Many people think that the only known martial arts at the world are Karate,Judo,Tae Kwon Do,Aikido,Box,Thay Box.....it's not that!!
Today Wushu is one of the most practiced martial arts in the world,and only in China you can count million of practicers....
In 1936,Wushu took part as oriental discipline exhibition in the Olympic Games in Berlin;after this,Wushu has grown a lot,and now is one of the emergent International Sport,looking for the participation in Olympic Games.

- 1956 Born of the China Wushu Association,in Beijing
- 1982 First World Congress of Wushu in Beijing
- 1990 International Wushu Federation - I.Wu.F. ,in Beijing
- 1994 I.Wu.F. officially recognised by the G.A.I.S.F. - General Association International Sport Federation
- 1999 I.Wu.F. recognised as official society by the Internation Olympic Committee IOC
- 2002 IOC President Rogge,with thw words: "Wushu is welcome in the Olympic Family"  I.Wu.F. quale Federazione Internazionale Olimpica has been recognised                 International Olympic Federation

Nowadays, IWUF has 86 Federations representing the 5 Continents,and it is possible that Wushu practicers are around 10milion......wooooowww!!!!

In the last Olympic Games in Athens 2004,Wushu only did a exhibition at the end of the Games,but now it's official that,during the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008,even it won't be part of the Games,there will be a Olympic Tournament of Wushu in the same Olympic Village of the other sports.....isn't it super?!?!?!?!

But Wushu isn't only a sport...it is also a method of living,which can help you with the today problems,like relationships or self-control,healthy problems or whatever else....a Wushu practicer must respect his teacher,his Laoshi..at the beginning of each lessons,the student must say "Laoshi hao - 老师好" which means "Good morning Teacher" and the Laoshu usually answer with "Touxuemen hao" which means "Good morning my Students"....the realationships between the teacher and his students must be of respect and honour......there can't be respect for ourselves and for somone other if there is no respect for who and what which is around us,don't you?

Ok..next time i will speak about....Wushu,of course!!! =)  it will be a suprise!

An ancient chinese philosoph,Lao Tze,said in his Daodejing "A 1000 miles trip always begin with the first step"......I feel that today can be signed as the beginning of our trip in the wonderful world of Wushu...

Ok...first....
   "What is Wushu?"

Wushu,from chinese WU- 武=martial & SHU- 术=art, means basically a martial art,and take his origins from Kung Fu -功夫- which meaning was "Something well done".

Origins of Wushu are not very sure,but the first testimony of his birth are dated around 4000 years ago,because it was used for self-defense,for hunting activity and for military training;2200 years ago it became part of Chinese culture,and 1800 years ago it had been divided in two directions: fighting,and the practice of taolu.Today si one of the Chinese National Sports.

But Wushu isn't simple as I described it in the last paragraph..in the course of the years,Wushu had been influenced by Buddhism,which gave him the Shaolin - one of the most practiced tradional styles in wushu- and in fact the styles practiced today,like Eagle Clow,Monkey,Sanke,Hung Gar,Wing Chun,Tiger and Tai Qi  Quan comes from the study of animal movements developed by Shaolin Monks.
After Buddhism and his Shaolin, Wushu has been influenced a lot by Confucianism and Taoism,which gave him the principles of "Yin" and "Yang";these principles are active also today,in the practice of everyday,where every athlete try his best to feel confident with himself,and trying to do his best to reach his goals...this philosophy -because even it's considered by many a normal and poor martial art can be named as philosophy- has always been the centre of Wushu practice of everyone.

Today,in China, parents soon send their sons study Wushu,not only to enforce their body,but also to enforce their mind and spirit,to receive a good formation in the respect of popular traditions.
Training programs are first followed by te schools of the central school of the city,then by the central school of the province,and then by the one of the region...after all these passages,and if the boy or girl had been enough good and strenght to pass all the hard training,he can hope to become a professional athlete...
In the first time,training costs are paid by the family,but after their son beacome a professional athlete,these costs are paid by the government.

Isn't it wonderful?A martial art,a philosophy,that is living also today,even if was born  over 4000 years ago!!!!I think is impossible for whatever else!!

what do you think?Would you like to know something more?Don't worry,and ask me with comments in my articles ok?
Next time I will speak about what is today Wushu,and how and where is practiced,in China and here,in Italy....I hope i cill be clearer than here =)

Bye bye!!!!