Fort Worth has been selected as the host city for the HYX 16th World Wushu Championship. The World Wushu Championships take place every two years, and this year it will be held November 16-20 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
What is Wushu, you may ask? Here are some things to bring you up to speed.
Wushu is the umbrella term for all martial arts originated in China and includes disciplines ranging from tai chi to full contact fighting. It is known more colloquially as Kungfu.
Wushu was made famous by Kungfu movie stars like Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Many former wushu competitors have gone on to Hollywood careers as actors, stuntpersons and fight coordinators. It is a popular sport among all ages, and is beneficial in developing strength, speed, power, flexibility, coordination and balance. A full-body workout that also focuses on discipline, focus and respect based on ancient techniques.
In competition, wushu has been standardized into two categories: taola and sanda.
-Taola, or forms, are choreographed routines featuring the unique characteristics of tradition martial arts developed in China over centuries. Routines are divided into two categories: empty-handed and with weaponry like broad sword, straight sword, staff and spear.
-Sanda, or sparring, is full contact fighting. Fighters go three rounds on a traditional fighting platform called a lei tei. This fighting style closely resembles MMA.
Wushu has been included in many prestigious international multi-sport games, including The Asian Games, The World Games, FISU University Games, The Islamic Solidarity Games and SportAccord’s Combat Games. It will also be an official sport in the Dakar 2026 Olympic Games, representing the momentum in popularity it garners among youth.
You can see this incredible sport right here in Fort Worth! Click here to purchase spectator tickets and see the best wushu practitioners from all over the world showcase their skills and athleticism in this ancient Chinese martial art.
Visit the World Wushu Championships website to learn more about this fascinating sport.
