SANAA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Inside a gym converted from an old warehouse, about a dozen wushu lovers were training diligently despite the afternoon heat of Sanaa, Yemen's capital.
These enthusiasts of Chinese martial arts, from schoolboys to young men in their 20s, did backflips, practiced wushu's complex choreographed routines, or engaged in free-style combat training.
Tharwat Maheeub Al-Sndi, a 24-year-old young man, waved a Chinese sword swiftly with his feet moving deftly on the gym's worn-out carpet, drawing a round of applause from other trainees.
"Wushu has always been my passion. I remembered how excited I became when I saw a Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movie," Al-Sndi said.
Naji al-Ashwal, the tutor, or shifu, of the wushu gym, said many of his students fell in love with the Chinese martial arts after watching Kung Fu movies.
"But the more they learn about wushu, the more they will realize that the sport is so much more than just combat skills," said al-Ashwal. "In addition to self-defense skills, wushu also fosters creativity, courage, and persistence. This is why there is a growing popularity for wushu in Yemen."
Once a wushu champion and well-known sports figure in the Arab country, al-Ashwal noted that despite the country's economic plight, many parents are still willing to pay for their children's tuition.
"Many of the parents are wushu fans and believe the sport is beneficial to the children," Al-Ashwal said. "But I cannot charge the students too much, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford it."
The shifu said he was now barely managed to keep the gym open and had to scramble to make ends meet.
"The war has taken a toll on all aspects of our life in Yemen," said al-Ashwal, referring to the eight-year civil war that has plunged the Arab country into poverty and chaos.
He said wushu athletes in the country, especially in Houthi-controlled regions, have difficulties participating in international games and often don't have enough money to buy equipment and rent gyms.
However, his love for the sport has kept him going.
"What encourages and keeps me doing this is the passion of the students," Ashwal said. "They love wushu and dream to become a champion, a dream which I shared when I was young."
In the gym, years-old banners written in Chinese are displayed on the walls. They were the remnants of a China-sponsored wushu championship competition held in Sanaa in May 2014, months before the country's civil war broke out.
After the Houthi militia took over Sanaa and stormed large swathes of land in Yemen, almost all foreigners, including Chinese, evacuated from the country and have not returned since.
"I hope that one day, peace can return to the country so wushu masters in China can visit Yemen and teach us. Or even better, I can go to China and learn from the masters," said Al-Sndi. ■
