Football: Shaolin kungfu seeks to strike a blow for Chinese soccer

The young martial arts pupils cartwheeled across a pitch, before football coach Sun Dawei ordered one to deliver him a kung fu kick to the stomach.

"You see I avoid the kick like this," Sun said, dodging out of harm's way before grabbing his young charge's leg and throwing him to the turf.

As tackling and defensive techniques, both would be short cuts to a red card. But the "Shaolin soccer training base" -- set up last year near the home of China's fighting monks -- has ambitions to use traditional martial arts techniques to produce elite football players for Team Dragon.

Students take part in a football practice at the Tagou martial arts school in Dengfeng (AFP)