Research To Promote The Entry Of Chinese Martial Arts In The Olympic Games

The present thesis through literature, surveys, interviews and comparisons attempts to determine and analyze the obstacles encountered by Chinese martial arts on their way to become an Olympic discipline. The scope of the present thesis also includes finding an Olympic compatible standard Wushu model which would not only preserve Chinese culture but also include modern training methods and commercialization.Five aspects are considered in order to explain why Wushu still doesn't belong to the list of the Olympic sports. These aspects include cultural differences, organization problems, and other factors directly related to the discipline itself. The work also includes a comparative analysis of Japan and Korea which traditional martial arts have become Olympic sports. Those two countries'martial arts have successfully mixed tradition and modernity to form a very successful commercial product.The present thesis delivers a new concept: breaking Wushu into several categories: martial skills or technique, martial arts demonstration skills, and commercialization. These categories are described in detail in the following pages. The aim is to give a model of an Olympic compatible standard Wushu; thus getting rid of the barriers between Wushu and the Olympics. This model is a contribution for Chinese martial arts entering the Olympics.The fifth part describes the main argument of the dissertation: regarding the evolution from the administrative ruling mode in place for Wushu in China to a more open mode in order to promote commercialization. Gradually opening the closed administration structure of the past and change it into an organization or association less dependent from the government. Martial arts associations would then move from the public sector to the private sector. Those changes would remove the centralized top-down management system. Consequently, these reforms would improve the management efficiency and promote the entry of Chinese martial arts in the market economy. Indeed, the entry of Wushu in the Olympics can't go without prior privatization; the responsibility of the government would then be to balance the interests of the public and private sector for the best development of the sport. Through privatization and commercialization Wushu would become a more scientific and complete system. We hope to see Wushu taking part in the Olympic Games by 2016 or 2020.