【明報專訊】The changing weather makes it easy for us to get sick. Practising Chinese martial arts (or popularly known as Kungfu or Wushu) is a good way to stay healthy and boost your immunity!

◆Styles and genres

Chinese martial arts consist of various styles with different origins, weapons and purposes. Some famous styles include Wing Chun (詠春), Choy Lee Fut (蔡李佛) and Hung Kuen (洪拳). Other styles like Taichi (太極) and Qigong (氣功) are practiced by many for their health benefits.(picture 1)

◆Celebrity

Michelle Yeung (楊子瑩) is a young Wushu athlete raised in Hong Kong. She is 14 years old and won 3 gold medals in individual events of the 9th Asian Junior Wushu Championships held in Gumi City, Korea. Michelle has been nominated in the Junior category of the Samsung 2017 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards.

◆Mysterious number﹕600g

Practising Taichi sometimes involves different weapons and tools like swords, sticks, flags and fans. An average Taichi sword weighs around 600g. An athlete may use a heavier or lighter sword based on the length of the sword chosen according to their own height.(picture 2)

◆Check-in

The "Kung Fu Corner" is set up every Sunday from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm in Kowloon Park to encourage people to learn the moves and work out for health. It is a nice place to form a community with other enthusiasts for martial arts. There are free performances of lion or dragon dances and play-in sessions for different types of martial arts at the Sculpture Walk of the Park.

■Glossary

immunity (n) 免疫力

nominate (v) 提名

average (adj) 一般的

enthusiast (n) 愛好者

[Smarties' Power English 第211期]