What Does Wushu Mean

If Kung Fu indicates mastery in a broad sense, Wushu is the term that specifically identifies Chinese martial arts.

武术 — wǔshù. Two characters: 武 (wǔ), referring to the military and martial sphere, and 术 (shù), meaning art, method, technique. Together: martial art. Precise, direct, unambiguous.

When you want to refer to the combat disciplines of Chinese origin — Tai Chi, Shaolin, Praying Mantis, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Sanda and everything else — the right word is Wushu. Not Kung Fu.

The distinction is not an academic exercise. It is practical. If you call Kung Fu something that is actually Wushu, you are already indicating that your relationship with that discipline is superficial — that you are using a second-hand word, learned from someone who in turn used it imprecisely.

Clarifying terms is the first step to clarifying understanding. And understanding is the first step to practice.

Today Wushu also refers to the sport and competitive version of Chinese martial arts, codified by the People’s Republic of China in the post-war period and developed as an Olympic discipline. In this sense, modern Wushu and traditional Wushu are two distinct things, even if they share the same name. Modern Wushu is performance and sport. Traditional Wushu is the transmission of a martial system.

Context always clarifies meaning. The important thing is not to use Kung Fu as a generic term for everything that comes from China and has to do with combat — because that loses precision, and with precision also the ability to orient yourself.