Rabat, Morocco - The fifth World Qwan Ki Do Championships began Friday in Rabat, Morocco, PANA reports from here. Qwan Ki Do is a Sino-Vietnamese martial art. It took its definitive name in 1981, but its roots can be found many years ago, in the long tradition of Sino-Vietnamese martial arts, back 2,500 years during the Hùng Vương dynasty. The two-day competition is featuring participants from 14 countries -- France, Italy, Romania, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Britain, Norway, Canada, Brazil, Algeria and Morocco.

Practiced in Morocco since 1982, Qwan Ki Do is under the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Judo and related martial arts.

The fourth world championships were held in November 2007 in Romania.

Pana 23/04/2011