???????The first Kenya National Wushu Competition was held in Nairobi last Thursday, bringing together contestants from eight counties to showcase their skills in Chinese martial arts.

Students from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions competed in various Wushu disciplines. Top performers received gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as merit awards.
The competition was co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, the Kenya Kungfu Wushu Federation, and a Chinese electronics and media company StarTimes Group.
From graceful sword routines to explosive kicks and lightning-fast punches, Wushu combines athleticism, art, and centuries of tradition. 
Wushu artist Elvis Munyasya shared what drew him to the event.
"What inspired me a lot is action movies, the ones like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and also there was a time I came across a video on YouTube. It was about Kungfu and the performance of Wushu and that's where I got inspired and started training Wushu," Munyasya said. 
For another Wushu artist Veronica Wambui, Wushu is as much about self-control as it is about physical skill.
"Like anger issues, you are told how to control it. For instance, you can't come here and insult me then I fight back. I will withhold myself or just leave you. So, there's a lot of discipline inside Wushu," Wambui said. 
Organisers hope this competition marks the beginning of a new chapter for Wushu in Kenya. 
"I think with this competition, more and more Kenyans will know Wushu and come to CI (Confucius Institute) to learn Wushu," said Zhou Xiaodong, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University.
He also believes it can help bring Kenya and China closer together. 
"I think with this, the two countries will strengthen ties and also for our CI, we will have a deeper relationship with the Kenya Kungfu Wushu Federation," Zhou said.