Taolu (tàolù 套路) or choreographed forms involve set routines scored against standard judging criteria, whereas Sanda (sǎndǎ 散打) or free-fighting is full-contact sport similar to kickboxing with additional throws and grappling techniques. Wushu sport can be practiced both recreationally and professionally under two main categories. 10) which has experienced international growth with Olympic aspirations (Theeboom, Zhu, & Vertonghen, 2015). In a sporting context, wushu refers to the contemporary “sports version of Chinese martial arts” (Lorge, 2012, p. Kung fu, therefore, can refer to any skill developed through time and effort, hence its usage in denoting Chinese martial arts (Adams & Starr, 2001 Green, 2001a Henning, 2001a Mooney, 2001). The term kung fu or gongfu (功夫) is a popular, colloquial, and less specific term that connotes excellence, skill, time and effort. Wushu (wǔshù 武术) is the Chinese word for martial arts and is the official term for the martial arts founded and practised in China (Adams & Starr, 2001 Henning, 2001b, 2010 International Wushu Federation, 2013). The Club’s Committee – principally consisting of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer – is elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Club’s committee also organises social events as a means of enhancing members’ experience. Members have competed at national and international level competitions and performed at various local events. Over the years, hundreds of Monash students and alumni have trained at the Club. To date, Master Tang continues his role as head coach of the club and continues to be an invaluable asset to the Club. And by doing this, we are setting them up for success in all areas of their life.The beginnings of the Monash Wushu and Taichi Club (MWTC) stretch back to 1992 when a handful of students began to practice under the guidance of Master Tang Laiwei. Utilizing a skills-based approach to training children in martial arts is key. When we understand each child’s stage of development, we can then begin to teach them and reach them where they are. But the biggest benefit of this type of training is that these skills can help children in school, at home, and in other sports as well. And this doesn’t just include physical advancements but also intellectual, social, and emotional progress. Since each age group is given a different set of skills to work on, designed especially for their stage of development, the child’s overall growth is more effective in class. Therefore, specific skills-based drills are used to develop this. In the Little Heroes program, the instructor has been trained on the stages of development and understands that a child at this age doesn’t have the muscle tone yet to be able to hold the punch out. The child can’t hold the punch up for any length of time and the instructor doesn’t understand why this is. For example, an instructor is teaching a middle punch and the 3-year-old student can’t perform it the way the instructor would like. With a skills-based approach to martial arts training, the students are in classes that were created for their specific stage of development. A better approach is what Wushu Central refers to as skills-based training. It makes it very difficult for children at different ages to grasp the techniques and so the “confidence” that is trying to be built is unsuccessful.
This technique-based approach of martial arts isn’t easy when you have a child that has low muscle tone, poor core strength, and has only had a few years of language development. In addition, the instructors become frustrated because they don’t understand why the children are performing the techniques incorrectly or in a sloppy manner. Because of this, most children often become frustrated and quit because they can’t meet the expectations of the curriculum. These techniques are the same for a 3-year-old as they are for a 13-year-old, yet the abilities of these two ages are completely different. Traditional martial arts is taught as a set of techniques that progressively get harder as each new level is attained. This is especially true when teaching children. As times change and as we become more educated, we must adjust to meet the needs of the people we serve. And while tradition is vital to keeping the art preserved, the way it is taught in today’s modern world isn’t as effective. Most martial arts forms are rooted in tradition and have been taught the same way for years.