills of Taiji swordplay, broadsword-play and stick-play, which also offered a good chance for them to exchange on traditional routines.
"These masters represent the top standard of Taijiquan in China," said Xia Bohua, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Wushu Association.
As a branch of traditional Chinese martial arts Wushu, Taijiquan dated hundreds of years back to ancient China, long time of practice of Taijiquan has proved it is very efficient in improving health, strengthening physiques and preventing sickness.
Systematic researches and studies of the phenomena by scientific researchers from different countries has come to the conclusion that the practice of Taijiquan is in accord with modern scientific theories and valuable for people's health. It has grown up to become a popular sport in over 100 countries and regions in the world.
The WTHC's official competition include 42-stance Taijiquan and 42-stance Taijiquan swordplay, all for single items by individuals, according to the regulations adopted by the sport's world governing body the International Wushu Federation (IWF). And competitors are pooled into age groups for seniors (55 years old and above), middle-aged (36-54 years old), youths (17-35 years old) and juniors (under 16 years).
On the schedule are classes to be lectured by Taijiquan masters for ranking tests on the eight-stance Taijiquan, 16-stance Taijiquan and 16-stance Taiji swordplay, instructions on ways to practice designated Taijiquan series as well as the Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu and Wujia style Taijiquan as well as conferences to be held by the sub-commissions of the IWF and the Asian Wushu Federation.
The WTHC also features a giant-scale exercise on early Sunday by a record field of around 10 thousands of professional and amateur practitioners at a seashore site.
Practitioners of Wushu worldwide have long being lobbying for its admission as an Olympic sport. Patrick van Campenhout fro Belgium, an European executive member of the IWF, reaffirmed the organization's aspiration when addressing the WTHC's opening ceremony here Wednesday evening. "I hope this beautiful traditional Chinese martial arts become a competition event at the 2008 Olympic Games," he said.
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