What is Wushu (武术)?
Wushu is an ancient Chinese martial art dating back to the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BC). It combines the practicality of unarmed combat with the elegance and fierceness of a performing art to create the spectacle seen today. Recently, it became an event in the Summer Youth Olympics.
-
Taolu: Term for individual forms
-
Nandu: Moves with a degree of difficulty found in advanced forms
-
Kungfu: The traditional aspect of Wushu, focusing more on self-defense, self-discipline, exercise and personal health
Taiji (太极)
An internal Chinese martial arts. Most people think of taiji as "the slow thing old people do at the park", but there's more to it. Taiji was first created as a self-defense martial art, which became the Chen style, before branching out into many other styles, the most famous being Yang, Wu (武), Wu (吳), and Sun.
Wing Chun (咏春)
Wing Chun is a close-quarter combat Chinese martial art, focusing on rapid self-defense movements and using an opponent's force against them while maintaining a narrow stance. It's the same martial art seen in the movie series Ip Man.
Shaolin Kungfu (少林功夫)
An ancient Chinese martial art style originating from the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province of China by a Buddhist monk. It focuses mainly on self-defense, discipline, and meditation.
Sanda (散打)
Also known as Sanshou, Sanda is essentially Chinese boxing. In addition to kicking and punching, Sanda includes full-body movements like wrestling and throws. Sanda matches typically occur on an elevated platform, called Leitai, where 2 plus a referee stand.
