Ryota Mouri competing in Men’s Nanqun during the 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta. Wushu—a broad term for the martial arts disciplines from China—is still often called kung fu and pits fighters against one another in hand-to-hand combat or intricate acrobatics focusing on flair and weapon work. Wushu is hoping to go a step further by following other martial arts, like Japan’s judo and Korea’s taekwondo, by becoming an Olympic sport. AFP PHOTO
Ryota Mouri competing in Men’s Nanqun during the 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta. Wushu—a broad term for the martial arts disciplines from China—is still often called kung fu and pits fighters against one another in hand-to-hand combat or intricate acrobatics focusing on flair and weapon work. Wushu is hoping to go a step further by following other martial arts, like Japan’s judo and Korea’s taekwondo, by becoming an Olympic sport. AFP PHOTO

JAKARTA: Twirling spears, swords and clubs at frightening speeds, the brightly clad fighters performing backflips and flying kicks could be mistaken for extras in a kung fu movie being shot in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details