Sanda (散打) Kickboxing School in Beijing China

[elwani]

Hi guys, I have a Chinese friend who use to fight professionally in Sanda and has just opened a Sanda school in Beijing.

For those who are not familiar with it, Sanda is the Chinese form of kickboxing, based on traditional Chinese Wushu and wrestling (摔跤 or Shuai Jiao). It's like Muay Thai but with throws. This is what Cung Le, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Muslim Salikhov competed in before they started MMA, and it is the base of a lot of the Chinese fighters now entering the UFC. Here is a Vice article about it, Wiki, but a video says 1000 words.



The school is pretty centrally located next to central Beijing Railway station, within the 2nd ring. It is in the recreation club of a luxury hotel, so there's ultra modern facilities like a swimming pool and hotel quality private bathrooms and showers. It's luxurious compared to a normal gym. Here's some pictures of the pool and hotel (sorry I don't have any pictures of where they set up the gym but its right next to the pool).

I think this is a pretty nice way to learn real Sanda, in a private, relaxed, and well furnished setting with a real fighter who came up and competed in the standard Chinese national programs. He's also a pretty nice guy. If you happen to be in Beijing and are interested, or have questions, just let me know. I can probably get you a good discount.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Is Sanshou getting bigger in China? I like to see chinese promote their own style of combat sport more than trying to be like someone else. Do you own thing, become dominant in that, once develop much depth in that, branch off. It will make you more competent in other combat sports, not in tech, but in athletic depth, and confidence.

 

[elwani]

Is Sanshou getting bigger in China? I like to see chinese promote their own style of combat sport more than trying to be like someone else. Do you own thing, become dominant in that, once develop much depth in that, branch off. It will make you more competent in other combat sports, not in tech, but in athletic depth, and confidence.

I think it's kind of like wrestling in the US. There is a well organized, government supported national system for education and competition from a young age. There have been increasing amounts of commercial activity surrounding it as well, both by fight promotions from within China like Wu Ling Feng and outside like One FC, which I think recently had part of their show dedicated to Sanda competition. The influx of fighters like Zabit into UFC has also made me aware that Sanda may be quite popular in some unexpected parts of the world, for example here's the Sanda school in Dagestan that created Zabit:



I definitely agree with your sentiment about this being a "practical" martial art that China can feel it has ownership of. After all, I think when people feel like they have ownership over something is when they truly find a motivation to advance it. Who knows, maybe it will even serve as a conduit to some unknown techniques from China's rich tradition of TMA's into the modern MMA landscape. (I know how people here probably feel about TMAs, but remember most MMA enthusiasts probably thought Karate was useless until Machida started kicking ass).

This school is an opportunity. I know my friend is interested in Jiu Jitsu for example and I've been using the mats there to share what little I know. But it is also challenging. Just the other day I posted this thread (http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...ogether-for-jiu-jitsu.3870055/#post-146959565) in the Grappling section after having tried to organize a free study group for Jiu Jitsu to leverage the facilities there. Even though people are interested, it was hard to get past people's egos and perhaps their cultural sensitivity about the practicality of traditional Chinese martial arts. It's a learning process, but at least this school provides an opportunity to figure it out.

 

[wildchild88]

The Russian dude in that video, you know his veins have pumped some serious roids.

 

[elwani]

The Russian dude in that video, you know his veins have pumped some serious roids.

He's in the UFC:

 

[Dougall]

Have you got a link for the hotel or gym?
The guy running the classes, hows his English ?

 

[elwani]

Have you got a link for the hotel or gym?
The guy running the classes, hows his English ?

Sure, here's the hotel's main web site (Chinese): http://www.jinlongjghotel.com/

It's name in Chinese is 金龙温泉酒店 (Jīnlóng wēnquán jiǔdiàn) and translates to Golden Dragon Hot Springs. You can search for some more pictures on Google.

Here's a link to its location on Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/zQ3uYCpCGuG2. Its central location is a big advantage I think, because a lot of gyms in Beijing are located on the outskirts of the city due to the high cost of rent near the city center.

The gym doesn't have a web site yet because it just started, but it is right next to the pool. There's a modern wooden deck with bags and a climate controlled room with mats.

