Wushu, also known as KungFu in the West, is a generic term for Chinese martial arts that consists of primary offensive and defensive movements performed bare-handed or with weapons. It is one of the significant cultural contributions to the world, and it originated in China 5,000 years ago.
Wushu is a full-contact sport that came from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was developed after 1949 in the People’s Republic of China to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.
Government-appointed committees created the majority of modern competition forms from their parent arts. Wushu has now become an international sport thanks to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), which hosts the World Wushu Championships every two years.
Wushu competition consists of two disciplines: Taolu (forms) and Sanda(sparring). Taolu consists of martial art patterns and maneuvers for which competitors must examine and award points based on specific rules.
The forms consist of basic movements (stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps, and throws) that are based on the aggregate class of traditional Chinese martial art styles and can be changed for competitions to highlight one’s strengths. Time limits for competitive forms can range from 1 minute and 20 seconds for some external types to more than 5 minutes for internal styles.
