Taolu
Taolu is a performance of set offensive and defensive Wushu movements based on Chinese Martial Arts principles. It includes the following four main categories:
Bare Handed Forms
It is difficult to accurately assess just how many schools/styles of Wushu are practiced in the world today. It is estimated that there are more than 100 schools with many individual styles within each of these schools.
For example, Hung Gar and Wing Chun are two well-known styles within the NanQuan School. Other popular schools in the West include Shaolin, Bagua (Pakua), Xingyi (Hsing-I) and Taijiquan (Tai Chi).
Within the Taijiquan school there are five main internationally recognised styles: Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu, Woo, and Dong Yue - a newly created popular style.
Weapon Forms (also known as Apparatus)
The wide variety of weapons used in Wushu practice fall into four main groups based on the nature of these weapons:
- Short Weapons - shorter than the height of a person and wielded with one hand during practice, such as Sword and Broadsword.
- Long Weapons - longer than the height of a person and wielded with both hands such as Spear and Cudgel.
- Double Weapons - a pair of weapons are wielded, one in each hand, such as Double Swords and Double Hooks.
- Flexible Weapons - a rope, chains, or rings are used to create linked weapons which are able to strike close or far, and are wielded with one or both hands, such as the Three-section Staff and Nine-section Whips.
Duilian (also known as Duel)
Based on the Chinese Martial Arts principles the Duilian form consists of sets of offensive and defensive movements for two or more practitioners in mock combat routines. They usually include three groups:
Bare handed vs. Bare handed
Weapon(s) vs. Weapon(s)
Bare handed vs. Weapon(s)
Group Forms
These forms are usually for demonstrations only and performed with or without weapons by a group of six or more persons. Synchronisation is important as traditional teaching for most students occurs in a group environment and music is used to both guide movements and enhance the concentration and mental attitude required.