The IWUF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and is also a member of the ARISF, GAISF, FISU, IWGA, and the ISF.

The main governing bodies of the IWUF are the President and the Executive Board, the Secretariat, the Congress which meets every two years, and various technical committees.

As of 2020, there are 155 national federations affiliated with the IWUF which are organized under the following continental federations:[2] On October 3, 1990 in Beijing during the 11th Asian Games, the IWUF was established after four years of development by a preparatory committee from the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA).

[4] The IWUF has also been in an active pursuit of olympic wushu after being fully recognized by the IOC in 2002.

The IWUF has redefined the definition of sport wushu, dividing it into two main disciplines: taolu (forms), and sanda (unarmed combat).