Wushu is a Chinese martial art, also known in the West as "Kung Fu." However, the term "Kung Fu" is actually a mistranslation—it simply means "skill" or "effort" (功夫 gōngfū).
In the 1960s, when Wushu made its way to Hollywood, Chinese martial artists like Bruce Lee and others popularized it as a form of Chinese skill. To put it into perspective: imagine chef Jamie Oliver promoting his cooking as "British Skill"—until people around the world start thinking the word "skill" just means cooking!
On the main Wushu page, you can find basic Wushu instructions.
Typical Features of Wushu
- Stretch kicks: very fast, straight, and flashy kicks aimed at the forehead.
- Everything you see in a Shaolin Kung Fu show.
- No-hand cartwheels.
- Butterfly twists.
- Spin and double-spin kicks with split landings.
- Very fast sweeps with two rotations.
Famous Wushu Personalities
- Bruce Lee (Li Xiao Long) – Sanda, Jeet Kune Do
- Jet Li (Li Lian Jie) – Wushu Taolu
- Jackie Chan (Cheng Long) – Peking Opera specialist
- Sammo Hung (Hong Jin Bao) – Peking Opera
- The Shaolin Monks – Not actual monks, but the Shaolin Performance Team
Instructions
- Wushu Main
- Butterfly Twist
- Cartwheel Without Hands
- Front Sweep
- Wushu Horse Stance
- Wushu Bow Stance
- Wushu Empty Stance
- Wushu Flat Stance (corrected spelling)
- Wushu Rest Stance
Videos/Images
- Wushu Taolu
- Sanda – Chinese Kickboxing
