The standardised Chinese martial arts sport contested as judged forms and as a full-contact sparring discipline called sanda.
Origin and rules
Modern wushu was codified in the 1950s by the Chinese government, drawing on traditional kung fu styles such as Changquan and Nanquan. The International Wushu Federation was founded in 1990 to govern the sport globally.
How it plays
Wushu has two main events. Taolu features judged solo routines in barehand and weapon disciplines on a 14-by-8-metre carpet. Sanda is full-contact sparring in a raised lei tai ring, scoring punches, kicks, throws, and pushes off the platform.
Competition
The IWUF World Wushu Championships are the elite event, with the Asian Games featuring wushu since 1990. China dominates, with Iran, Russia, Vietnam, and the United States providing leading challengers. Wushu featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a Tournament event but is not on the official Olympic programme.
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Wushu starts with W and ends with U. Browse other sports along the same letter.
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