Fighting for medals and jobs: How Wushu is empowering youths to realise their dreams

It all began with actor Rubel's first film, Loraku (The Fighter), which was released in 1986. 

At the time, a 15-year-old Shariful Islam was mesmerised by Rubel's stunts in that film. After repeated watch-throughs, he had one question in his mind: How can one man fight against five at once? 

Shariful captured those action scenes in his mind. Then he began training by himself, breaking pots and bricks, holding a leg up over his head, flipping in the air.

Back then, the Jamuna Bridge had still not been constructed, and travelling from Rajshahi to Dhaka was difficult. So he had no access to an instructor; his only inspiration and indirect teacher was Rubel.

"I've trained 12,000 to 14,000 people. Many of my students have gone on to win gold medals. When they succeed, my chest swells with pride. That is the greatest achievement of my life." Shariful Islam, coach, Bangladesh National Wushu team and Bangladesh Army Wushu team

For Shariful, every new film by Rubel was like a new textbook. He studied Birpurush, Markoshsha, and Bojromushti over and over. 

As international inspirations, he chose Bruce Lee and Jet Li. On VCR, he watched "Enter the Dragon and Way of the Dragon" endlessly. Bruce Lee's speed made him think; this man is not human, he is something else. Jet Li's very name sounded like motion; an expert in Tai Chi, he inspired Shariful to master that art too.

He later found Monowar Hossain Babu as a mentor in Rajshahi, and in Dhaka, he became a disciple of actor Rubel himself. He also went to Cox's Bazar to learn under Din Mohammad Rustam.

A lifelong learner

Even after becoming a master himself, Shariful never stopped learning. In 2017, in Uttara, he met Chinese teacher Zhou Lao Shi. She taught children the Chinese language and was also skilled in Wushu. 

When Shariful expressed his desire to learn, she first refused, "You're already a master; it wouldn't suit you to train alongside children." But Shariful did not give up; he kept turning up at the classes every day. Finally, impressed by his sincerity, she began to teach him.

In 2022, he had a similar experience with another trainer from China. The trainer said, "You are already a master, how can I teach you?" But Shariful found a work-around: during practice, he deliberately made mistakes so that the trainer would correct him. Later, he also went to China for training.

Today, he is the coach of both the Bangladesh National Wushu team and the Bangladesh Army Wushu team. His whole life revolves around Wushu, a traditional Chinese martial art. 

And he never stops practising. When everyone is asleep, he trains in front of a mirror or on the rooftop. "My students see me as a role model. If they see me active, only then will their confidence grow," he says.

Asked how many students he has trained since the beginning, Shariful replied, "I've trained 12,000 to 14,000 people. Many of my students have gone on to win gold medals. When they succeed, my chest swells with pride. That is the greatest achievement of my life."

Santona and Shaibya of Chirirbandar

The National Wushu Championship 2025 was held at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur from 23-27 July, organised by the Bangladesh Wushu Federation. 

At the stadium, we also met another instructor, Animesh Roy, a member of Bangladesh Ansar from Dinajpur.

Animesh has played a key role in spreading Wushu in Dinajpur, travelling across villages and upazilas to recruit students. But it is an uphill battle. 

Santona Rani Roy (left) hopes that if she wins gold, she will secure a job with the Bangladesh Ansar. She has also introduced her younger sister Shaibya (right) to Wushu.

Girls, especially, face a lot of barriers: first from families, then from neighbours. But some show courage and manage to persuade their families, like Chirirbandar's Santona Rani Roy.

Abhoy Chandra Roy proudly refers to his daughter Santona as "Baghini" (tigress). 

Ahead of Wushu competitions, Santona has to practise regularly for two to three months. To keep her nutrition in check, she eats dates, chickpeas, cashews and raisins. That alone costs an extra Tk500-600 a week, a burden for her father. 

Still, Santona hopes that if she wins gold, she will secure a job with the Bangladesh Ansar, which would bring the family some relief.

Santona is the second among four sisters and one brother. The eldest sister is married, and the others depend on their parents. Her parents run the household by flattening rice. Santona feels no shame in that but feels distressed seeing their hard work. Financial stability is now her primary goal. She has also introduced her younger sister Shaibya to Wushu.

Santona is 20, competes in the 52kg weight class, and is studying at the higher secondary level. Shaibya is 18, competes in the 48kg class, and is in Class 10.

Starting in 2021, both sisters quickly improved. At the 2023 Bangladesh Youth Games, Santona won gold. This year, Shaibya won silver, while Santona lost by a narrow margin. Their coach hopes that next year, both will win gold at the national level.

What is Wushu?

Dinajpur's Joy Roy explained, "Wushu has two types: Sanda and Taolu. Sanda looks like full-contact kickboxing. Kicks to face, push kicks, leg kicks, uppercuts, and hooks are all allowed. Takedowns are also a part of the fighters' arsenal. Competitors wear boxing gloves, head guards, teeth guards, and chest guards."

Joy is 19 and has just completed SSC. He began Wushu in 2019. In Dinajpur Sadar, an Ansar and VDP-supported Wushu club has been set up. From Chirirbandar, Santona and Shaibya travel 16- 17km by auto-rickshaw to practise at the club.

Joy looks up to two figures: Master Animesh Roy and his elder brother Anwar Zahid Shishir. Shishir, 24, studies Political Science at Dhaka University. He joined BKSP in 2013. Initially, he was interested in cricket, but due to his agility, he was placed in Wushu. He has won gold three times at the national level.

Shishir explained, "Karate, Wushu, Taekwondo; all are martial arts. Sport Karate is Japanese, non-contact; Taekwondo is Korean, focuses on kicks; while Wushu is Chinese. Wushu's Sanda part is fighting, Taolu is more like gymnastics or dance, with costume, music and weapons like swords, staffs, or spears."

Recently, Dinajpur has been doing well in Sanda, while Cox's Bazar and Rajshahi remain strong in Taolu.

Rehana's gold

From Cox's Bazar, Rehana Akter won two gold medals in the Tai Chi and Taijijian categories at this year's National Wushu Championship. She is 18 and in her second year of HSC.

Her Wushu story began in Class 9. A schoolteacher first told her about Wushu as an effective way for self-defence and physical fitness. She learned that regular practice reduces the risk of heart disease, keeps high blood pressure under control, and helps prevent diabetes.

Without telling her family, Rehana joined a Wushu club, pretending she was going for private tuition. She quickly improved and won her club's championship. That was when her day-labourer father found out. Though pleased, he made it clear he could not afford the expenses.

At that point, club master Shahadat Hossain Pakhi stepped forward, training her without fees. With dedication and focus, Rehana became more skilled. Finally, at this year's national championship, she won gold and upheld her master's honour.

Her aim in learning Wushu was to secure a job through the sports quota and bring stability to her family. That dream is about to be realised; after her gold wins, the army has offered her a job. If her master and family agree, she will accept it.

Who won what

For 16 years, Bangladesh Ansar had held supremacy at the National Wushu Championship. This year, the Bangladesh Army seized the crown. Of the 27 gold medals, the Army won 16, Ansar won seven, Dinajpur bagged three, and BGB won one.

In total, 418 athletes, coaches, and officials from 28 teams, including the Army, Police, Ansar, BGB, and BKSP, took part. At the end, 108 medals were awarded across different categories: gold, silver, and bronze.

From 1 August, a residential Wushu training camp has begun at Mirpur Sports Village for the gold and silver winners, aiming to prepare talented athletes for international competitions.

This article was originally written and published in Bangla. Translated by Anonno Afroz.