Abstract: The construction of a Chinese style academic system for ethnic traditional sports studies with Wushu as the backbone needs to be based on cultural consciousness. The academic turning of modern Wushu is discussed by using the method of literature review. The results show that the modern academic turning formed a new understanding and development under the background of "saving the nation", "reorganizing knowledge groups", and "explaining China in terms of the West". In this circumstance the functional development of Wushu established the practicability-oriented concept. After the separation of "practicality" from "theory", modern Wushu not only led to the differentiation of its functional development and ontological development, but further promoted its practicability-oriented academic turning. Under the concept of practicability priority, the academic research of Wushu has formed a trend of mainly focusing on applied research, supplemented by theoretical research, and mainly focusing on practice and supplemented by theory.