
Women fighters upgrade upgrade ancient Chinese art
In front of a secluded temple in southwestern China, Duan Ruru skilfully executes a series of chops and strikes, practising kung fu techniques she has spent a decade mastering.
Chinese martial arts have long been considered a male-dominated sphere, but a cohort of Generation Z women like Duan is challenging that assumption and generating publicity for their particular school of kung fu.
"Since I was little, I've had a love for martial arts... I thought that girls learning martial arts was super swaggy," Duan, 23, said.
The ancient Emei school where she trains in the mountains of Sichuan is thought to have historically welcomed a higher proportion of women and girls. But it has not achieved the same level of public fame as other kung fu schools, such as Shaolin.
That is starting to change thanks in part to Duan's nine-woman troupe, Emei Kung Fu Girls, which meshes deft swordwork with social media savvy to help put the sect back on the map.
In slick videos, the troupe performs everything from combat scenes to flips in front of the Louvre in Paris, often backed by booming hip-hop beats.
They also show off their moves alongside branded beverages or cars, though the group declined to comment on whether they make money from advertising.
Since their debut last April, they have amassed more than 23 million views and over a million followers on Douyin, China's version of TikTok.
The artform "has a place in history... so I think it's something worth spreading", Duan told AFP.
Wider audience
Known across China for its misty peaks, Emeishan in Sichuan province has tried in recent years to cash in on its cultural bounty – with mixed results.
Local martial arts sects have their origins in ancient Taoist philosophy and evolved into a form of defence during China's frequent wars.
The importance of the schools shrank as weapons modernised, and the ruling Communist Party later suppressed what it viewed as potential hotbeds of deviant thought.
But those policies have since relaxed, and in 2008 Beijing listed Emei martial arts as intangible cultural heritage, opening up funds to develop the craft.
Progress has been uneven, with city officials admitting in 2023 that the discipline suffered from "a lack of recognition among tourists, and dissemination is not high".
Kung fu master Wang Chao, a national-level representative of Emei martial arts, said the sect still relies heavily on government money.
But the Kung Fu Girls' videos have been "very good" at bringing the local art to a wider audience, he told AFP.
"Publicity for Emei martial arts is much more powerful now," he said.
Confidence boost
Founding member Duan, who has been training since she was 12 years old, said her generation "loves being independent and free-spirited".
Some Emei students have been inspired to keep pursuing martial arts, including Ren Nianjie, who wants to study it at university.
"I want to be an athlete... to win glory for the country," the 17-year-old told AFP after whirling a wooden staff.
The popular image of Emei's women fighters comes largely from best-selling novels by Hong Kong author Louis Cha, who wrote under the pen name Jin Yong.
In reality, boys still outnumber girls – though perhaps not as heavily as in other sects.
On a Friday evening in February, seven girls were present among a class of 17 primary school students at a nearby martial arts academy.
Parent Zhu Haiyan, 41, said her daughter Guoguo had grown more assured since starting her course a year ago.
"When girls have self-confidence, they can be less timid when they go out," she said as Guoguo practised on a mat a few metres away.
Duan, from Kung Fu Girls, said she hoped the group would inspire more young girls to take up martial arts.
