ancient kung fu
From the Shang dynasty (ca. 1556-1046 BC) to the Warring States period (481-221 BC), wushu developed specialized methods of armed and unarmed combat, and sophisticated weapons for warfare began to emerge.
At that time, wushu also became popular among ordinary people as a means of self-defense and health improvement, as well as entertainment.
The famous ancient Chinese philosophy advocated the culture of literary and martial arts ("wen wu").
Fast forward to the year 495 AD
At this time when the Shaolin Temple, long recognized internationally as the touchstone for certain styles of Chinese wushu, was erected on Mount Song Shan for the Batuo monk, the students of whom enjoyed doing wushu-type exercises in their spare time. .
Later generations of monks combined chan (zen) and when (martial arts) into what is now known as shaolin when (shaolin wushu).
During the latter part of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the use of "cold" military weapons began to decline as the use of firearms gradually increased among soldiers.
The concept of wushu
Wushu came to be practiced mainly by ordinary people, and martial techniques and practices began to combine with theoretical and philosophical ideas popular among ordinary people, giving rise to hundreds of styles such as xingyi when, bagua zhang, and wushu. taiji when.
Although rooted primarily in martial applications, these styles also placed importance on health and moral principles.
early 20th century
The establishment of organizations such as the Shanghai Jing Wu Physical Culture Society paved the way for the development of wushu in the field of popular sports.
Public performances, practices and competitions became a regular site, further promoting the practice of wushu.
The creation and unification of Chinese martial arts
In 1923, China's national wushu games were held in Shanghai, and in 1936, a Chinese wushu delegation performed at the XI Olympics in Berlin.
Wushu continued to develop during the Republican era and after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Formats and rules of wushu competitions were implemented and teaching methods and materials were standardized, and in 1985 the first international invitational wushu tournament was held in xian, china, and the preparatory committee of the international wushu federation was formed. of wushu (iwuf).
On October 3, 1990, iwuf was officially founded, which by its acronym means International Wushu Federation.
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