Modern Wushu
Chinese martial arts can be traced back over thousands of years, however modern or contemporary wushu was developed and standardized in the late 1940s. It is the national sport of China and is both an exhibition sport (taolu) and a full-contact sport (sanda/sanshou).
Taolu forms are more widely practiced and is comparable to gymnastics floor routines that emphasizes speed, flexibility, power and acrobatic techniques. Forms have been designed to be more aesthetically pleasing, using lower stances and higher kicks, which is also used for exercise purposes. Difficult acrobatic and aerial movements are also incorporated, gaining favor for exhibitions and competitions.
Modern wushu was made popular by Jet Li, who was a 5 time China wushu national champion before transitioning over to the big screen. Now wushu is often seen in action movies and video games. Today, wushu is officially practiced in more than 120 countries around the world.
Wushu Competitions
Contemporary wushu has emerged as a competitive sport with several international competitions held, including the World Wushu Championships held every two years with rules and regulations are set by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).
The United States has a team trials selection competition for both the adult and junior teams, organized by the United States Wushu-Kungfu Federation (USAWKF) every two years.
Taolu forms are performed on a 14m x 8m carpet using martial arts patterns and movements either barehanded or with weapons, which are judged and given points according to specific rules. The minimum time limit for external forms is 1 minute and 20 seconds and 3-6 minutes for internal taichi forms.
Competitions are divided by these common categories:
Barehand: Longfist (Changquan), Southern Fist (Nanquan), Taichi Fist (Taijiquan)
Short Weapons: Broadsword (Daoshu), Straightsword (Jianshu), Southern Broadsword (Nandao), Taichi Sword (Taijijian)
Long Weapons: Staff (Gunshu), Spear (Qiangshu), Southern Staff (Nangun)
Group Events: Choreographed routines that focuses on synchronization and fluidity
Dulian Events: Choreographed fight sets with or without weapons
About San Diego Wushu Center
San Diego Wushu Center (SDWC) was founded in 2013 by Xiaotang Liu, a professional wushu athlete and champion with over 30 years of experience and Alex Tran, a member of the USA contemporary and traditional wushu team. At SDWC, our primary focus is on the development of the student’s personal and physical growth through wushu tournaments at the local, national and international levels.
San Diego Wushu Center is a lifetime member school of the United States of America Wushu-Kungfu Federation (USAWKF).