China MMA [Archive] - Kung Fu Magazine Forums

GeneChing

08-31-2010, 09:32 AM

I mentioned this yesterday on the Zhang Tie Quan - Chinese fighter in WEC thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1035949&postcount=13).

* August 31, 2010, 9:10 AM HKT
China, Here Comes Fight Club (http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/08/31/china-here-comes-fight-club/)

The country that brought the world martial arts is about to get a taste of American-style extreme fighting, with the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization in Asia.

The fight organizer and promoter for the form of sports-combat called mixed martial arts announced that it would be setting up a foothold in Asia. The company didn’t specify where it would set up shop, but its new chief in Asia is Mark Fischer, a former exec with the National Basketball Association Inc., who lives in Beijing.

As part of its sop to Chinese audiences, the UFC is also touting the addition of an Inner Mongolian lightweight bruiser named Zhang Tiequan to a televised bout through its sister organization, World Extreme Cagefighting. The group said it will also leverage its existing ties with the China National Wushu Federation to drum up support and talent.

Mixed martial artists may combine elements from many styles of hand-to-hand combat or wrestling in their repertoire, or fights can pit combatants who specialize in one type of combat against someone who trained in a different fighting form.

To manage UFC’s Asian business, the fight group owned by Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC is turning to Fischer with the hope that some of his magic touch in marketing the NBA can rub off on their fledgling Asian franchise.

Basketball has been one of the few American sports imports to become a winner in China.

Under Fischer’s direction from 2003 to 2008, the NBA managed to ink more than 20 marketing partnerships with leading brands in the country. Tsingtao, for instance, is now the official beer of the NBA in China. The NBA has actually set up a separate corporate entity for its China operations, which was valued at $2.3 billion when it was set up in 2008.

Other sports, which came to the party a little later, just haven’t had the hot hand when it comes to gaining acceptance in the Chinese market.

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. executives went on a China junket in 2007 to drum up sponsors and gauge what potential interest might exist for its brand of high-octane, fuel-fired racing thrills. So far, the answer appears to be very little. Meanwhile, the National Football League set its sights on China in 2009 and has been staging exhibitions and rebroadcasting games in the country with Chinese color-commentary. However it, too, seems to be getting blitzed in China.

Sports like auto-racing, football, and even baseball suffer from a want of attention in a country where the focus is on winning medals and national glory.

Major League Baseball has a 10-year development program that it has recently put in place in the country, but there are doubts about how successful it can be, according to reports in state media outlets. The marquee stadium in Beijing, built for the Olympic Games in 2008, has already been demolished to make room for new real estate developments.

Some sports fans and industry experts are skeptical about the UFC’s prospects as well. “I think that it’s interesting, but not sure how much of a market exists here, since people are very much into wushu, taekowndo and other ‘traditional’ martial arts,” said one sports marketing professional. “UFC is a little out of the mold.”

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old Taiwanese fan of the UFC who was educated in the US, said the UFC bouts might be too much for Chinese fans. “I don’t know how the Chinese will react to the violence of the UFC, but it’s going to be exciting to see it come home after being treated by the wash cycle of western entertainment.”

– Jonathan Shieber

SteveLau

09-07-2010, 06:46 PM

It looks like this is the right forum for me to post my view on MMA. I have been studying lately on sparring program design for my personal training purpose. MMA is one way of free fight included in my study. Here is my view - as a contest and training format, it is too violent and unsafe. For example, attack continues when the opponent is knocked down to the floor. In other MA context like San Da, it will be stopped by the referee way earlier. Another difference is that in San Da training, elbow and knee strike are allowed. While in context, these two weapons are forbidden.

From the statistics of fatality in the two MA events of Boxing and MMA, have we taken into account of the number of matches done yearly, and thus figure out the ratio of fatality? Also, the rules of the game are one thing, and how they are being carried out is another.

KC
Hong Kong

Syn7

09-07-2010, 07:33 PM

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old Taiwanese fan of the UFC who was educated in the US, said the UFC bouts might be too much for Chinese fans. “I don’t know how the Chinese will react to the violence of the UFC, but it’s going to be exciting to see it come home after being treated by the wash cycle of western entertainment.”

interesting that the guy thinks mma might be too violent for the chinese audience...

really??? you'd think they could handle a fair fist fight that involves no eye pokes, throat tears crotch beatings and no freakin swords... i mean come on... too violent??? it doesnt sound right to me... but im not chinese from china so i dunno... anyone have an opinion about that???

do chinese feel ufc is too violent for their tastes???

SteveLau

09-07-2010, 08:57 PM

omarthefish

09-08-2010, 02:03 AM

lol.

That tournament is like 5 or 6 years old already.

The first one was a tiny invitational around Beijing set up by "Andy" a local BJJ instructor (blue belt at the time, I think he's purple now) The initial tournament had a lot of traditional guys mostly getting whupped by a small crew of BJJ kids but a couple of exciting 1st round KO's between the Chinese fighters. Nowadays the big star is Bao Li Gao who used to be a Sanda Wang champion.

Video of the fights are super easy to find online. They also broadcast them every sunday afternoon on the Mongolian station from noon to about 2 or so when they switch to boxing.

Here's a pile of completely random fights for everybody's enjoyment:
http://video.baidu.com/v?word=%D3%A2%D0%DB%B0%F1&ct=301989888&rn=20&pn=0&db=0&s=0&fbl=1024

rofl at the guy who thinks the Chinese can't handle the "violence". It's getting bigger with every event.

For comparison:
Art of War 1: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzQyODAyNDg=.html

Art of War 15:http://v.ku6.com/show/VNVFbNZxgSMgwQWG.html

Incidentally, the first guy to come on stage in AOW 15 is that ex-Sanda champ I mentioned, Bao Li Gao.

