Wushu is a modern Chinese system of martial gymnastics synthesized in the 1940s in China. It was created both to promote the culture of Chinese martial arts, while adding sporting aspects of aesthetic performance and competition, to combat the growing prominence of Western sports. Unlike forms of Kung-fu, which are Chinese martial arts usually focused on the practical but dedicated cultivation of the body, both for martial or health concerns, Wushu focuses more exclusively on athletics within a Chinese martially-inspired sporting framework.