Tai chi, short for T'ai chi ch'üan, sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits, and meditation. Tai chi has practitioners worldwide.
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu, kuoshu or wushu, are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" of martial arts. Examples of such traits include Shaolinquan (少林拳) physical exercises involving All Other Animals (五形) mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies, religions and legends. Styles that focus on qi manipulation are called internal, while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called external. Geographical association, as in northern and southern, is another popular classification method.
Mark Alan Dacascos is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. He won numerous karate and kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18. He is known for his roles as Wo Fat in Hawaii Five-0, Louis Stevens in Only the Strong, Mani in Brotherhood of the Wolf, Toby Wong in Drive, Ling in Cradle 2 the Grave, the titular role in Crying Freeman and Zero in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Sanda, formerly Sanshou, also known as Chinese boxing or Chinese kickboxing, is the official Chinese full contact combat sport. Sanda is a fighting system which was originally developed by the Chinese military based upon the study and practices of traditional kung fu and modern combat fighting techniques; it combines boxing and full-contact kickboxing, which includes close range and rapid successive punches and kicks, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes.
Kung Lao is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. A Shaolin monk, he debuted in Mortal Kombat II (1993). He is depicted as a primary hero in the series, including as one of the protagonists of the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005). The character is also a descendant of the Great Kung Lao, the first Earthrealm champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament. His main weapon is a metal hat, which he uses for both melee and projectile attacks.
Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American fantasy martial arts action film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and written by Kevin Droney. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, it is the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Starring Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert, the film follows a group of heroes who participate in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to protect Earth from being conquered by malevolent forces. Its story primarily adapts the original 1992 game, while also using elements from the game Mortal Kombat II (1993).
Bow-sim Mark is a martial arts grandmaster who lives in Newton, Massachusetts, US. She is the mother of martial arts film star, Donnie Yen.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest is an American martial arts television series developed by Juan Carlos Coto. Based on the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise, it aired in syndication for one season from 1998 to 1999. The series serves as a prequel to the games, following the original Kung Lao as he protects Earthrealm with the help of bodyguard Siro and former thief Taja. It was one of the first live action shows based on a video game to air on United States television, preceded only by the live action segments of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Daniel Pesina is an American martial arts expert and a former freelance employee of Midway.
Wushu, or Kungfu, is a hard and soft and complete martial art, as well as a full-contact sport. It has a long history in reference to Chinese martial arts. It was developed in 1949 in an effort to standardize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts, yet attempts to structure the various decentralized martial arts traditions date back earlier, when the Central Guoshu Institute was established at Nanking in 1928.
Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren is an American martial artist, sportswriter, fitness instructor, gym owner and martial arts actress.
Chan Tai San was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. Often called one of China's "living treasures", Chan was featured as such on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine in 1996.
The lei tai is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal weapons and bare-knuckle martial arts tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides. Fighters would lose if they surrendered, were incapacitated, or were thrown or otherwise forced from the stage. The winner would remain on the stage unless ousted by a stronger opponent. If there were no more challengers, they would become the champion. Private duels on the stage had no rules and were sometimes fought to the death.
Matthew Mullins is an American five-time martial arts world champion and actor. At the age of 16, in 2000, he won his first World Kickboxing Association title in Dublin, Ireland. This would be his first of five championships in the next three years.
Pat E. Johnson is a 9th degree black belt in the art of American Tang Soo Do. He is the president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress, which was originally created by Chuck Norris in 1973. Johnson is famous for the martial arts choreography in the Karate Kid series in which he also starred as the All Valley Karate Tournament head referee, and has been involved in many films, as choreographer and actor including Enter the Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mortal Kombat, Green Street Hooligans and recently, Punisher: War Zone. He is the 1995 Black Belt Magazine Instructor of the Year.
Louis Linn is a martial artist, teaching his family style of O Shin Chuen, a traditional five animal Fukien Shaolin style, in Sweden. He introduced Chinese martial arts, Wushu (武術) also popularly called Kung Fu (功夫), to Sweden in 1975 and soon became a well known instructor within the martial arts society there.
Maaz Khan was in Karachi, Pakistan. He is a Three time Pakistani South Asian Games gold medallist in wushu. And National wushu Kung fu Team Captain, he is a employee of Karachi Port Trust, Sports Department.
Shi Deru, born Liu Xiangyang, English name Shawn Liu, is a 31st generation Grandmaster of Shaolin kung fu. He was a close disciple of abbot Shi Suxi, and close Shaolin brother of Shi Deyang. His nickname is "iron leg".
Sunny Tang is a Canadian practitioner of wing chun kung fu and wushu. He was the 2003 World Traditional Masters champion and is the founder of Wushu Canada, as well as the Sunny Tang Martial Arts Centre chain of martial arts centres in Canada. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an inductee into the Canadian Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
The United States of America Wushu Kungfu Federation (USAWKF) is the governing body of wushu-kungfu in the United States. The USAWKF manages and selects the members of the US Wushu Team to compete in various international competitions including the World Wushu Championships, World Junior Wushu Championships, World Kungfu Championships, and the World Taijiquan Championships. The USAWKF also develops regional and national activities relating to Wushu, and has had great influence on how wushu taolu and sanda events are run in the United States. The USAWKF is a member of the Pan-American Wushu Federation (PAWF) and the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).
