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National Wushu Championships to be held in Derby

13 June 2008

Competitors from across the UK will gather for the 2008 National Wushu Championships on Saturday, June 21.

The event is being hosted by the Derby School of Chinese Martial Arts at Moorways Sports Centre, and will see athletes compete for the National Crown.

Organised by the British Council of Chinese Martial Arts, the National Wushu Championships are now in their 16th year, but have not been hosted in the Midlands before.

Wushu will makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Beijing later this year, and many of the athletes taking part have their sights set on becoming future Olympians.

The competition will be highly contested with current European and World Championship athletes taking part, including the reigning World and European Junior Champion (Under 16) Sam Mak (pictured) from Matlock, Derbyshire.

The event in Derby will also act as a qualifying event for the junior and senior Great Britain teams to compete in the European and World Championships later this year.

The National Wushu Championships will begin with an opening ceremony at 9:30am, followed by more than six hours of Wushu competition in different categories and styles including Taolu and Sanshou.

There will also be a number of special displays throughout the day, including a gymnastics display by Derby National Champion Damien Walters and his team.

The XMA Performance Team will perform an Xtreme Martial Arts and acrobatics display, and Ma Bo and Sam will perform a Chinese Lion Dance.

Fred Mak, General Secretary of Derby School of Chinese Martial Arts, said: "This is the first time that the Championship is being held in Midlands, so it is a great honour to be hosting the event.

"This year is set to be the most spectacular show and competition in the history of the British Council of Chinese Martial Arts national competition events.

"Even those who have never seen the exciting sport of Wushu before will enjoy the grace and demanding routines which are a pure spectacle to watch."

Wushu is a modern exhibition and full-contact sport based on traditional Chinese martial arts.

Taolu forms are similar to gymnastics and involve martial arts patterns and manoeuvres for which competitors are judged and given points according to specific rules. The forms comprise basic movements such as stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws.

Sanshou is a modern fighting method and sport influenced by both traditional Chinese boxing and Chinese wrestling methods.

The 2008 National Wushu Championships is an all-seated event. Advance booking is available, and tickets will also be available on the day priced £10 for adults, with discounts available for families. Under-12s are free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For more details go to www.ukwushunationals.com (opens in a new window)