Wushu Taolu
武術套路A competitive discipline of sport wushu in which a routine is judged under IWUF rules. Standardized routines arose in the PRC from 1958, the IWUF from 1990.
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ChinaCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
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Catalogs & Databases for Wushu Taolu
About Wushu Taolu
Wushu taolu is a competitive discipline of modern sport wushu in which there is no fighting, but a performed routine is judged. It has no founder: from 1958 the government of the People’s Republic of China, through the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sport, directed the creation of standardized routines, national syllabi and the rating of instructors. The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) was founded on 3 October 1990 in Beijing at the 11th Asian Games, where competition was held in changquan, nanquan and taijiquan, and the first World Championships took place in 1991 in the same city.
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The disciplines are divided into barehanded (changquan, nanquan, taijiquan) and weapons (daoshu, jianshu, gunshu, qiangshu). In 1999 nandao, nangun and taijijian were added, and in 2003 duilian, a routine in a pair. Changquan rests on speed, power and flexibility, nanquan on stability of the stance. According to the IWUF rules, in free routines quality of movement (5 points), overall performance (3 points) and difficulty (2 points), composed of rated techniques and their connections, are judged. Individual disciplines are performed on an area of 14 × 8 m, and the uniform differs by discipline. Juniors have their own age groups and sets of compulsory routines. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008 a wushu tournament was held parallel to the Games, and the medals were not counted in the Olympic table. At the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (31 October to 13 November 2026) wushu has four taolu events. Some Chinese scholars criticize the departure of wushu from tradition when it is adapted to Olympic standards, and critics of competitive routines reproach them for acrobatics at the expense of practical techniques.
History
Wushu taolu is a competitive discipline of sport wushu in which a performed routine is judged, not a fight. It has no founder. In 1958 the government of the People’s Republic of China set up an organization for martial arts training, and the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sport directed the creation of standardized routines, national syllabi and the rating of instructors. In 1979 a working group for the teaching of wushu was formed at the commission, and in 1986 the Chinese National Wushu Research Institute. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) traditional martial arts were suppressed, and the state promoted regulated competitive wushu in place of independent schools and family lineages. After 1998 the government supports both traditional styles and modern wushu. At the 11th Asian Games in Beijing in 1990, competition was held in three disciplines for men and women, and all were taolu: changquan, nanquan and taijiquan. During these Games the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) was founded on 3 October 1990, and the International Olympic Committee fully recognized it in 2002. The first World Championships took place in 1991 in Beijing. Compulsory routines were used at the championships in 1993 to 2005 and again in 2013 and 2015.
How it differs
The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) recognises two competition categories, taolu and sanda. Taolu is a routine performed on an area of 14 × 8 m and scored by judges, sanda is a fight on a raised leitai platform measuring 8 × 8 m and 80 cm high. According to the Hong Kong authority LCSD, sanda is fought to two winning rounds out of three of two minutes each, and valid strikes target the head, trunk and legs. The Hangzhou city portal states that the rules of sanda were codified by 1982 and its typical element is the throw after a strike, coaches codified 24 throws that must be performed within two seconds. At the Youth Games in Dakar 2026 only taolu is on the programme.
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Within taolu, the disciplines differ in tempo and technique. Changquan, the long fist, is according to the Pakistani sports board the most commonly seen form, with whirling, running, jumps and acrobatics. Nanquan, the southern fist, uses low and very stable stances and complex hand work and requires less flexibility but more stability and strength from the legs and hips. Taijiquan has slow, relaxed movements. The IWUF rules of 2005 prescribe in changquan, among other things, the fist, palm, hook, three kinds of kicks and the elbow, in nanquan the tiger claw, hammer strike and hook from below, and in taijiquan at least two leg techniques and eight main forms. A changquan and nanquan routine lasts at least 1 minute 20 seconds for adults, free taijiquan 3 to 4 minutes. Competitive taolu differs from traditional schools in standardisation. China Daily in 2008 described wushu as a collective name for 130 schools, which according to the paper makes it difficult to set uniform competition standards.
