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ARTICLES
Chin Woo Wushu
What is Wushu?
Wushu, the Mandarin word for martial art, is the national sport of China,
and is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world.
Originally a fighting system involving elaborate weapons, it was evolved,
hundreds of years ago, by Buddhist Monks of the Shaolin Temple in the Songshan
region in order to defend their temples from marauding robbers.
These days it can be used as a form of self defence and mental discipline,
but its main function is as a competitive sport, spectacular in content,
involving high kicks, gymnastics and explosive martial techniques.
Standardised competition sets in Wushu are used as qualifying routines for entry into
the South East Asia Games.
What is Chin Woo Wushu?
The British Institute for Chinese Martial Arts teaches the Chin Woo Kung Fu or Wushu
system which is over four hundred years old and is taught all over Asia. The style is
derived from ancient Chinese fighting techniques of the Shaolin Temple of the Songshan
region of China.
The Chin Woo Wushu system is a Traditional Northern Wushu (Kung Fu) System.
In northern wushu systems the stances are very wide and open.
Arms and legs are fully extended in both attack and defence,
and great stress is laid upon very fast leaps, turns and sweeping movements.
The animals whose movements are acknowledged to have influenced these styles
tend to move in similar long, flowing motions for example the white crane,
the horse and the preying mantis.
Perhaps the most famous aspect of this style is the repertoire of kicking techniques.
Present day students spend a great deal of time doing stretching exercises of all kinds
during the warming up period of training. This enables them to jump high into the air
and deliver one, two or three kicks.
It was originally developed to unseat men on horse back and is used to gauge a martial
artist's level of ability, as these techniques take many years to develop to a high standard.
In addition to many empty-hand, unarmed systems, part of the heritage of wushu
is the use of classical weapons, some bizarre, others beautiful.
They include the kwondo, a type of halberd; the nine-sectional whip chain,
composed of short pieces of chain-linked metal; the tasselled spear;
the staff and the three sectional staff; the scimitar-shaped broadsword;
the straight double edged classical sword. Modified display weapons are used
so that no real harm can come to the participants.
This traditional Chinese sport has the benefits of encouraging a competitive spirit
while combining entertainment with elements of self defence, health-maintenance and mental
discipline. Rich in content and diverse in form Kung Fu suits people regardless of sex,
age or ability. It is our aim to teach the philosophies and physical aspects of martial
arts. Regular training gives our members self confidence, co-ordination and engenders well
being as well as improving fitness . We give technical advice to the media - magazines,
television and films as well as motion capture for computer games. We act as agents for
athletes in performing arts and arrange for students to train in the Far East. The club
has produced adult and junior champions;
[Return to Articles Page]
- Chin Woo Wushu
- The Story of Fork Yuen Kap (Huo Yuen Jar)
- Chin Woo Basic Form
- Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan)
- San Shou - Chinese Kick Boxing
- Adult Gymnastics
- Why is Martial Arts Easier for Some people and not Others?
- Running for Beginners.
- Malaysia Tours
- Want to become a British Stuntperson?
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