Wushu Styles

Various forms of martial arts have flourished throughout many places in the world and each region has created or adapted a style to cal its own. The Wushu style of martial arts originated in China and has since circulated across the globe.

  1. What is Wushu?

    • Wushu is a general term that is given to many different fighting styles created in China. These fighting styles are then broken down into families for historical tracking and training purposes.

    History of Wushu

    • Wushu's roots date to the Xia Dynasty of nearly 4,000 years ago. This fighting style was created as a form of self-defense and military training.

    Five Styles of Wushu

    • Wushu martial arts comprise five styles of combat and training: barehanded, weapons, set sparring, free sparring and group exercises. Each style has its own subset of categories.

    Regional Styles

    • Wushu styles can also be divided into the northern or southern Shaolin practices, based on their association with Shaolin temples in those regions.

    Wushu as a Sport

    • Wushu has also become a popular sport in China. It is practiced in exhibition and full-contact competitions. This discipline focuses on sparring techniques and the mastery of forms.