The 9th NTD World Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competition kicked off in grand style on the morning of August 13th in Manhattan, New York, USA. Sixty-four competitors from 8 countries and regions participated in 103 events in the North American preliminary competition, showcasing their superb martial arts skills and traditional virtues.
During the North American preliminary competition held on Thursday, competitors vied for a spot in the semi-finals in categories such as men’s and women’s fist forms, men’s and women’s weapon forms, as well as youth fist forms and weapon forms. The qualifiers from the Asia-Pacific preliminary competition held in Taiwan on May 24th will directly advance to the semi-finals the following day.
The competition featured a diverse range of traditional fist forms performed by the competitors, including Lotus Fist, Drunken Fist, Eight Methods Fist, Five Hands Fist, Xingyi Fist, and Tumbling Fist, each displaying its own unique characteristics. The weapon forms were equally spectacular, with a variety of traditional martial arts weapons such as swords, sabers, whips, and staffs taking the stage one after another, showcasing the players’ versatile techniques and the unique essence of Chinese martial arts weaponry.
On the competition stage, competitors executed flips, leaps, and swift movements, with their bodies moving like rolling waves, strikes as fast as lightning, fists as intense as sudden rain, and movements as sharp as a whip. The men displayed robustness and bravery, moving with ease and grace, while the women combined strength and softness, moving with elegance and fluidity. Each competitor demonstrated the power, speed, and rhythmic beauty of traditional martial arts.
Here are some highlights of the youth fist forms and weapon forms from the preliminary competition: