The United States national wushu team (also known as the US Wushu Team) represents the United States in IWUF international competitions. It has been organized by the United States of America Wushu Kungfu Federation (USAWKF) since 1993. The US Wushu Team organizes a taolu (forms) team and sanda (sparring) team for competitive contemporary wushu. The A teams of both disciplines attend the World Wushu Championships and other top international events, and he B and C teams typically attend the Pan American Wushu Championships and other events. The USAWKF also organizes a traditional wushu (kung fu) team, as well as taijiquan teams for the World Kungfu Championships and the World Taijiquan Championships respectively.
History
Early teams: 1981-1993 The 1974 China national wushu team tour marked the first time modern wushu was performed in the United States. Starting in the late 1970s, modern wushu coaches from China began to immigrate to the United States, most notably including Bow-sim Mark, Anthony Chan, and Roger Tung. In 1981, they organized the first US Wushu Team with the purpose to train with the Jiangsu Wushu Team. Donnie Yen and Kenny Perez were invited to train additionally with the Beijing Wushu Team under Wu Bin and Jet Li. In 1982, a team was organized to attend the 1st International Friendship Exchange in Nanjing, China.
In 1985, the 1st International Invitational Wushu Championships were organized by the Chinese Wushu Association. The United States finished fourth with Richard Vecchiolla placing third in men's all-around. In addition, Chris Yen notably won a bronze medal in changquan, becoming the youngest medal winner at the competition. At the 2nd championships in 1986, Philip Wong and Nick Gracenin finished second and third respectively in men's all-around. The US also participated in the 3rd championships in 1988. With the founding of the International Wushu Federation in 1990, the 1991 World Wushu Championships was quickly organized, with Andrew Hartono (jianshu), David Ross (taijiquan), and Jason Yee (sanda) being the first medalists from the United States at the competition.
From the mid-1980s until the early 1990s, wushu in the United States was largely promoted by the North American Chinese Martial Arts Federation (NACMAF) and the United States Chinese Martial Arts Council (USCMAC), but neither organization was principally involved in sending athletes to the international championships, it was only done through a process of appointment by coaches.
Modern teams: 1993-today
Taolu In 1993, the United States of America Wushu Kungfu Federation was founded under Anthony Goh and began implementing a formal team trials competition process every two years select the members of the US Wushu team. The first team trials was organized ahead of the 1993 World Wushu Championships. Athletes were ranked based on their combined score of an open-hand and weapon event. From 1993-1995, the US Wushu Team roster consisted of eight individuals not equally split between genders, and with a system of primary and reserve members. In 1997, the team became evenly split with four male and female athletes. In 1999, the system of A and B teams were created. Between 1999 and 2001, the USAWKF underwent a political schism. The team managed by Anthony Goh was ruled by the IWUF to be the legitimate US Wushu Team, and so that delegation represented the United States at the 2001 World Wushu Championships. In 2003, the multi-team system was expanded to include a C team. With the 2004 Pan American Wushu Championships, the USAWKF began to only send members of the B and C teams to the championships.
In 2005 due to a change in IWUF regulations, the capacities of individual teams were expanded eight to ten members (5 male and female). In addition, the IWUF 2005 taolu rules were used, but only group A or B difficulty techniques were scored (C or D group difficulty techniques or connections were scored the same as B group). Starting with the 2008 Beijing Wushu Tournament, members of the US Wushu Team would begin competing in major international multi-sport competitions. In 2009, the US Wushu Team selection criteria was changed so that athletes must place in the top-three of one of the five categories: changquan, daoshu+gunshu, jianshu+qiangshu, nanquan (+nangun for male, +nandao for female), and taijiquan+taijijian. At the 2009 World Wushu Championships, Alfred Hsing won the United States' first gold medal in taolu. Then at the 2013 World Games, Colvin Wang won the gold medal in men's changquan. In 2015, IWUF regulations changed again and the A team was reduced from ten to eight members, thus the B and C teams were expanded from ten to twelve members each. In addition, athletes were no longer ranked by their respective events, but by combined score of one open-hand and one weapon event.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several international wushu competitions were cancelled or postponed. Ahead of the 2022 Pan American Wushu Championships, a supplemental team trials was held to select a team of fourteen individuals to compete at the championships. The same year, the United States hosted the 2022 World Games where Brian Wang and Mia Tian won gold medals in men's jianshu/qiangshu and women's daoshu/gunshu respectively. In 2023, the first regular team trials in four years was organized. In 2025, the selection criteria was changed once again to ranking based on the five categories similar to 2009.
