Nonetheless, the sport is well known by another name. While the other seven sports pushing for Olympic induction sound familiar to many North Americans, for the most part wushu remains foreign.

The International Olympic Committee in July announced wushu was one of eight sportsalong with baseball, softball, karate, roller sports, sports climbing, squash and wakeboard vying for a spot at the 2020 Olympic Games. Many other North Americans, however, dont. It was as if this was the first time they, too, were hearing about the sport. The school's instructors, who've worked and trained with Xiao for years, sat mesmerized by the man who went through school with Jet Li's coach. Sitting in the middle of his wushu studio, Xiao explained the sport through a translator. In 1990, he opened his martial arts studio on Southweset Marine Drive in the shadow of the Arthur Liang Bridge. Xiao first visited Vancouver in 1987 when he was invited by Overseas Chinese Voice, one of the citys only Chinese-language radio stations at the time. It is a Chinese way of health, self-defence and fitness, he said, noting practitioners of all ages are drawn to the sport for its cultural and physical characteristics. He then went on to become the Chinese and Canadian national team wushu coach. He graduated from Beijing Physical Education University, completing a major in the martial art. Xiao began training in wushu at age five and this weekend he will judge the Canadian National Wushu Championships in Toronto. For Vancouver martial arts grand master Bin Sheng Xiao, the sport wushu has always made sense.

Age of wushu re list