Wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It has all the combat aspects of wushu.
It was developed in China after 1949, in an effort to standardize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts although attempts to structure the various decentralized martial arts traditions date back earlier, when the Central Guoshu Institute was established at Nanking in 1928. The term wushu isChinese for "martial arts" (武 "Wu" = military or martial, 术 "Shu" = art). In contemporary times, w
ushu has become an international sport through theInternational Wushu Federation (IWUF). Competitive wushu is composed of two disciplines: taolu (套路; forms) andsanda (散打; sparring).[5]
Taolu involves martial art patterns and maneuvers for which competitors are judged and given points according to specific rules. The forms comprise basic movements (stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws) based on aggregate categories of traditional Chinese martial art styles and can be changed for competitions to highlight one's strengths. Competitive forms have time limits that can range from 1 minute, 20 seconds for some external styles to over five minutes for internal styles. Modern wushu competitors are increasingly training in aerial techniques such as 540-, 720-, and even 900-degree jumps and kicks to add more difficulty and style to their forms.[6]
Sanda (sometimes called sanshou or Lei tai) is a modern fighting method and sport influenced by traditional Chinese boxing, Chinese wrestling methods called Shuai jiao and other Chinese grappling techniques such as Chin Na. Sanda appears much like Kickboxing orMuay Thai, but includes many more grappling techniques. Sanda fighting competitions are often held alongside taolu or form competitions.
