Sanda, formerly Sanshou, is the official Chinese boxing full-contact combat sport. In Chinese Language, "Sanda" originally referred to independent and separate training and combat techniques in contrast to "Taolu".
The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) is an international sport organization and the governing body for wushu in all its forms worldwide. The IWUF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and is also a member of the ARISF, GAISF, FISU, IWGA, and the ISF.
Wushu, or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern Chinese martial arts, including Shaolin kung fu, tai chi, and Wudangquan. "Wushu" is the Chinese term for "martial arts", reflecting the art's goal as a compilation and standardization of various styles. To distinguish it from Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, it is sometimes referred to as 'Modern Wushu'.
The World Wushu Championships (WWC) is an international sports championship hosted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) for the sports of wushu taolu and sanda (sanshou). The tournament has been held biennially since 1991 and is the pinnacle event of the IWUF. The World Wushu Championships also coincides with the IWUF Congress and various committee meetings. This competition additionally serves as the qualification event for the Taolu World Cup and the Sanda World Cup.
The lei tai is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal weapons and bare-knuckle martial arts tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides. Participants would lose if they surrendered, were incapacitated, or were thrown or otherwise forced from the stage. The winner would remain on the stage unless ousted by a stronger opponent. If there were no more challengers, they would become the champion. Private duels on the stage had no rules and were sometimes fought to the death.
The 2008 Beijing Wushu Tournament was a wushu competition which was held from August 21 to 24, 2008 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Beijing, China. The tournament was organised by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), and the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA), and was held in tandem with the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Steven Roy Coleman is a British Wushu athlete and actor. He is a two-time European wushu champion having been the second gold medallist for Great Britain in daoshu ans gunshu behind Ray Park, and is a multiple-time medallist at the European Wushu Championships. Coleman has also won the Great Britain National Wushu Championships multiple times and has broke and set many Great Britain National Wushu records. He is said to have one of the longest competitive wushu careers, having competed internationally for over twenty years.
Alfred Hsing is an American martial artist, actor, and stuntman. After over a decade of intensive training in both America and China, Hsing won the first American gold medal in wushu taolu history at the 2009 World Wushu Championships held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Earlier that year, he made the US National Wushu Team where he was ranked 1st in the nation. Along with his career in martial arts, Hsing is also recognized as the Shaolin expert on Spike TV's show Deadliest Warrior.
Shi Deru, born Liu Xiangyang, English name Shawn Liu, is a 31st generation Grandmaster of Shaolin kung fu. He was a close disciple of abbot Shi Suxi, and close Shaolin brother of Shi Deyang. His nickname is "iron leg".
Dương Thúy Vi is a wushu taolu athlete from Vietnam. She is one of the most renowned wushu athletes of all time, having won numerous medals at the World Wushu Championships, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, and the Asian Wushu Championships.
Zahra Kiani is a wushu taolu athlete from Iran. She is a four-time world junior champion and a silver medalist at the Asian Games.
The South African Wushu Federation (SAWF) is the national governing body for the development and promotion of the sport of wushu also known as kung fu in South Africa. The Federation was formed in 2002.
Zhao Qingjian is a retired professional wushu taolu athlete who is originally from Shandong. Through his numerous successes in national and international competitions, he established himself as one of the greatest wushu taolu athletes of the 2000s.
Gao Jiamin is a retired professional wushu taolu athlete and taijiquan practitioner originally from China. She achieved an impressive competitive career throughout the 1990s and became known as the "Queen of Taiji". Gao has won 32 gold medals in a variety of competitions including the World Wushu Championships, Asian Games, East Asian Games, National Games of China, and various other international and national competitions.
The Pan American Wushu Championships is a continental wushu championship hosted by the Pan American Wushu Federation (PAWF), the official continental representative of Pan America to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). Since 1996, the Pan American Wushu Championships have been held every two years. The PAWF also hosts the Pan American Kungfu & Taijiquan Championships.
Colvin Wang is a former wushu taolu athlete from the United States of America. He won a gold medal at the 2013 World Games.
Tomoya Okawa is a wushu taolu athlete from Japan. He is a one-time world champion, and multiple-time medalist at the World Wushu Championships and the Taolu World Cup.
Li Fai is a retired professional wushu taolu athlete from Hong Kong. She was a four-time world champion and a medalist at the Asian Games and the East Asian Games.
The 2024 Taolu World Cup will be the third edition of the Taolu World Cup. It will be held at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, from October 26 to 27, 2024. Qualification was done through the 2023 World Wushu Championships and the 2024 Wushu International Invitational Tournament.
