Article and Photography By BECKIE LOEWENSTEIN
Today's Chinese martial artists no longer train on the green limbs of old growth bamboo, but on the roofs of steel and concrete buildings. Martial artists and acrobats in search of more economic opportunities move to the big city. A group of martial artists and acrobats from the rural areas of Kaifeng, Hunan Province, moved together to Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, to begin performance careers.
Living without the support of friends and family poses a challenge. The martial artists of the Kaifeng Martial Arts and Acrobatics Troupe assembled together in the rural areas of Kaifeng, Henan Province, and migrated together to Shanghai, Jiangsu Province. They regard each other as close friends. After training together in the E Warehouse of the Shanghai Arts District, they return to their apartment on Shangnan Road.
Adopting Shanghai’s punk style, they dye the tips of their long black hair pink and gold. “It looks more attractive,” says martial artist Jin Bo, 22.
When parents register their children in martial arts or acrobatics school, they do not necessarily expect their children to adopt the lifestyle.
Master of martial arts He Zhe, 25, began to train in martial arts near his home in Shandong province at ten years old. Unlike his two older brothers and sister, he misbehaved at home: his parents enrolled him in martial arts lessons to give him something to do outside of the house. He trained eight hours a day seven days a week.
He Zhe has trained in Shandong, Henan, and Anhui, and attained certification as a martial arts instructor after five years of training. He provides his pupils with structure, including daily practice schedules.
“If a student makes a mistake, then he gets fifty or a hundred pushups,” says He Zhe. “This gives discipline and increases their physical strength to make faster progress in martial arts.”
The training room looks under construction. A thin grey carpet barely conceals the hard concrete floor. Soil and dust pile in the corners. On a rainy day all the martial artists can ask for is a smooth dry floor. “Practicing in the rain is too hard,” says He Zhe. “We are children from the countryside. We are used to soil everywhere.”
The acrobats share the space. Mei Ying contorts her body, and then back flips multiple times, creating the impression of a seamless circle. Li Ning and Wang Wei juggle a total of six hats onto and off each other’s heads.
Xiao Ya stacks and holds five wobbling metal cylinders together, Li Liuxiang places a flat red board on top. Then Li Liuxiang climbs on top of the wobbly improvised seesaw; he balances on his feet first, and then flips his weight to his hands to perform a handstand.
Acrobat Xiao Long finds practices this balancing act, but still finds it too arduous to perform. He most enjoys performing airlifts. Xiao Long and his girlfriend Hong Mei plan to return to Henan together to get married in 2010.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic games is the first to include martial arts as a sports event.