In Chinese this term is composed of two ideograms: Wu = war and Shu = art.
Wushu literally means “martial art” and combines aspects of combat, sport, health conservation and the philosophical conception of the world, typical of the Chinese cultural tradition, known in the West as “Kung fu” which means “hard work” , a term that indicates an exceptional ability achieved with hard, meticulous and refined work in often manual or physical activities, with implicit reference to the martial field.
Therefore, the correct word to use to indicate the set of styles and methods of Chinese martial arts is Wushu. Certainly going back to the origins of Chinese martial arts turns out to be quite complex, since as in many other cultures “Knowledge” and “knowledge” were handed down orally, for this reason there are a series of legends and legendary characters to whom it is impossible give a certain historical origin. In fact the martial arts were handed down from father to son and by the masters (Sifu) the Sifu represented the point of reference of the village, he was the sage and had knowledge of traditional medicine and a culture decidedly superior to the rest of the village.
On the other hand, what can give us a somewhat more certain indication of the origins of martial arts are the artistic representations, found in particular objects and paintings in which men in evident fighting or dance pose (probably warriors) dating back to the prehistoric period are depicted. about three or four thousand years ago. Martial arts were therefore identified in war dances and a series of physical exercises that were used for the preparation of warriors / soldiers.