Technique
Taolu is divided into barehanded disciplines and disciplines with weapons. At the first World Championships in 1991 the program had changquan, daoshu, jianshu, gunshu, qiangshu, nanquan and taijiquan. In 1999 taijijian, nandao and nangun were added, in 2003 duilian, a routine in a pair, and in 2019 jiti, a group routine, was performed as a demonstration event. Changquan requires speed, power, precision and flexibility and is more acrobatic than nanquan, which stresses stability of the legs and power coordinated from the legs, hips and shoulders. Competitive taijiquan requires difficult balances and jumps. According to the IWUF 2019 rules, difficulty consists of techniques (at most 1.40 points, values A 0.20, B 0.30 and C 0.40) and of their connections (at most 0.60 points, values A 0.10 to D 0.25). Innovative difficulty adds a bonus of 0.10 to 0.20 points.
Training
We found no verifiable description of the structure of taolu training, that is, of the warm-up, the practice of routines and the weekly volume. The IWUF rules describe judging, not training. The load during the routine itself was measured by Ribeiro et al. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 2006, a pilot study) in four elite men with at least eight years of practice. In the forms of changquan and daoshu they had a heart rate of 176 beats per minute, about 89% of the age-predicted maximum, and lactate of 4.38 and 5.15 mmol per litre respectively, with no significant difference between the forms. The sample is very small. Cortell-Tormo et al. (Archives of Budo 2018) compared taolu practice without an aid and with a heavy bag in 12 amateur men and found no significant difference in heart rate, lactate or perceived exertion. The systematic review by Novita et al. (2026, 10 studies) reports improvements in VO2max, anaerobic capacity, strength and explosiveness in wushu athletes after interval training, but it does not distinguish between taolu and sanda.
Ranks and progression
Competitive taolu has no grades or belts. The IWUF rules of both 2005 and 2019 do not mention them, and competitive progression runs through age groups, national qualifications and rounds of the championships. We found no internationally recognized grades that the IWUF would issue for taolu. In China wushu is rated by the duanwei grading system, which is administered by the Chinese Wushu Association. After 1958 the state introduced, besides standardized routines, also national syllabi and the rating of instructors.
Who it suits
The IWUF rules divide competitors in sport taolu by age, and the versions of the rules differ. The version of November 2005 lists children up to 11 years, juniors 12 to 18 years and adults from 18 years, the 2019 version children up to 11, youth 12 to 14, juniors 15 to 17 and adults from 18 years. The categories are for both men and women. Traditional wushu competitions have, under the IWUF 2019 rules, age groups from 8 years and under to 60 years and over. Professional athletes in the PRC mostly begin with changquan at a young age. Jet Li attended the Beijing sports school from the age of eight. We found no description of the system of sports schools or any doctors’ recommendations for children practicing taolu. Sousa, Marquezi, Uliani and Duarte (Archives of Budo 2010) compared 127 athletes, 82 in taolu and 45 in sanshou. About 70% reported an injury, taolu athletes roughly twice as often as sanshou athletes, and they had more injuries of the lower-limb joints (35.4% as against 11.8%), although they trained and competed less.
Competition
According to the IWUF rules of November 2005, in free routines quality of movement is scored with 5 points (group A), overall performance with 3 points (group B) and difficulty with 2 points (group C). Disciplines without difficulty have a split of 5 + 5. Deductions for an error were 0.1 to 0.3 points, and the panel had 10 members, a head judge and three in each group. The 2019 rules provide for 13, or 10 judges and five judges of group B, and the split of 5 + 3 + 2 points remains. Deductions for a technique not matching the standard are, under the 2019 version, 0.10 points per error and must be confirmed by at least two of the three judges of group A. Juniors have their own World Championships. At the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships in Bandar Seri Begawan in 2024, group A (born 2006 to 2009) competed in at most four disciplines, group B (2010 to 2012) in the 1st set of international routines and group C (2013 to 2016) in basic routines, that is, elementary changquan, taijiquan 24 and taijijian 32 movements. Junior scoring is without difficulty and the minimum length of a routine is 1:10, for adults 1:20. The World Wushu Championships have had taolu and sanshou since 1991. Sanda is the second competitive branch of the IWUF with different rules.
