Wushu

Wushu ( ) literally means "martial art". It is the correct term for the more commonly known but misused term kung fu, which roughly translates to "skill" and refers specifically to the energy, feeling and effort expended in doing or making something. A craftsman or artisan could be said to have good "kung fu" in the way in which they carry out their craft. In the same way, a wushu practitioner can also be said to have good "kung fu" with their Wushu practice. All categories of Chinese martial arts, traditional, contemporary, hard and soft, can be called Wushu. Today, the terms "modern wushu" or "contemporary wushu" refer to forms that are practiced for health, exhibition and competition. Common "hard" or external styles of contemporary Wushu are southern fist, Nanquan and long fist, Changquan. Common "soft" or internal styles are Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan.

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Wushu is practiced in forms (taolu in Chinese), which are comprised of basic movements, (stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps and sweeps), particular to each style and can be changed for competitions to highlight ones strengths. Competitive forms can vary in length from 1 minute, 30 seconds for the hard styles to over five minutes for internal styles.

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Kung fu: :For the television program, see Kung Fu (TV series). For the Nintendo Entertainment System video game, see Kung Fu (video game)....

Chinese martial arts: Chinese martial arts, often abbreviated as CMA, refers to the enormous variety of martial art styles native to China. Chinese martial arts are also often referred to as wushu or kung fu. (Many consider wushu a better term, as it translates directly as martial art.)...

Internal: See:...