by Zhou Yilan and Xu Jianmei

FORT WORTH, United States, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The five-day 16th World Wushu Championships (WWC), which concluded on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, highlighted the fun of Wushu decoded by fans around the world.

"This feeling [of winning the gold medal] will make me more determined to move into the future and bravely face more challenges," said men's spearmanship champion Zhang Qingchun of China.

For Audrey Meeks, a U.S. Sanda athlete, when practicing Wushu, "you are able to show your passion, and you have to have passion and love it."

"You can establish confidence and self-reliance and discipline through Wushu practice and then you can build up the passion of your own," said Meeks, who has competed at the WWC four times.

Georges Eid has practiced Wushu for 20 years. "Wushu has good spirits. Wushu coordinates physically and mentally. It trains my focus. It's a smart game," the 33-year-old Sanda athlete from Lebanon remarked.

For Wushu enthusiasts, the sport has brought them tangible benefits.

Angela Saucedo Warren, a 37-year-old mother of two, says Kung Fu training is beneficial not only because it is a good physical challenge, but also a mindfulness practice.

"It's nice to forget about your everyday worries and just focus on training while you're in class. I am currently fascinated with the intricate beauty and power of modern Changquan Taolu forms, the agility and acrobatics of Duilian fight sets, and the fluid grace of Taiji," she told Xinhua.

Edinea Prado Camargo, a Sanda athlete representing Brazil, said confidence and discipline developed from Wushu practice can help people see the bright side of life.

Claire Chevalier, a Tai Chi enthusiast living in Plano, 50 miles from Fort Worth, said: "Tai Chi really helps smooth your body. You stimulate all the systems in the body and you clean up all your organs, like your kidneys and your life."

As for Wushu's values, many practitioners emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges. "It is very cool to make friends around the world through Wushu. These athletes bring in different cultures and styles, we learn from others in the competition and we grow together," Meeks said.

Meeks' opinion was echoed by Camargo, who noted that Wushu practicing gives her access to different cultures "like you are reading different books."

Krist Caldwell, a U.S. attorney in his early 40s, shared his secrets of learning Kung Fu. "My Shi Fu [coach in Chinese] said, 'if you want to have good Kung Fu, you must learn to "Chi Ku' [endure bitterness] ... That means when you have to do something you don't like, whether you have natural talents or not, hard work always wins."

Wushu has also become a lifestyle for people who practice it. "Wushu is a part of human lifestyle," said Chen Zhongwei, chairman of the 16th WWC's sponsor, Hengyuanxiang Group. "It is more about improving your ability to adapt and cope with life. It is an improvement of body, mind and spirit from the inside out, rather than just physical strength. It's very inclusive."

Zhang Qiuping, secretary-general of the International Wushu Federation, views the nature of Wushu as "culture plus sports".

"Wushu is just so rich in content. It can be practiced anywhere, any time and always enjoys high popularity in China," he observed. Enditem

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