My friend doesn't speak English, but because its part of the hotel's activity club, there's staff to help translate. (Besides, not speaking Thai has never stopped me from learning from Thai krus. I feel like there's even a charm to being only able to communicate through kicks.)

Right now it really has an indie feel to it. Think of Rickson teaching in his garage, except the garage is located in a luxury hotel with air conditioning and hotel quality facilities like high quality bathrooms/showers. And it has everything you need to train: bags, pads, gloves, mats, etc.

I usually go there on weekends just to hit the bags. I'm also hoping to find some people who are interested in practicing BJJ together. Right now I'm really digging the private and peaceful atmosphere there, very different from a huge gym. (It may seem like a small point, but I am very happy that I don't have to deal with gym bathrooms there and instead have hotel quality private showers that are clean.)

 

[zapataxiv]

Very cool!
I live in shanghai. If I am ever in Beijing I will check it out! Does the gym have a wechat group?

 

[elwani]

Very cool!
I live in shanghai. If I am ever in Beijing I will check it out! Does the gym have a wechat group?

Yes, please feel welcomed. I think there's a WeChat group for the kids who are studying there right now, but I'll ask my friend.

 

[Hotora86]

I tried Sanda in Poland once. It was a lot of fun and quite challenging. It's a great martial art both for sport and self-defence, better than standard kickboxing due to takedowns. I just wish the rules allowed more time for dirty boxing and throws from the clinch - it would be even better suited for MMA.

 

[elwani]

I tried Sanda in Poland once. It was a lot of fun and quite challenging. It's a great martial art both for sport and self-defence, better than standard kickboxing due to takedowns. I just wish the rules allowed more time for dirty boxing and throws from the clinch - it would be even better suited for MMA.

Yes, I have the same feeling about the clinch rule. For those not familiar, there is a rule in Sanda that clinches are only allowed to last 5 seconds, after which fighters are separated unless a takedown happens beforehand.

I also have an interesting story about this. So through my friend I was able to meet some of the founders of Sanda here in Beijing. One is a Bagua practitioner and one of the people that the Chinese military gathered together in the 80's along with practitioners of all the various traditional Chinese martial art styles (Tongbei, Qiquan, Shuaijiao, etc.) to develop a more practical form of martial arts, which became Sanda. He told me that when all these practitioners of different styles gathered together, they naturally wanted to compete against each other to see which style was best. But what they discovered, and I guess what we also discovered with MMA, was that Shuaijiao (Chinese wrestling, with principles similar to freestyle wrestling and Judo) trumped everything else, and to such a degree that no one else could even use any of their techniques. And that's why they came up with the 5 second rule, just to give non-wrestlers a chance to do anything at all!

 

[FighterTwister]

I love the Chinese version of Sanda - Sanshou (Wushu Sanshou) {original or traditional teachings }

 

[elwani]

I love the Chinese version of Sanda - Sanshou (Wushu Sanshou)

Here's an instructional from Cung Le that teaches it more like how you might learn kickboxing in the US. Cung Le had a huge advantage I think because of his high school wrestling background in the US:

 

[babycart]

I love the Chinese version of Sanda - Sanshou (Wushu Sanshou)

Is sanda non-Chinese? News to me...

 

[Hotora86]

I love the Chinese version of Sanda - Sanshou (Wushu Sanshou) {original or traditional teachings }

I love that this is allowed. Fucking love that throw, so brutal, so effective, yet so easy.

 

[FighterTwister]

Is sanda non-Chinese? News to me...

Meaning....

E.g...... TRADITIONAL/ ORIGINAL TEACHINGS

Sanda
The Origination of Sanda

Sanda, which literally means free fighting is a Chinese self- defense and combat system, also called Chinese kick boxing.

Modern Sanda originated from Sanshou (Old Sanda,which had no fighting rules or restrictions), and was developed by the Chinese military based on the study of traditional Kung fu and modern combat fighting techniques. Sanda is normally not considered a martial arts style itself, but rather a training method often taught alongside other traditional Kung fu styles. Although Sanda is considered a military combat style or modern wushu discipline, it still embraces the techniques, theory, training methods and spirit of traditional Kung fu.

Reference:- http://www.tianmengkungfuacademy.com/home/martial-arts/sanda/

Like many things my friend they tend to lose the traditional teachings or methods as it progresses or morphs into modern methods combining MMA+Boxing as it moves from its origins, now you have people teaching a form of Sanda in Germany and many other parts of the world, get the meaning now!

