Wushu is a sport that has got two different versions, ‘sanda’ and ‘taolu’. The forms in taolu are more or less similar to that of gymnastics and involve the use of several different martial arts patterns. The competitors are awarded points according to the different maneuvers which they perform according to specific rules that govern the sport of modern wushu. There are certain time limits within which each competitor has to display his or her mastery over the steps of wushu in taolu.
Sanda on the other hand is heavily influenced by traditional sports such as Chinese boxing and wrestling. It also has got its own resemblances with kick boxing which is popular in Thailand and known as ‘Muay Thai’. The major difference with sanda lies in the fact that there are several more grappling techniques that are involved when compared with other kick boxing techniques.
It was in the year 1958 that the Chinese government established the wushu association in order to regulate martial arts and its training in the country. Wushu is a sport that has been gradually then introduced at the school and university levels by the Chinese government. Changing government policies have had their own influences on the development of wushu as a sport though. Even under conditions of turmoil the sport has continued to flourish in different parts of China and still continues to enjoy public patronage. Wushu is a part of the storyline in many Chinese movies, too.
There have been several world famous practitioners of wushu. One of the most famous names when it comes to wushu is that of Jet Li. He has been crowned the wushu champion in China five times and is immensely popular as a movie star in several parts of the world. Most of his movies too have stories based around the martial arts of wushu. One can find plenty of useful information on wushu at leading online sources dedicated to the topic. One can also learn a great deal about the various techniques that are used as part of wushu by visiting such online sources. Wushu is a sport whose event calendar is made up of various events that take place literally round the year. In most of the events individual routines are the most popular. Then there are the dual events. In such events there is usually some kind of sparring involved with weapons. The dual events too are very popular and some of the spectacular stunts and actions are actually choreographed beforehand. Group events too are very popular when it comes to wushu events. Smooth synchronization of action is what these group wushu events are all about. To put it in a nutshell, wushu is a sport on which you can find plenty of useful information online.