Reported by:
Ng Choon Hau Sr2A 16066

Wushu, a traditional martial arts form passed down by our Chinese ancestors. On the 1st of June 2020, an online Wushu class was held over the Zoom platform to spread the beauty of this art to our school’s students and teachers. The class was conducted by Mr Ken Woo, Founder and Coach of HYJ Wushu Academy, who also serves as our school’s Wushu Club Coach.

The class kicked off with Mr Woo giving a presentation on the basics of Wushu and its underlying background, purpose and intrinsic values. Then, he categorized Wushu into multiple subcategories:

By exercise type: routine exercises, combative exercises;

By number of people: self-training, paired training, group training;

By equipment used: free training, equipment training.

He later showed us a few slides about different types of punches, kicks and equipment used in Wushu. A variety of the moves and tools were glossed over so that Mr Woo could move to the next section: physical training.

A slide featuring different types of kicks

Before commencing with the warm-up session, Mr Woo introduced the Fist and Palm Salute: a traditional Chinese salute that dates back to the origins of Chinese martial arts. A quick warmup session was next, followed by Mr Woo showing the audience how to form the different types of punches. The attendees then got to try out some punches, then some kicks, and finally, a combination of the two. Mr Woo taught the moves like how one would teach dance: one step at a time, and gradually going faster as all components were put together.

Mr Woo demonstrating the salute

Afterwards, Mr Woo moved onto some more intense moves. This part was where the chair, water bottles and yoga mat attendees were asked to prepare before the session came into play. Mr Woo made good use of the bottles and the chair to engage in some back stretching exercises, which were much easier said than done. Afterwards, he used the yoga mat to do some moves that involved lying on the floor, like the bridge pose.

Mr Woo incorporating the water bottles into the routine

Following that, the class came to a close with the final meditation and relaxation session: the Lotus Position. With that, those who have been following along to Mr Woo’s moves could return to their original breathing and relaxed state, much like yoga. The hosts closed the class after that ended.

Attendees doing the Lotus Position

“Being my first time trying Wushu, it was a refreshing experience, to say the least. It really is nice to see our cultural traditions being promoted and passed down to future generations, so that it can be kept alive,” commented an attendee.