Wushu, a Chinese combat discipline is now a global sport

Twirling spears, swords and clubs at frightening speeds, the brightly clad fighters performing back-flips and flying kicks could be mistaken for extras in a kung fu movie being shot in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

They are not actors, however, but athletes hoping not just to win gold at the World Wushu Championships but to elevate the Chinese martial art - made famous by Jet Li and Jackie Chan-from an ancient warrior code to a modern-day Olympic sport.

Wushu - a broad term for the martial arts disciplines from China - is still often called kung fu and pits fighters against one another in hand-to-hand combat or intricate acrobatics focusing on flair and weapon work.