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Wushu is a label that descript any form of martial arts that came from China. It is the generic name for literally hundreds of individual fighting arts, both "internal" and "external", ancients and of relatively recent invention. Wushu (武術 or 武术) literally means "martial art". It is commonly used in China to describe any type of martial art. Western boxing is referred to as American Wushu in China. In the west, the term Kung Fu is much more commonly used to refer to Chinese martial arts. 

The word wushu consists of two Chinese characters 武 (wu), meaning martial or military, and 術 (shu`), which translates into art, skill or method. 

Together these form "wushu" or "martial art". To be more precise, the first character 武 (wu) is actually a combination of two other characters: 止 (zhi) and 戈 (ge). The first means to stop or halt something, and the latter symbolizes an ancient Chinese weapon similar to a spear (notice that the stroke symbolizing a dagger on the side of the character 戈 is shelved, see here for the meaning). Because of this, many consider a more detailed translation of wushu to be "method to stop weapon" or "the art of stopping violence", more similar to the Western term self-defence.

What is wushu? Is it a spectacular form of performing arts or an abstruse fighting skill that can kill without touching an opponent? Let us enter this wushu world together and unveil its mysterious veil.

This Library section is created for archiving articles  and information on various aspects of wushu such as culture, history, spirit and training.