The art of Chinese swordsmanship is known as jianshu. Jianshu could be practiced as a competitive combat swords, practiced individually or in teams and this type of competitions are promoted and organized. The rules of the ‘game’, the standards and cultures of the members, were developed centuries ago. Their purpose is to provide a competition in a standard environment in which jianshu enthusiasts can practice, verify and progress their jianshu abilities through uniform competitions. Also supported are jianshu forums on which enthusiasts can share their knowledge and experience as well as interest in this art.

The main goal of Jianshu aficionados is to restore, preserve and progress the art of jianshu in a world in which swords are no longer considered an actual weapon, mainly due to the development of modern weapons. They are seeking to physically and intellectually promote the development of this art and to maintain its representatives in the modern sports area. They are organized quite simply and participate in competitions that can be individual or in teams. Individual swordsmen could increase their rating through individual competitions in sanctioned local and regional tournaments. The rating is dependent on the outcome of the match, initial rating between the two competitors and so on. The overall rating of a competition decides the qualification to a certain level in an annual championship tournament. A similar scheme is available for competitions between teams, in which the rating would apply to the team as a whole, and not to individual jianshu practitioners.

The International Wushu Federation however, does not promote jianshu as a competition, but as a performance exhibition. Therefore, many practical skills in jianshu that have to do with an opponent have become rare even among wushu practitioners. That is why a developing a competitive yet safe environment is a goal for jianshu lovers.