IWSD Ideology

Wushu Sanshou Dao is officially called the International Wushu Sanshou Dao (IWSD) Association. The concept of IWSD was born in Canada in 1985, shortly after our current Chairman, Shou-Yu Liang immigrated to Canada from China. In 1988 it officially became a nonprofit international organization in Canada. Its founding members included martial arts practitioners from Canada, U.S.A., China, and Russia. It is not a style of martial arts, rather it is an organization dedicated to preserving and training well-rounded martial artists. Wushu Sanshou Dao utilizes Chinese Wushu as a foundation, while incorporating the advantages from other martial arts systems into its training outline. Wushu Sanshou Dao encourages its members to participate in different martial arts competitions to learn and familiarize themselves with other systems of martial arts. It supports all international martial arts movements and does not discriminate against any style of martial arts. If it is a practical and useful martial art, it is a good martial art. Since its conception, members of the Wushu Sanshou Dao organization have participated in Wushu, Sanshou, Karate, Judo, and Taiji Push Hands competitions with outstanding achievements in both the routines and the application categories.

Wushu Sanshou Dao has enlisted many advisors in its organization. These advisors are all outstanding and prominent practitioners in the martial arts community with remarkable contributions to the promotion of martial arts around the world. They hve received the highest admiration and respect from the Wushu Sanshou Dao members.

Wushu is a Chinese term that literally refers to martial arts. Sanshou in a more constrained sense of the word means the flexible application of martial skills. Dao (or Do) refers to the way, the means, or the approach. Therefore, Wushu Sanshou Dao means "the way of the applying martial skills".

Every martial arts style in the world tends to have some area of specialization. Well known examples include the high kicks and jumping kicks of Tae Kwan Do; the linear striking power of Karate; the extraordinary level of fitness attained in full contact Karate, Kick Boxing, and Thai Boxing; the throws, takedowns, and joint controls in Jujitsu, Aikido, and Judo; etc. Often students of martial arts choose their respective styles because of their interest in specializing in certain areas.

In Chinese Wushu (martial arts), this specialization also exists. There are over a hundred major styles of Chinese martial arts that are often generalized into either the Internal or the External Styles. The Internal Styles include: the well-known Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang. The External Styles are also generalized as Shaolin Styles (but not necessarily of the Shaolin Temple origin), which in turn can be distinguished into Northern and Southern Styles. Many of these styles are famous for their very specialized approaches.

From the perspective of combat readiness, specialization also implies limitation. The prime motivation behind the formation of the IWSD is the recognition of the advantages, as well as, the limitations of specialization.