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The following article appeared in the 1974 September 1st Nation Geographic
Schools Bulletin. It is presented here unedited, with the original Pin Yin used
for the athletes names. Its original title was 'Zhong Guo Wu Shu', or 'Chinese
Wushu'. The original pictures associated to this article are also included.
 What’s
sort of like fencing, boxing, self-defense, callisthenics, dancing and
gymnastics, but really isn’t like any one of them? The answer to this Chinese
puzzle: Wushu.
A broader term than Kung fu, Wushu covers all forms of Chinese Martial skills.
Li Lien-chieh practices the form of Wushu he likes best, exercising with a
broadsword.
Interviewed after a recent performance at the John F. Kenedy Center in
Washington, Li Lien-chieh, age 11, and his teammates Lu Yen, 10, and Ts’ui
Ya-hui, 12, talk about Wushu.
What does the word Wushu mean?
Ts’ui Ya-hui: We are taught the word from very early. It means the traditional
Chinese sport. It is also a cultural legacy.
Where do most Chinese learn Wushu?
Yu Tien-t’ang (the coach): Wushu is a very popular sport in China. It is studied
in different ways. In some families, grandparents teach the children. In schools
it is part of the sports program. Schoolchildren might have a choice of
basketball, swimming, or Wushu. In rural areas Wushu is studied in People’s
Communes, like your recreation centers.
Ts’ui Ya-hui: Wushu provides all-round training. We study Wushu because it leads
to good health, good spirit, strong determination and good sportsmanship.
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Are demonstrations of Wushu always formal or are they
sometimes a sporting event?
Li Lien-chieh: No, not always formal. Sometimes we are given the task of giving
demonstrations for foreign friends or in factories for the workers.
Is the performance dangerous?
Ts’ui Ya-hui: If you concentrate and your warm up exercises are done well, there
is no danger. If you do not prepare well you may get little cuts.
 Are
the mock fights prepared routines?
Ts’ui Ya-hui: Yes, we work very hard with each other to know what to expect.
How were you chosen for the tour?
Lu Yen: The 32 players were chosen in national competition from people all over
china. In the national finals Wushu is scored much like figure skating. There
are set routines, or exercises, that everyone must learn and be tested in. Then
they are scored on the program they have invented.
Are martial arts movies popular in China?
Li Lien-chieh: We have never seen one.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Li Lien-chieh: I will be an officer in the People’s Army, defending my homeland.
Ts’ui Ya-hui: I want to be a factory worker.
Lu Yen: I am going to become a doctor.
What did you like best about your five-city American tour?
Ts’ui Ya-hui: Making friends that are very warm to us.
- As interviewed by Patricia N. Holland
 Legend
to the pictures:
In a dramatic finale Lu Yen fights off Li Lien-chieh and Ts’ui Ya-hui armed with
spears (second picture on this page). The three youngest members of the Wushu
troupe whirl and spin and dodge in beautifully controlled yet highly dramatic
mock battles.
At left (third picture on this page), fierce concentration shows on Lu Yen’s
face as she avoids spear thrusts.
The two boys, at right (final picture on this page), practice paired
performances at home as well as on tour. Both boys attend the Peking Spare Time
Sports School for an hour and a half each day.
When asked, “Is it relaxing to go through the Wushu exercises? What do you think
about while you are on stage?” Lu Yen replied “On the stage during performances
we are thinking very hard, concentrating our minds. Afterwards we feel relaxed.”
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Want to learn more about Lu Yan's Wushu Career? Visit the
Wushu Career pages
Want to learn more about training with Lu Yan? Visit the
Train with Lu Yan pages
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