The New Frontier
ASIAN Geographic|AG 02/2017 - 124

Cultural Stereotypes Are Being Challenged By Men And Women In Asia – From East To West

Alex Campbell
The New Frontier

AFGHANISTAN

THE WUSHU WARRIORS

In a viral video clip reminiscent of a scene from Tarantino’s Kill Bill, 20-year old wushu teacher Sima Azimi, sporting a striking black and yellow satin karategi, leads her class of women trainees in their wushu workout on a snow-splattered hilltop outside Kabul in Afghanistan.

Donning pink uniforms – designed by a local tailor – with white hijabs, these young Hazara women, a mostly Shia group who speak Dari, are giving a roundhouse kick to gender stereotypes by practising this ancient form of kung fu, developed by the flying monks of the Shaolin Temple in northern China. This full-contact sport combines kick-boxing and sword fighting – with sabres and daggers.

This story is from the AG 02/2017 - 124 edition of ASIAN Geographic.

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This story is from the AG 02/2017 - 124 edition of ASIAN Geographic.

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