Modern Wushu is an exhibition and full contact sport, originally created in 1958 by the Chinese State Commission for Physical Culture and Sport as an effort to standardize traditional Chinese martial arts. Starting with Long Fist (长拳) and Tai Chi (太极拳) as competition events and Southern Fist (南拳) being included in 1960. Sanshou or Sanda, was developed in the 1980s, in 1991 it was included as a full contact event at the First World Wushu Championships.

Styles:

• Long Fist (Changquan): originally referring to various schools of Northern styles, this style was created by combining Chaquan, Huaquan, and Shaolinquan. Known for extended motions, flying kicks, and rising and falling postures.

• Southern Fist (Nanquan): there had been various attempts to standardize Southern styles, one of the first attempts by Chen Changmian, who had created a standardized version of Hung Gar’s Tiger and Crane Paired Form (虎鹤双形拳), then by Zhu Ruiqi and Wang Peikun developing different fundamental and elementary routines and creating the first compulsory Nanquan routine in 1989 for the First World Wushu Championships using Chen Lihong's (student of Chen Changmian) optional Nanquan routine as a template.

• Tai Chi (Taijiquan): alongside the standardization of Changquan, Taijiquan used Yang style as the base, with contributions from masters like Li Tianji and Fu Yonghui, first creating the 24 Posture Simplified Taijiquan. Li Tianji and his nephew, Li Deyin, had also created the 66 Posture, 48 Posture, and 42 Posture Combined Taijiquan which combined the four major styles of Taijiquan: Yang, Chen, Wu, Sun.

• Sanda: the full contact event for Wushu, consisting of striking (打), kicking (踢), and throwing (摔).