Wushu features several disciplines. Fighters in sanda - a type of kick boxing which allows wrestling and throwing - spar on a raised mat. By contrast, taolu more closely resembles gymnastics with weapons, where traditional routines based on attack and defence techniques are performed individually and in teams.

Fighting for Olympic glory

Now wushu is hoping to go a step further by following other martial arts, like Japan's judo and Korea's taekwondo, by becoming an Olympic sport.

The International Wushu Federation's efforts suffered a setback when wushu was dropped from a shortlist of sports being considered for the Tokyo 2020 Games, but the organization has not been put off and is confident of inclusion in 2024.

"We were disappointed but we were not too surprised," federation executive vice president Anthony Goh says.

Extra money is a particular attraction of gaining Olympic status, with federations outside major wushu hubs in Asia - and emerging powerhouses like Russia and Iran - struggling due to limited sponsorship.

Martinez said many of the US athletes on his squad worked full time to fund their travel for wushu tournaments abroad and still managed to train four hours per day.

"It's a huge, huge sacrifice for them," he says.

But he was confident wushu was destined to be an Olympic sport: "It has fighting, it has weapons, it has all the fast-moving action of martial arts condensed into one."