Sanda By the early 1990s, sanda was sparsely promoted in the United States as opposed to taolu. Two figures who would eventually popularize the sport more were David Ross, an organizer of tournaments in the East Coast, and Shi Deru (Shawn Liu) who was appointed coach of the US Sanda Team ahead of the 1995 World Wushu Championships. Starting during the 1995 edition and the following two World Wushu Championships, Cung Le would become a triple bronze medalist. Liu would also coach Pat Barry around this time who would win a silver medal in the 2003 World Wushu Championships. The same year, Elaina Maxwell won the United States' first gold medal in sanda, and would also be a silver medalist at the 2005 World Wushu Championships while being coached by Cung Le. Since the 2007 World Wushu Championships, Yi-Yuan (Ian) Lee has been the coach of the US Sanda Team and organizer of the US Sanda Team Trials.
Taolu Team Trials YearLocationDatesMen's championWomen's championRef1991Dallas, TexasSan Francisco, CaliforniaN/AN/A1993Baltimore, MarylandWoody WongAmy Chow1995Baltimore, MarylandWoody WongAmy Chow1997Atlanta, GeorgiaJuly 13-14Nathan TongMae Hsu1999Houston TexasMay 1-2Nathan TongMae Hsu2001Berkeley, CaliforniaBaltimore, MarylandApril 21-22April 28-29Nathan TongJustin MaFelicia SzeAnita Lopez2003Annandale, VirginiaJuly 26-27Jason LuiCheri Haight2005South Windsor, ConnecticutAugust 6-7Christopher SextonJessica Zhang2007College Park, MarylandJuly 14-15Colvin WangSarah Chang2009Cupertino, CaliforniaJuly 20-21Alfred HsingSarah Chang2011San Jose, CaliforniaJune 25-26Colvin WangBrenda Hatley2013Sterling, VirginiaJuly 6-7Colvin WangBrenda Hatley2015San Jose, CaliforniaJuly 18-19Justin BenedikEmily Fan2017Lubbock, TexasJuly 21-23Dominic ChowLucy Lee2019San Jose, CaliforniaJuly 9-10Andrew XiMia Tian2022Lubbock, TexasMay 27-28Sen GaoJean Hoang2023Lubbock, TexasMay 26-28Tristan KoocMia Tian2025Lubbock, TexasJune 28-29Shaun ZhangLucy Lee
Sanda Team Trials YearLocationDatesRef1999Houston TexasMay 1-22003Atlanta, GeorgiaJune 27-282005San Jose, CaliforniaJuly 232007Lubbock, TexasSeptember 7-82009Lubbock, TexasJune 25201120132015Lubbock, TexasAugust 1-22017Lubbock, TexasJuly 21-232019Chandler, ArizonaJune 7-92022Lubbock, TexasMay 27-282023Lubbock, TexasMay 26-282025Lubbock, TexasJune 28-29 Competition results
World Wushu Championships The International Wushu Federation does not publish all-time medal tables or medal statistics per each national federation. The IWUF only publishes individual championships results and thus the tables below are compilations of those results.
