They may be eyeball to eyeball with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) but all things Chinese aren't unacceptable for the Indian Army.Over the last 13 years, the Assam Regimental Centre (ARC) in Happy Valley, Shillong, has turned into the Wushu node for the Indian Army. Wushu is a Chinese martial art form and the Assam Regiment has taken it upon itself to train soldiers from other regiments in this sport that requires extreme skill and fitness.
TOI
"It is apt that Wushu is taught here to personnel of the Army. Apart from Wushu, the ARC is also the Karate node of the Indian Army. The boys in the regiment are great sportsmen and have earned laurels in national as well as international events," said Lt Gen Subrata Saha, deputy chief of the Army staff and colonel of the regiment.
Wushu is a combination of Kung-Fu, a martial art form that originated in China, and gymnastics. Wushu has two separate forms - Taolu and Sanda. Taolu is one where competitors display various routines that are with and without arms. Sanda is the combat component and sees the participants take part in competitions of free-fighting. According to another officer, this form of martial art helps in keeping troops fit and aids in concentration and discipline.
AFP
"Wushu training emphasises on quickness, explosive power, and natural, relaxed movement. The Wushu practitioner must combine flexibility with strength, the speed with flawless technique and fierce intent with effortless execution. This is why a soldier can pick up the martial art faster as he is already fit.
The Wushu Association of India came into being in 1989 but in 2003, Capt M Amit Kumar was the sole representative from the Army and Services at the 12th National Wushu Championship held at Chennai. After winning gold in the Taolu event, he was instrumental in setting up the Wushu Node at ARC, Shillong. Since then, soldiers who received training here have won medals in national and international events," the officer added.
BCCL
India has shown promise in Wushu at the international level. At the ninth Asian Wushu Championship held in Taiwan in September this year, Indian participants bagged nine medals.
This was a marked improvement over the 2012 edition of the championship. Though Wushu missed its date with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, efforts are on to include it in the 2024 Games. Officers believe that the sport will certainly gain in India with the Army showing interest.