Chinese traditional martial arts is an ancient practice that emphasizes virtue. This weekend, it’s being revived in the 2022 NTD International Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition in upstate New York.
Over 100 competitors participated across seven different categories—all hoping to qualify for Saturday’s semifinals.
While most Americans think of martial arts as a battle, its history is actually intertwined with traditional dance. In fact, in the Chinese language, the word—wu—is the same for both disciplines.
The head judge of the competition, Li Youfu, says that the Chinese Communist Party tried to destroy traditional martial arts in China.
“Traditional Martial Arts teaches us to do good not evil. Defend peace, harmony, and positive flows in life. Stop evil and violence. The person must know good from the bad. Believe in cause and effect. Modern schools don’t teach this. Traditional martial arts teaches the cultivation of one’s self to be a good person. We see it in China, where evil people rule the world. There, traditional forms of martial arts did not get passed down.”
Contestants were judged on their authenticity, adherence to tradition, and their martial virtue.
Saturday’s semifinals and Sunday’s finals will be available to the public. NTD will air the finale on Sunday, starting at 10 a.m.