#10 Racquet sports

It is no great secret that Chinese people traditionally have not been known for their physical and athletic prowress. Compared to their non-Chinese counterparts, a Chinese person's lithe frame is not as suitable for playing more physical sports such as football and hockey. While it is not an impossible feat, a Chinese person can dedicate much time and effort to 'bulk up' in order to play these sports. It should be noted that this is usually much to the dismay of their parents as they usually feel this time could be better spent on academic pursuits.

What Chinese people lack in sheer size and muscle weight, they more than make up for it in finesse, grace and speed, much to the chagrin of the world's competing gymnastic teams. In addition, Chinese people are a highly adaptable group, which is helpful in explaining why, for generations they have gravitated towards sports that complement these qualities. These sports include ping-pong, badminton and tennis - the trifecta of racquet sports.

One could argue that these sports are ostensibly pick up and play and easy to learn, they take a lifetime to master. While the aforementioned qualities are a perfect fit for the trifecta, the other reason these sports are so popular with Chinese people is because of parents. Given the overprotective nature of Chinese parents, they will typically forbid their children from playing any highly physical or contact sports. Should a child suggest that they would like to participate, there is always a myriad of reasons from parents as to why that is a bad idea. Luckily, racquet sports have been deemed to be safe and acceptable. Should a Chinese child be injured playing one of these sports, there will be much hesitation on the part of the parent to allow their child to continue. It is not uncommon for words such as "I knew it was a bad idea letting you play sports!" or "See, you wouldn't have been hurt if you were doing Kumon instead." to be uttered.

Should a non-Chinese person ever want to play against a Chinese person in one of the trifecta sports, they should be prepared to lose. While this is not a guarantee, statistics have shown this to be true almost all of the time. Thankfully, due to their inborn politeness, trash talking will be kept at a minimum.