Red border color indicates host nation status. EditionGoldSilverBronzeTotalGold medalsTotal MedalsReferences 1991 Beijing 0 1 2 3 11 7 1993 Kuala Lumpur 0 0 0 0 - - 1995 Baltimore 0 2 4 6 13 6 1997 Rome 0 0 1 1 20 17 1999 Hong Kong 0 1 2 3 14 9 2001 Yerevan 0 2 1 3 14 14 2003 Macau 1 1 1 3 11 14 2005 Hanoi 0 2 4 6 13 8 2007 Beijing 0 0 0 0 - - 2009 Toronto 1 1 0 2 13 16 2011 Ankara 0 2 2 4 13 12 2013 Kuala Lumpur 0 1 2 3 19 17 2015 Jakarta 0 2 5 7 17 9 2017 Kazan 0 1 1 2 18 18 2019 Shanghai 0 0 3 3 23 16 2023 Dallas0134169 2025 Brasilia00332218 2027 Manila Total 2 16 34 53
World Games GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotalGold medalsTotal MedalsReferences 2009 Kaohsiung - - - - - - 2013 Cali 1 0 1 2 5 6 2022 Birmingham 2 0 0 2 2 5 2025 Chengdu0000 - -Total3014
Taolu World Cup EditionGoldSilverBronzeTotalGold medalsTotal MedalsReferences 2016 Fuzhou 0 0 0 0 - - 2018 Yangon 0 0 3 3 14 10 2024 Yokohama 0 0 1 1 13 13 2026 HainanTotal0044
Pan American Wushu Championships EditionGoldSilverBronzeTotalGold medalsTotal Medals 1996 Buenos Aires ? ? ? ? 1998 Toronto ? ? ? ? 2000 Manaus ? ? ? ? 2002 Merida 19 8 3 30 1 1 2004 Annandale 14 10 8 32 1 1 2006 Toronto 7 5 7 19 3 2 2008 São Paulo 0 6 3 9 5 5 2010 Buenos Aires 12 3 5 20 2 2 2012 Monterrey ? ? ? ? 2014 San José 11 5 3 19 2 2 2016 Lubbock 13 13 5 31 2 1 2018 Buenos Aires 11 9 3 23 1 1 2022 Brasilia 10 10 6 26 2 2 2024 Santa Clara181453711 2026 Buenos AiresTotal1158348246
Most decorated athletes Minus results from the 1996 and 1998 Pan American Championships. RankAthleteDisciplineYearsOther muti-sportWorld GamesWorld ChampionshipsWorld CupPan American ChampionshipsTotal1Stephanie LimChangquan (JS, GS, QS)2008-2022 x 6 x 3 x 2112Lucy LeeNanquan2013-2025 x 2 x 2 x 3 x 3103Anita LopezChangquan (JS+QS)1997-2002 x 1 x 674Sen GaoChangquan (DS+GS)2022-2024 x 774Deborah YangTaijiquan1999-2004 x 776William VoChangquan (JS, GS, QS)2022-2024 x 3 x 3 x 177Tiffany ReyesChangquan (JS+QS)2006-2010 x 1 x 4 x 167Mia TianChangquan (DS+GS)2017-2023 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 26
Notable athletes
Taolu
Sarah Chang Phillip Chen Jeffrey Falcon Alfred Hsing Alex Huynh Cynthia Rothrock Philip Sahagun Robin Shou Brian Wang Colvin Wang Donnie Yen Chris Yen
Sanda
Cung Le Elaina Maxwell Pat Barry See also
United States of America Wushu Kungfu Federation China national wushu team
Current roster As of June 29, 2025.
Men's Taolu Team NameTeamEventsLuke Tian ATaijiquanNathan LyANanquanShaun Zhang AChangquan (JS+QS) Ashton YimAChangquan (DS+GS)Seth BurnsBNanquanZheng ZhouBChangquan (DS+GS)Nicholas SunBChangquan (DS+GS)Ashton WuBChangquan (JS+QS) Stanley MengBNanquanJustin ShenBTaijiquanJonathan PayumoCNanquanSen GaoCPreston LandCChangquan (DS+GS)Nathan ChaoCJacopo SignoreCChangquan (JS+QS) Lyubomir TzankovCTaijiquan
Women's Taolu Team NameTeamEventsLucy Lee ANanquanElena Chow AChangquan (DS+GS) Leianna YuenANanquanAshley Oshiba AChangquan (JS+QS)Riyana ThenuwaraBNanquanCharisse HungBChangquan (DS+GS) Michiko Wu-InouyeBEmily JianBChangquan (JS+QS)Lanhong HuangBChangquan (DS+GS) Priscilla ZouBTaijiquanKolette KoocCRylee Kate FungCAmy WongCMaggie ChengCVictoria DingCChole ZhaoC
Men's Sanda Team NameClassJayden Saucedo60kgSpencer Meng 65kgAndrew Tate 70kgJared Whittler75kg
Women's Sanda Team NameClassShea Scarborough52kgSydney Carr 75kg
References
External links Official website