‘Going with the flow’ key to martial art’s success

By Karen Taylor

“Never fight force with force, fight it with the flow,” says chairman of the Cyprus Wushu Kung Fu Federation Kypros Andreou explaining the martial art. “Go with the flow, like water”.

Wushu is an umbrella term for a range of Chinese martial arts that have a long history and embrace a whole philosophy, representing an important component of the cultural heritage of China.

But Chinese martial arts are not just about learning how to fight. The sport covers three aspects: Chan, Wu and Yi. Chan means Zen, a way of living; Wu is martial arts, learning how to fight with weapons; and Yi means medicine, healing. Chinese martial arts are not for offence, but for personality development and becoming a good person with good health, self-defence is a byproduct.

Wushu has a history dating back thousands of yearsto the Qin Dynasty, while in theMaijishan Grottoes a series of rock cut caves showing numerous wall paintings and sculptures relating to traditional sports have been uncovered including reliefs depicting martial arts equipment. The term Wushu itself was found as far back as a poem by Cheng Shao (1626-1644) from the Ming dynasty.

As it was established during the farming era, Wushu has at its core a consideration of the harmony between humans and nature, the name literally means no war, which represents the harmony its practitioners seek. This harmony is emphasised for both mind and body, and Wushu practitioners focus on both external and internal techniques to bring about feelings of calm.

As with many other aspects of Chinese culture, theSilk Roads provided considerable opportunities to enrich exchanges regarding traditional sports, including Wushu. They provided an opportunity for nomadic skills such as archery and horse riding to hybridise with farming culture to form a number of martial arts styles.

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Wushu became more developed and well defined as numerous different styles emerged, steadily growing and becoming an integral part of Chinese culture. Influenced by philosophy, art, literature and religion, Wushu is one of the most traditional and popular sports in China.

Today it has been organised into a formal branch of study in the performance arts and has become an athletic and aesthetic performance and competitive sport. Routines are performed solo, paired or in groups, either barehanded or armed with traditional Chinese weaponry.

More recently, it was introduced at both high schools and universities in China, incorporating common elements from many styles and forms as well as the general ideas associated with Chinese martial arts. Wushu became the government-sponsored standard for training in martial arts in China.

Competitions now see people taking part in the sport with new, modernised recompilations of traditional routines. But Wushu also includes Sanda, which is more like kickboxing, and tai chi.

In contemporary times, Wushu has become an international sport under the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). In 1990, it was adopted as an official medal event in the Asian Games, and since then World Wushu Championships have been held, with up to 56 nations participating, every two years. And while it will be part of the junior Olympics in 2026 there are hopes it will then follow in the Games.

The Cyprus federation was established in 2016 and there are now six clubs on the island with about 500 people involved. “Year by year we get more people,” says Andreou, while the 4th Wushu Kung Fu championship was held in Cyprus in December. Local athletes also take part in and have achieved success at international events; some were in Greece in December and will go to Crete in May and “hopefully Brazil after that”.

Andreou started Wushu at the age of 14 in Cyprus but later went for further training to Europe and China. “My vision is to ultimately see Wushu kung fu being accepted and fully recognised as an Olympic sport,” he says. “We are working hard and are hopeful that it will expand its reach across the continent and far beyond!”

Wushu not only encompasses combat, but also promotes a healthy lifestyle and integrates a strong philosophical component, devoted to the mantra of sound mind, sound body.

It has a different culture, different philosophy to other martial arts, reiterates Andreou, “it is the difference between football and basketball”.

For more information visit https://cywuf.org/  

Mirror of Culture is a joint initiative of the Cyprus Mail and the Chinese embassy. It highlights the parallels between Cypriot and Chinese culture to set an example of acceptance, respect and

understanding among the various cultural communities on the island, recognising the fundamental importance of culture.

Culture is the universal language that transcends many barriers, including language and geography. The aim is to work with diverse cultural communities in Cyprus to share and promote our vibrant cultures to further bolster the bonds among all the people of Cyprus and celebrate the diversity of cultures in the world.

Furthermore, the initiative understands the importance of cultural preservation, which is an important way for us to transmit traditions and practices of the past to future generations.