Traditional Asian martial arts and youth: Experiences of young Chinese wushu athletes

Background Traditional Asian martial arts have often been associated with positive outcomes in youth. But despite the absence of empirical evidence, especially countries with a long tradition in martial arts (such as China and Japan) have reemphasised these proclaimed positive effects. A study was set up to investigate the way how contemporary Chinese youth experience distinct aspects of wushu, the collective noun for the Chinese martial arts. Material/Methods: Data were collected among 150 youngsters (7–16 years) regarding, among other things, their views on wushu, the training sessions and their teacher. Results: Data revealed that youth’s experiences and views are not in line with the characteristics of wushu and its traditional teaching practice as described in the literature. Conclusions: In the present paper it is concluded that these youngsters seem to experience wushu as a modern sport, in which the focus is on learning technical skills rather than on ethical and spiritual cultivation.