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 What it does
Improves hand-eye coordination and balance, builds up muscle and bone and puts you in touch with Chinese culture.
What you need
Loose clothing like T-shirts and track pants or gongfu pants and well-fitting canvas shoes with flat rubber soles.
Warm-up exercises
Cardio exercises such as running and skipping rope, stretching, flexibility routines and joint rotation exercises.
Tips for beginners
■ Ask wushu schools or coaches which styles they offer. Wushu is broadly categorised into the northern (for example, Eagle Claw and Chang Quan) and the southern styles (for example, Wing Chun and Hung Gar). There are more than 100 styles.
■ A style which requires flying kicks may be more suitable for younger people while a beginner who is picking up the sport for a general workout may not want to start with combat-based styles.
■ For older people or those who want less impact, certain styles such as Taiji Quan and Bagua Quan (eight trigrams fist) are more suitable.
■ Reconcile your expectations with what you see in the movies. Not everyone can become a Jackie Chan.
■ Wushu is not one of the easiest sports to take up and requires commitment and perseverance.
How to go about learning it
■ Check out wushu schools, community clubs or search the Internet to suss out which wushu style interests you.
■ Check the credentials of the trainer. While you can pick up simple wushu routines from videos, it is always best to go to a qualified teacher. This is especially important if you want to get the basics such as leg stances, upper limb positions and breathing techniques correct. If you want to learn how to spar, you have to be taught by an instructor.
■ Expect to pay about $15 to $35 for a 60 to 90-minute session at wushu schools and community clubs. The cost may vary depending on the trainer, location and class size.
Information from coaches Vincent Ng from Wufang Singapore and Chin Woon Piaw from Kuen Wushu.
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