So the bedrock of Sanda is Kung Fu and modern combat methods from military aspects not sport orientated combat, guess who's got all the original Kung Fu teachings and people who keep those styles alive............ not Germany or other LoL

You will find in reading my posts I have a deep appreciation for traditional and ancient combat especially military.......sport is always going to adhere to Rules, Regulations and Restrictions which is great no one wants to seriously hurt the other person and end up in jail right!

But I answered your point!

Watch....its just a basic tutorial no advance drills, techniques or methods but a taste of whats involved....

 

[babycart]

Meaning....

E.g...... TRADITIONAL/ ORIGINAL TEACHINGS

Sanda
The Origination of Sanda

Sanda, which literally means free fighting is a Chinese self- defense and combat system, also called Chinese kick boxing.

Modern Sanda originated from Sanshou (Old Sanda,which had no fighting rules or restrictions), and was developed by the Chinese military based on the study of traditional Kung fu and modern combat fighting techniques. Sanda is normally not considered a martial arts style itself, but rather a training method often taught alongside other traditional Kung fu styles. Although Sanda is considered a military combat style or modern wushu discipline, it still embraces the techniques, theory, training methods and spirit of traditional Kung fu.

Reference:- http://www.tianmengkungfuacademy.com/home/martial-arts/sanda/

Like many things my friend they tend to lose the traditional teachings or methods as it progresses or morphs into modern methods combining MMA+Boxing as it moves from its origins, now you have people teaching a form of Sanda in Germany and many other parts of the world, get the meaning now!

So the bedrock of Sanda is Kung Fu and modern combat methods from military aspects not sport orientated combat, guess who's got all the original Kung Fu teachings and people who keep those styles alive............ not Germany or other LoL

You will find in reading my posts I have a deep appreciation for traditional and ancient combat especially military.......sport is always going to adhere to Rules, Regulations and Restrictions which is great no one wants to seriously hurt the other person and end up in jail right!

But I answered your point!

Watch....its just a basic tutorial no advance drills, techniques or methods but a taste of whats involved....

So Sanda is not Chinese? It's called Sanshou if it's Chinese?

-da and -shou is kinda like the -do and -jutsu categorization, catering to different fields. But to say that the Chinese version of Sanda is Sanshou implies that Sanda is not Chinese in origin.

You haven't answered my question. All you did is to expound what Sanshou is with something that can be easily found on Wikipedia.​

 

[fighthug]

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Yes, I have the same feeling about the clinch rule. For those not familiar, there is a rule in Sanda that clinches are only allowed to last 5 seconds, after which fighters are separated unless a takedown happens beforehand.

I also have an interesting story about this. So through my friend I was able to meet some of the founders of Sanda here in Beijing. One is a Bagua practitioner and one of the people that the Chinese military gathered together in the 80's along with practitioners of all the various traditional Chinese martial art styles (Tongbei, Qiquan, Shuaijiao, etc.) to develop a more practical form of martial arts, which became Sanda. He told me that when all these practitioners of different styles gathered together, they naturally wanted to compete against each other to see which style was best. But what they discovered, and I guess what we also discovered with MMA, was that Shuaijiao (Chinese wrestling, with principles similar to freestyle wrestling and Judo) trumped everything else, and to such a degree that no one else could even use any of their techniques. And that's why they came up with the 5 second rule, just to give non-wrestlers a chance to do anything at all!

I always thought Sanshou was the colloquial sparring ruleset for chinese martial arts pre-dating the 80s though.

 

[elwani]

I always thought Sanshou was the colloquial sparring ruleset for chinese martial arts pre-dating the 80s though.

Well, based on what I know about modern Chinese history (and as someone else mentioned in another thread), all martial arts was banned by the government after WW2 (from the 1950s until the 1980s) as a precaution against social instability. I mean banned in the sense that you could literally be arrested if you were caught practicing any martial arts. So it is hard to imagine that there was any kind of organized competition or ruleset that existed before the government decided to develop Sanshou in the 80s. Perhaps before WWII, but I'm pretty sure no one in China today would refer to anything other than what was developed in the 80s when they say Sanda or Sanshou.