Afghan women practice ancient Shaolin martial arts

When they aren’t training on the snow-covered hills that surround Kabul, Azimi trains her students in a grungy, dark club financed by a young cinema actor. Azimi said it was difficult to find all the tools needed to train. For instance, she had to order a Shaolin sword from Iran, where she had studied the art for three years. They could not find Shaolin uniforms, but, undeterred, they designed and ordered uniforms made by a Kabul tailor.

While studying in Iran, Azimi competed in two competitions where she won gold and bronze medals. A year after returning to Afghanistan, she decided to train young girls who lived in the Hazara-dominated neighbourhoods of the capital. Most of her students are teenagers, while a few of the older students study in universities. Azimi charges between $2 and $5 a month depending on what they can afford.

“Some of my students’ families had problems accepting their girls studying Wushu (martial arts),” she said. “But I went to their home and talked to their parents.”

In religiously conservative Afghanistan, girls are often discouraged from aggressive sports. Many parents fear a sporting accident could result in a girl breaking her hymen before marriage, which is considered deeply shameful.

While strides have been made for women in Afghanistan, Azimi said there’s still much to change. She firmly believes that girls and women can stand toe-to-toe with boys in Shaolin martial arts. In an Olympic Committee competition in Kabul, Azimi took first position among female Shaolin participants.

Massoud Hossaini, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Afghan women practice ancient Shaolin martial arts

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