Feature: Chinese martial arts strike a chord with Kenyan high school students

While growing up in a middle class suburb in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, Chris Ogada would join older siblings to visit a nearby community hall where Kungfu movies were shown on a big screen.

The 17-year-old form three student at Nairobi's Hospital Hill High School was exposed to Chinese martial arts at a tender age and yearned for an opportunity to practice the time honored tradition.

Ogada is among dozens of the up market Hospital hill high school students who have been practicing Kungfu for the last two years.

During an interview with Xinhua, Ogada hailed the transformative power of Kungfu and vowed to practice it for the long haul.

"Since I enrolled for Kungfu lessons two years ago, the experience has been rewarding both academically and physically. Kungfu has improved my alertness and physical fitness," said Ogada.

His physical and mental agility has improved tremendously thanks to intensive practice of Chinese martial arts.

Ogada is among an elite team of students at Hospital hill high school whose mastery of Kungfu has confounded their teachers and parents.

The energetic and bubbly youth was in his element on Tuesday afternoon as he made calculated moves to prove his mastery of Kungfu.

Currently a top scorer in maths and sciences, Ogada aspires to become an engineer and play an active role in Kenya's industrial progress.

He and his peers defied stereotypes to enroll for Kungfu lessons immediately they joined Hospital hill high school.

Ogada told Xinhua that snide remarks from ignorant peers and the wider society did not vanquish his quest to learn Chinese martial arts.

"At the beginning, some people discouraged us from taking Kung Fu lessons and thought we were in it to boost our fighting skills. This practice has immense benefits," said Ogada.

The Kung Fu students at Hospital hill high school have won national accolades for their prowess in the ancient Chinese tradition.

Started in 2013 by Confucius Institute and China Radio International in Nairobi, the Kungfu program at hospital hill high school has elevated Sino-Kenya cultural cooperation a notch higher.

The Program's Director Ling Li said Kenyan high school students have gradually embraced Chinese martial arts after realizing its huge benefits.

"At the initial stages, Chinese martial arts appears difficult to Kenyan students, but they gradually master it after regular practice," Li told Xinhua, adding that Kungfu is a popular brand that has cemented Sino-Kenya friendship.

Chinese martial arts has not only re-energized physical and mental agility of Kenyan high school students, but has as well improved their understanding of the middle kingdom.

Don Tambo, a 17-year-old form three students at Hospital hill high school said his academic performance improved drastically after he commenced Kungfu lessons in 2013.

"Kung Fu instills the virtues of discipline and hard work that have boosted my performance in class," Tambo told Xinhua.

He added that intensive Kungfu lessons have not interfered with his class work.

Students at Hospital hill high school are trailblazers in the understanding of different facets of Chinese culture.

Sarah Musembi, a senior teacher at the public school singled out Chinese martial arts for instilling noble virtues to students.

"Kung Fu is not about fighting but pursuit of higher ideals like hard work and respect," Musembi remarked.

Compared to their counterparts in other parts of Africa, Kenyan high school students have demonstrated exceptional grasp of Chinese martial arts.

Qi Tao, a KungFu teacher at Hospital hill high school, said Kenyan teenagers take a shorter period to master basic moves thanks to passion and determination.

"Kenyan youth love Chinese martial arts and have always been exposed to it through movies. Kungfu serves many purposes including physical fitness and team spirit," Qi remarked.

Many Kenyan high schools have expressed a desire to introduce Chinese martial arts as part of the curriculum.

The Principal of Hospital hill high school Wycliffe Obingo said a partnership with the Confucius Institute has improved the understanding of Chinese rich culture among Kenyan youth.

"China is a world power and everyone is keen to partner with the country in many fields. As a school, we have embraced this partnership that has been beneficial to students and teachers," Obingo remarked.

He revealed that Hospital hill high school has been sending two students to China annually for the cultural exchange program. Endit