How to Combine Wushu Jumps

The main wushu jumps are: Flying Frontkick, Whirlwind Kick, Lotus Kick, Butterfly Kick, Butterfly Twist, Cartwheel Roll and Cartwheel Roll Twist. Depending on the difficulty (extra rotations) of the executed jump, points are added to your score. (0,2 to 0,6 points per jump) When you combine 2 wushu jumps, additional points are added. Another method to get extra points is to perform a special landing. For example a split landing after a wushu whirlwind kick. If the jumps or the landings are not performed perfectly, points are deducted. However, there is a limit how many points can be added to your total score for the execution of acrobatic wushu jumps. In 2003 this limit was 2,4 points. For more information on the current wushu rules, please visit the official website of the IWUF (international federation of wushu). Find more wushu instructions at wushu main.

Description

  • Combinations with the Flying Wushu Frontkick
    • Flying Frontkick to Whirlwind kick (very often seen) The flying frontkick is landed on the right leg. After the landing make 2 or 4 steps and then jump from the right leg. Smaller athletes usually do 4 steps, but doing only 2 steps looks more professional. The first step is straight and the 2nd step is 90 degrees to the running direction. The whole run is straight. Both, flying frontkick and the whirlwind kick are jumped with upper body straight. That's why you should also keep your upper body straight during the 2 steps in-between the jumps. Don't stand on your right leg for a long time after the flying frontkick landing. Keep running smooth and fast.
    • Flying Frontkick to Cartwheel Roll (rare combination).
      This combination is not very popular, because it's kinda difficult and each jump only brings 0,2 points. You can get the same amount of points if you do a flying frontkick, run a few steps and then do a simple butterfly kick. Description: Land on your right leg after the flying wushu frontkick and directly go into a cartwheel without hands when the left leg touches the floor. Your cartwheel without hands has to be very good to be able to do this combination in your wushu form. If you bend your knees too much or if you sit back too far, you will not be able to land the cartwheel without hands. Make sure your hands are in front of the hips before the cartwheel without hands. When you first learn this, do the flying wushu frontkick without the kick, (just jump and land on the right leg). It will look like you just added a hop before your cartwheel without hands.
    • Flying Frontkick to Wushu Butterfly Kick or Twist (popular).
      This combination is seen in many beginners longfist forms. After ou land your flying frontkick on your right leg, step forward with your left leg. Then step forward with your right leg and twist the foot counter clockwise 90 degrees. Hop on your right leg and to a wushu butterfly kick/twist.
  • Combinations with the Wushu Whirlwind Kick
    • Wushu Whirlwind Kick to Butterfly Twist (very popular)
      Land on your right leg after the whirlwind kick and step forward with your left leg. Make sure you don't land your whirlwind kick too deep. Then step forward with your right leg, hop (see butterfly runup) and go into a wushu butterfly twist.
    • Whirlwind Kick to Wushu Butterfly Kick (rare)
      Land on your right leg and then step straight forward with your left leg. Make one step with your right foot (90° counter clockwise to the running direction) and then make a hop and twist the foot another 90 degrees. Strike out for the butterfly kick during the hop (see wushu butterfly kick instruction) Don't think of the 2 jumps as something being done together. When you do the butterfly kick, try to forget that you just did a whirlwind kick. It's hard enough to change from a vertical rotation to a horizontal rotation. But the butterfly kick is not even a full rotation. It's just a horizontal jump which actually makes the combination harder. Even though the wushu butterfly twist is a more difficult jump, a whirlwind kick is harder to combine with a normal butterfly kick.
  • Combinations with the Wushu Lotus Kick
    Lotus kicks are usually not performed at the beginning of a combination.
  • Butterfly Kick Combinations
    • Butterfly Kick to Butterfly Twist. (popular) There are no steps between the jumps. Before you try this, you should learn how to do more than 2 butterfly kicks in a row. Your butterfly twist should be pretty good.
  • Combinations with the Wushu Butterfly Twist
    • Butterfly Twist to Whirlwind kick (popular)
      The butterfly twists 360 and 720 are landed on the left leg. After the landing step forward fast with your right foot and bring your upper body to an upright position. Don't stand too long on your left leg.
      Then make 2 more steps and jump off from your right leg. Keep in mind that the right foot has to be twisted 90 degrees to the running direction when you jump off for a whirlwind kick.
  • Combinations with the Wushu Cartwheel Roll
    • Cartwheel Roll to Whirlwind Kick (popular)
      When you do a cartwheel roll, your right leg lands first. Then you left leg kinda touches the floor automatically. Turn to the left as you land, so that you look straight forward (to the running direction). Step forward with the right leg and then make a step with your left leg. Finally make a last step with your right leg and twist the foot 90 degrees counter clockwise to the running direction. Jump off with your upper body aligned vertically.
  • Other Wushu Jump Combinations
    • The combinations above are just the most popular ones. Of course you can also make up your own combinations. For example: Try to combine a wushu whirlwind kick and a lotus kick or a lotus kick and a butterfly twist. Combinations like this are kinda difficult, because one kick goes to the left and the other one to the right. Wushu jumps that rotate the same way, are a lot easier to combine. Eg: Butterfly Twist to Whirlwind kick.

Advice

  • Before you try your combination with the actual kicks, try them hopping (not jumping). This way you will get used to the timing and the "useless" steps in-between.
  • Above, I am explaining combinations with 0 to 2 steps in-between the jumps. Shorter athletes often do 4 steps in-between the jumps and still get the full score. The more steps, the easier. Keep in mind that in wushu competitions, the size of the carpet limits your running distance.
  • The highest rated combination would be a 720 wushu whirlwind kick followed by a 720 butterfly twist and a split landing. The lowest rated combination would be a flying frontkick followed by a butterfly kick.
  • A funny combination: (not really for wushu competitions)
    Try to combine as many 360 wushu whirlwind kicks and 360 butterfly twists as you can. Start with a butterfly twist and directly go into a whirlwind kick after the landing. Try to do this without extra steps in-between.