Wudangquan in the context of Zhang San Feng

Wushu (traditional Chinese: 武術; simplified Chinese: 武术; pinyin: wǔshù) (/ˌwuːˈʃuː/), or kung fu, is a Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern Chinese martial arts, including Shaolin kung fu, tai chi, and Wudangquan. "Wushu" is the Chinese term for "martial arts" (武 "Wu" = combat or martial, 術 "Shu" = art), reflecting the art's goal as a compilation and standardization of various styles. To distinguish it from traditional Chinese martial arts, it is sometimes referred to as 'Modern Wushu'.

Wushu is practiced both through forms, called taolu, and as a full-contact combat sport, known as sanda. It has a long history of Chinese martial arts and was developed in 1949 to standardize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts, though attempts to structure the various decentralized martial arts traditions date back earlier when the Central Guoshu Institute was established at Nanjing in 1928.

Neijia (內家) is the collective name for the internal Chinese martial arts. It relates to those martial arts occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects. The distinction dates to the 17th century, but its modern application is due to publications by Sun Lutang, dating to the period of 1915 to 1928. Neijin is developed by using neigong or "internal changes", contrasted with waigong (外功; wàigōng) or "external exercises" .

Wudangquan is a more specific grouping of internal martial arts named for their association in popular Chinese legend with the Taoist monasteries of the Wudang Mountains in Hubei province. These styles were enumerated by Sun Lutang as tai chi, xingyiquan and baguazhang, but most also include bajiquan and the legendary Wudang Sword.

Baguazhang (Chinese: 八卦掌; pinyin: bā guà zhǎng; Wade–Giles: pa-kua chang) is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being tai chi and xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia). Baguazhang literally means "eight trigram palm", referring to the bagua "trigrams" of the Yijing, one of the canons of Daoism.

Wudang Sword is a body of Chinese straight sword (jian) techniques—famous in China—encompassed by the Wudangquan or internal martial arts.

The oldest reputable accounts of Wudang Sword begin with Grandmaster Song Weiyi around the turn of the 20th century. Sung taught Wudang Sword to Li Jinglin and a few others. He learned the art from a Daoist named Zhang Yehe, who was the 8th generation lineage holder. Song also learned the martial art of bagua from the kung fu brother of Dong Haichuan, credited as the creator of baguazhang.