Gear
According to the IWUF 2019 rules, individual disciplines and duilian are performed on an area of 14 × 8 m with a safety zone of at least 2 m, and group jiti on an area of 16 × 14 m. The ceiling must be at least 8 m high and the carpets approved by the IWUF. The uniform differs by discipline. Changquan and weapons are performed in a uniform with a stand-up collar and frog fasteners, nanquan, nandao and nangun without a collar, for men sleeveless, and taijiquan and taijijian in long sleeves. Muslim women competitors may wear a long sleeve under the uniform and a headscarf in the color of the uniform. Staffs are standardly made of carbon fiber at international competitions. Group disciplines and taijiquan are commonly performed with music.
Philosophy
The character wu is made of the characters for stop and war. The Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) reads it as using force to end violence, not to destroy. According to the tradition the department cites, a practitioner must observe wude, the martial virtues, before beginning to learn wushu or teach it. Taolu routines, according to the department, combine attack and defense. National federations formulate principles for the competitive setting. The USA Wushu-Kungfu Federation has a Gracious Professionalism policy with five principles, including honest skill, respect for others, fair play and dignified acceptance of judges' decisions.
Today
Wushu is not an Olympic sport. The IOC Program Commission recommended in August 2002 that wushu not be included in the program of the 2008 Games, and after a compromise the IOC allowed the IWUF to hold a tournament parallel to the Games in Beijing. It took place from 21 to 24 August 2008, taolu had 10 events and sanshou 5, and the medals were not counted in the Olympic table. At the World Games wushu was an invitational sport in 2009 and 2013, and in 2022 in Birmingham it returned with taolu only.
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At the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (31 October to 13 November 2026) four events are on the program, all taolu: boys’ and girls’ changquan with gunshu and taijiquan with taijishan. The IOC president Thomas Bach stated in February 2024 that wushu would count in the medal table for the first time in Dakar and that the IOC would monitor its international recognition, with no promise of inclusion in the Olympic program. Besides sport taolu, the IWUF has since 2004 held, every two years, separate competitions in traditional routines, first as the World Traditional Wushu Festival in Zhengzhou. The dissertation by Jia Yueyi (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2024) states that Chinese scholars criticize the detraditionalization of wushu when it is adapted to Olympic standards. Critics of competitive routines reproach them for commercialization and for acrobatics at the expense of practical techniques, and they say of duilian that it consists mostly of modern routines designed with safety and effect in mind.
Did you know
IOC President Jacques Rogge announced in Nanjing on 13 October 2005 that a wushu tournament would be held at the Beijing Olympics outside the 28 official sports. According to China Daily, 128 athletes from 43 countries competed for 15 gold medals. At the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games wushu was only an exhibition sport alongside climbing and skateboarding, and on 8 January 2020, after three rejected Olympic applications, it was announced as an official sport of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. The 2005 IWUF rules contain many small provisions. Balance must be held motionless for at least two seconds. The sound technician plays the music only after the competitor has stood still on the carpet for three seconds, and music with singing costs 0.3 points. Appeals against scoring are filed in writing within 15 minutes and cost 100 US dollars. Wushu appeared at the World Games in 2009, 2013, 2022 and 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is wushu taolu?
Wushu is the Chinese word for martial art, and sport wushu has two disciplines, taolu and sanda (sanshou). Taolu is a performed routine, individual, group or in a pair (duilian), practiced on an area of 14 × 8 m. Routines may contain jumps and kicks with a 540 or 720 degree turn.
Is wushu an Olympic sport?
No. The IOC recognized the International Wushu Federation in 2002, but the tournament at the Beijing 2008 Games was held outside the official 28 sports. At the Youth Games in Dakar 2026, taolu will count in the medal table for the first time, and the IOC has not decided on inclusion in the Olympic program.
How is taolu scored?
Under IWUF rules, a free routine receives at most 10 points, 5 for quality of movements, 3 for overall performance and 2 for difficulty. Difficulty consists of difficult movements up to 1.40 points and their connections up to 0.60 points. A deduction for an error in movement quality applies only when at least two of three judges confirm it.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.