Kung Fu

Kung Fu — page 3

Kung Fu — page 4 — 5 Kung fu artists perform a series of moves during changquan competition CHAPTER 1 GREAT KUNG FU MOVES Performing in front of a large crowd in Beijing China a master went to work Jayden Yuan twisted his body in midair He then ran a few steps before again launching himself into the air He performed another twist This time his body rotated 540 degrees He made one and a half complete turns He landed in a full splits The crowd roared

Kung Fu — page 5 — 6 For nearly 100 seconds the 20-year-old Yuan dazzled the crowd He performed a series of twists spins kicks punches and sweeps His display of kung fu was nearly flawless Yuan won the gold medal for his performance in changquan It is one of the many forms of kung fu The event took place in August 2008 That was just before the 2008 Olympic Games were held in Beijing Kung fu also known as wushu is not an Olympic sport But this showcase event put it on display for the world Yuan was one of 15 athletes to win a gold medal during the 2008 tournament Ten gold medals were awarded in taolu Taolu is a series of patterns Kung Fu or Wushu In the United States kung fu is the most common name for the Chinese martial arts One translation for kung fu is human effort Kung fu is also a general term for skill or expertise Wushu is actually the correct term It translates to martial arts In Mandarin Chinese wu means martial and shu means arts

Kung Fu — page 6 — 7 and moves much like Yuan’s performance Changquan is one variation of taolu Five gold medals were awarded in sanshou Sanshou is the combat form of kung fu In sanshou athletes go head-to-head in a match Eight of the 15 gold medals went to Chinese athletes It was no surprise that China won more gold medals than any other country Kung fu began in China many centuries ago The term kung fu refers to Chinese martial arts Kung fu takes advantage of more than physical strength It uses mental strength Taolu competitions show kung fu’s high-flying fighting style

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