High kicks & flying swords on show at Wushu championships

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Wushu practitioners from all over Thailand gathered at Pattaya School No. 7 on Saturday, April 30 for the 14th running of the national Wushu championships, being held in Pattaya for the second time.

The event programme featured men’s and women’s competitions in Tai chi with general weapons, bare handed Tai chi, Tai chi with short and long weapons, bare-handed combat, weapon combat and team performance.

Banjong Bantoonprayuk, host of Pattaya, and Worapoj Pongpalee, advisor to the mayor presents trophies to some of the junior winners.

Wushu is derived from traditional Chinese martial arts and is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport.  In recent times it has become an internationally recognized sport through the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), which holds the World Wushu Championships every two years.

In Pattaya, the winners of each category were presented with the mayor’s trophies while all participants received medals.  This event is considered a great way of showcasing Wushu and strengthening the friendship and bond between Thai and Chinese cultures.

Two female competitors face off in the Tai Chi with general weapons category.

This young martial artist goes through her routine in the Tai Chi with short weapons event.