"They might see me training and think it's super attractive and cool, and be drawn to learn it themselves," she told AFP. AFP

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Diddy defence questions ex
Sean Combs's defence lawyers on Tuesday began questioning a woman who dated the music mogul up until his arrest, and who has testified in agonising detail that he pressured her into drug-fuelled sex with escorts, as reported by AFP. In the initial hours of questioning, defence attorney Teny Geragos sought to demonstrate that the woman speaking under the pseudonym Jane had agency throughout her relationship with Combs — an attempt to show that what prosecutors deem to be sex trafficking was in fact consensual. The defence exhibited loving messages and voice notes the pair shared, and also asked Jane about her "jealousy" regarding Combs's "polyamorous" lifestyle that involved other girlfriends. Geragos elicited testimony from Jane in which she said she gravitated to men who were "successful." The witness, who told jurors she still loves Combs, also testified that at points she felt "very loved" by him, and that he was her "baby." Attorney Geragos spent much of the afternoon prompting Jane to read lengthy, lewd texts aloud. During the uncomfortable, painstaking process Jane repeatedly emphasised there was an "undertone" to the messages in which she felt compelled to write what Combs wanted to hear. Jane was largely calm and confident throughout defence questioning, but one particularly tense exchange saw her patience wane. Pressing her over jealousy related to the gifts Combs gave other women, Geragos asked her if he ever gave her a Chanel bag. "No, I only got trauma," Jane responded. "What is a Bottega bag?" Geragos then asked, referring to another luxury accessory that Jane had previously said she received from Combs. "I'm sure you have one," Jane quipped, before the lawyer asked her how much a Bottega bag costs. Jane clapped back: "How much does my body cost?" Violent outburst Jane previously told jurors how the final year of her relationship with the artist known as "Diddy" exploded into violence in June 2024. At the time Combs was already under investigation by federal authorities, and the now-infamous security footage of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in a hotel was public. Jane, who began seeing Combs in early 2021, detailed how she had longed for a more traditional romantic relationship with him. But she said 90 per cent of their time together resulted in sometimes days-long sex parties that saw Combs direct her to have sex with male escorts while he watched, even as she told him the encounters made her feel "sleazy" and "disgusted." Jane told jurors Combs paid for her rent at the time and still does, and he covers her legal expenses. She previously testified at length that she felt "obligated" to participate in the so-called "hotel nights" for "fear of losing the roof over my head" that Combs was bankrolling. A June 2024 date-turned-argument escalated when Jane said she pushed Combs's head onto a marble countertop in her home and began hurling candles – acts of "built-up" anger, she testified. Combs was livid: Jane said he kicked down doors and ultimately put her in a chokehold. She ran out, but upon return Combs kicked and punched her until she had a black eye and "golf ball" sized welts, she said. Combs instructed her to ice the injuries and prepare for a hotel night with an escort. "You're not going to ruin my night," she said Combs told her. When she said she didn't want to participate, he stood close to her face as he asked in a "forceful" tone: "Then is this coercion?" Jane ultimately complied: "I just felt like I wasn't even in my own body," she said. 'Sexual trauma' When Ventura – who last month testified of physical and psychological abuse in similarly excruciating detail – filed her 2023 civil lawsuit that opened the door for a federal investigation, Jane said she "almost fainted." "There was a whole other woman feeling the same thing," Jane said. "I feel like I'm reading my own sexual trauma. It makes me sick how three solid pages, word for word, is exactly my experiences and my anguish," she messaged Combs, in text records read in court. The 55-year-old faces life in prison if convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking. Jane's story was not in the original indictment against Combs, but she was added after receiving a subpoena requiring she testify in November 2024 before a grand jury. Jane has not filed any civil suit against Combs, and testified she has no plans to do so. She is expected to stay on the stand through Thursday. Now in its fifth week of testimony, the Manhattan federal trial is anticipated to continue at least through June.


Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
BTS megastars to reunite after military service
Two members of K-pop supergroup BTS were released from South Korea's mandatory military service on Tuesday and announced they wanted to start performing again "as soon as possible", prompting a fan frenzy, as reported by AFP. BTS, South Korea's most lucrative musical act, has been on a hiatus since 2022 while its seven members complete their military service. Hundreds of fans gathered at a site near the two army bases where band leader RM – recently named "Favorite K-pop Artist" at the American Music Awards – and singer V were separately discharged. Cheers broke out as they stepped out of different vehicles and hugged, with RM playing a quick song on the saxophone as V stood next to him smiling, holding bunches of flowers. "What we want most right now is to perform again," RM, still wearing his army uniform, told reporters and fans after his discharge. "We're working hard on the new album so we can return to the stage as soon as possible." RM said there had been "many difficult and painful moments" during his 18 months of military service. "Since returning, I've grown closer with my father and old friends – many of whom had already completed their military service," he added. V said military service was "a time for me to reset and rebuild both my body and mind". "Now that I've done that, I truly want to run straight to ARMY as soon as possible," he said, referring to the band's official fandom name. This week, four BTS members will complete their service. Two were discharged last year, and the final member, SUGA – who has been working as a social service agent for alternative non-active duty service – will be released later this month. HYBE, the band's agency, had urged fans not to go to the discharge location, citing safety concerns. Flouting the warning, dozens gathered outside V's military base, eagerly awaiting the return of their star. "Honestly, I came here with such high expectations," Yang Ho-hee, 28, told AFP outside the base. Reunion tour? On a football field where the newly released BTS members spoke, hundreds of fans from around the world gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols. RM and V later held a live chat on their superfan platform, Weverse, where fellow member Jin joined. "We have plans. Please wait just a little longer," said RM. "I've had time to recharge, so I'll make something good and show it to you. We'll make sure everyone knows that we're back." All the band members signed new contracts with their agency HYBE in 2023, and once SUGA is released on June 21, analysts expect profit-driving reunion activities. "In the case of HYBE share prices, the current market consensus is seen as not fully reflecting BTS's impact," Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Daishin Securities, told AFP. Despite an ongoing police investigation into the company chairman for suspected insider trading and a recent raid by authorities, analysts say HYBE's shares are up, rising by 10 per cent over the past week through June 9. GDP impact Prior to their mandatory military service, the boy band generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. That accounts for roughly 0.2 per cent of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data. HYBE has hinted at a BTS comeback this year, but has also said the members "need time for reflection and preparation". "Normally, the process goes from song production to album release, then a tour," Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE, told a shareholder meeting in March. "But since BTS have already become global top-tier artists, we are continuing discussions about their vision and what's next," Lee added. The HYBE headquarters building in Seoul was wrapped with the slogan "WE ARE BACK", the official logo for the upcoming BTS FESTA. HYBE shares opened nearly three per cent higher Tuesday morning, reaching their highest level in two years.


Business Recorder
21 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Labubu human-sized figure sells for over $150,000 at Beijing auction
BEIJING/SHANGHAI: A Beijing auction house sold a human-sized Labubu figure for 1.08 million yuan ($150,275.51) on Tuesday, setting a new record for the 'blind box' toy as it moves from craze to collectible. The event held by Yongle International Auction, which traditionally specialises in modern art as well as jewellery, marked the first ever auction dedicated to Labubu, toothy monster figurines that are mainly sold by China's toy company Pop Mart and have been at the centre of a global frenzy for the past year. The auction offered 48 lots for sale and was attended in person by roughly 200 people, while over a thousand bidders put down offers via Yongle's mobile app, the auction house said. The starting price for all the items started at zero and it eventually raised a total of 3.73 million yuan. The highest grossing item, a mint green, 131 cm (4.3 feet) tall Labubu figure, received several bids to sell for 1.08 million yuan. The auctioneer said it was the only one available in the world. A set of three Labubu sculptures, about 40 cm tall and made of PVC material, sold for 510,000 yuan. The set, from a series called 'Three Wise Labubu', was limited to a run of 120 sets in 2017 and another one sold for HKD 203,200 ($25,889.64) at Sotheby's most recent auction in Hong Kong. Labubu was created a decade ago by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung agreed to let them be sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that markets collectable figurines often sold in 'blind boxes'. A buyer of a blind box toy does not know exactly what design they will receive until they open the packaging. The starting price for Labubu blind box toys sold in Pop Mart's stores is around 50 yuan. The character's popularity skyrocketed after Lisa of the Korean pop music group Blackpink was spotted with a Labubu and praised the doll in interviews and online posts. Many celebrities followed. In May, British football star David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram of his Labubu attached to a bag. One Yongle auction bidder, a restaurant owner who only gave her surname as Du, said she had planned to spend a maximum of 20,000 yuan but walked away empty handed as the final prices were too high. 'My child likes it so every time when Labubu released new products we will buy one or two items. It is hard to explain its popularity but it must have moved this generation,' she said.