About WuShu

The character “Wu” in wushu is composed of two Chinese characters, namely “Zhi” which means “to stop” and “Ge” which is an ancient weapon of war. With that the essence of the character Wu is indeed to stop conflict and promote peace. The practice of wushu not only develops a strong and healthy body, but also a strong mind with high moral values, as its practice focuses on “Wu De” or martial ethics.

Today wushu has developed into various forms of practice, each with its own focus and goals. Some practices highlight health and well-being as their primary goal, while others stress maintaining the traditional culture and skills from which the arts originated. More recently, wushu has developed into a global competitive sport, which is practiced and enjoyed by thousands of people worldwide due to its unique and exciting content. Sport wushu is categorized into two main categories, namely Taolu (Routines Competition) and Sanda (Free-Fighting Competition).

Traditional Wushu (commonly referred to as kungfu) is the root of sport wushu and has a long and diverse history. As wushu originated in China, traditional wushu practices have developed and spread throughout the country’s geographical terrain and absorbed distinct cultural, ethnic and philosophical characteristics of the various groups in China. Traditional wushu’s practice is aimed at preserving the principles, methods and legacies of previous generations that developed and relied on these arts for survival and overall life improvement.

The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) continues to preserve and promote traditional wushu as the practice has steadily entered the realm of sport for all. Traditional wushu’s values align with those of promoting social cohesion, cultural and educational value, and the development of healthy lifestyles and habits. In 2004 the IWUF held its first edition of the biennial World Traditional Kungfu Championships. As a sport-for-all event, the nature of the competition is to promote traditional kungfu’s practice through large scale participation and exchange. The event features thousands of competitors in all age groups competing in a wide variety of divisions, the majority of whom are awarded prizes for participation. With a spirit of interaction, the event aims to build friendships and interest through traditional wushu.