Core Activities

Qiangshu

Qiang or the spear is one of the popular weapons in ancient China. In recent years, Wushu has become a sports event. Qiangshu is one of the Taolu events for long weapons, and has become one of the events in international wushu competition. Outside the competition arena, Qiangshu is also a sport for maintaining health.

Qiangshu Taolu is a form that combines footwork, balancing, leaping movements with spear techniques. Spear techniques include piercing, hacking, splitting, jabbing, thrusting upward, chiselling, groping, throwing, rushing, deflecting, hooking, upholding, spinning, scraping, stretching, whirling.

The cudgel or Gun has existed as a weapon since the earliest time. Since ancient days, people have used Gun for self-defence and health building. Various techniques of using Gun have since evolved, resulting in the sports event – Gunshu. The Gun is a simple weapon because it Is mainly a long stick. Gun is easy to learn and practise, succinct and simple to use. Thus, the Gun is usually the weapon introduced to Wushu practitioners when they begin learning long weapons.

The basic movements of Gun are sweeping, hacking, striking straight on, slicing tapping and swirling, complementing with stepping patterns, leg movements, jumping, somersaults and balancing. The practitioner has to have flexible movements with his arms and hands so that the cudgel and himself seem to be merged. He must exert the force to the tip of the movements of the cudgel and use it as fast as lightning.