taichi basketball

What happens when you combine the moves of traditional Chinese martial arts with the modern sport of basketball? A whole lot of awesome, that’s what.

A particular group of basketball freestylers have been making waves recently with a video of their impressive tai chi-basketball infusion.

Beijing-born Jiang Shan has taken freestyle basketball to a whole different level by incorporating the fluid movements of one of China’s ancient martial arts- tai chi. The dance-like moves are mesmerizing as he rolls the ball around his arms and shoulders, under his legs, and even spins two balls at the same time with a single hand. His badassery has earned him wins at freestyle basketball competitions in China in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Watch and be amazed.

Shan and his entourage now perform globally. This performance was created for a Sino-US cultural exchange night in San Diego. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of him soon!

Source: Shanghaiist
Top/feature image: YouTube