Frost

09-08-2010, 04:46 AM

Frost

09-08-2010, 04:50 AM

Another point I would like to mention is that in advance level San Da tournament, the mandatory protective gears for the fighter to wear are less than that of lower levels. At first, I wonder how come. But then, the reason is probably because advance level in San Da means that the fighters have better skill level, better self-control, and better ethics.

KC
Hong Kong

umm no you need to actually think things through and us logic not wishful thinking, at higher levels they wear less protective gear because they are BETTER fighters with BETTER defensive skills and BETTER conditioned to withstand blows, it has nothing to do with ethics or self control,

And its the same in ALL combat sports including MMA, someamature events use shin guards, head guards and limit strikes on the ground, in boxing they also use headguards in amature events

Syn7

09-08-2010, 09:57 AM

yeah i dont believe mma is too violent for chinese... they are used to seeing people get ko'd and the wrestling and ground fighting wont be worse than that... the only issue is the ground and pound, but the guy can tap anytime he wants to and the ref isnt gonna let him get manhandled for long...

Faruq

09-08-2010, 01:17 PM

interesting that the guy thinks mma might be too violent for the chinese audience...

really??? you'd think they could handle a fair fist fight that involves no eye pokes, throat tears crotch beatings and no freakin swords... i mean come on... too violent??? it doesnt sound right to me... but im not chinese from china so i dunno... anyone have an opinion about that???

do chinese feel ufc is too violent for their tastes???

At least in Taiwan there's a history of violent contests:

"....This research was not done by theory but by using it in a method that was painful and did produce some damage to each opponent. The training was designed to 4 of my students to fight in the full contact tournament in Taiwan, which is bare knuckle. The rules in Taiwan were simple, you could use ground work, low kicks, take downs, etc. I had approximately 3 years to produce winners. I taught them a type of iron hand that required boiling in medicine; being able to fight full contact with just a mouth guard and a cup. They were celibate for the period of training, (or supposed to be). They could run 5 miles or more each day and do knuckle push-ups on gravel – anything. I taught them body conditioning so they could take a punch and how to deal with strikes anywhere on their body. The rules used in Taiwan were simple and few at that time. An example of the first time, held two fighters were killed. Some papers in Asia billed it as the Taiwanese blood bath. The times that my four were challenged before hand, they never lost. The bouts were three, 3 minute rounds and you could even throw a man out of the ring. It was brutal and the injuries were staggering!..."

http://www.pakmei.net/articles/article.asp?ID=16

Syn7

09-08-2010, 01:47 PM

sounds badass!!! any video???

Xiao3 Meng4

09-08-2010, 02:12 PM

This old comp is tagged as being in Taiwan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lqdL3cze00

Here's a 2004 Taiwan Kuo Shu comp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpviclkMdfc

I love the floating Lei Tai!

Don't see any groundwork though.

SteveLau

09-08-2010, 11:21 PM

at higher levels they wear less protective gear because they are BETTER fighters with BETTER defensive skills and BETTER conditioned to withstand blows, it has nothing to do with ethics or self control,

by Frost

Yep, it is very probable that higher levels fighter has better defensive skills. What I said of ethics and self control reasons are my speculation only.

quite right rather than stopping the fight as soon as the opponent cant defend themselves its much better to let them recover and then get knocked down again and again, this is much safer and wont lead at all to percussive brain injury.....

by Frost

This is the point what I stand firm on. There is no need to beat the guy to a pup in order to decide who is the winner. And a fighter is unlikely be able to tap for the fight to stop when his head kept getting punched. Not even the opponent who is in heat punching. The referee is the guy who is likely able to stop it at such a moment. Besides, it is part of his duty to do so. That concludes my view on the violence of MMA.

P.S. If we add more mandatory protective gears and instruct for earlier stop of the fight in its rules, then MMA will be a good event.

KC
Hong Kong

Frost

09-09-2010, 05:06 AM

Yep, it is very probable that higher levels fighter has better defensive skills. What I said of ethics and self control reasons are my speculation only.

This is the point what I stand firm on. There is no need to beat the guy to a pup in order to decide who is the winner. And a fighter is unlikely be able to tap for the fight to stop when his head kept getting punched. Not even the opponent who is in heat punching. The referee is the guy who is likely able to stop it at such a moment. Besides, it is part of his duty to do so. That concludes my view on the violence of MMA.

P.S. If we add more mandatory protective gears and instruct for earlier stop of the fight in its rules, then MMA will be a good event.

KC
Hong Kong

how can a sport that stops the action as soon as a fighter cant defend himself be more violent than a sport that stops the action, lets the guy recover and then lets him take a beating again and again?

The fact is that the biggest cause of short and long term injury in fighters is percussive brain injury, you see long term injuries in the form of parkinsons etc, and short term injuries like michael watson.

Any art that encourages people to repeatadly hit someone in the head as the only real way of winning (apart from points) and lets a fighter recovery and take the same kind of beating within a matter of seconds is far more dangerous than a sport that allows for multipul ways to win and does not allow for repeated blows to the head of a barely recovered fighter

Syn7

09-09-2010, 12:02 PM

yeah i dont see a problem with the intelligent defence rule... some guys can turtle and take a beating for a few minutes then get back up and win because the othe guy is gassed... but these arent the guys we want to promote and use as examples of skill... if you take like ten unanswered shots in "turtle cover face in fetal position" then the fight should be done... its a sport after all, its about skills... it isnt a fight to the finish like it was promoted in the early days in the us... vale tudo is more like the old stuff... i like the rioheroes too... no gloves... opens up the grappling world some more... but in the US and other "westernized" countries its gonna be regulated as a sport and will always be biased towards skill rather than brute force... not that brute force doesnt have its place...

SteveLau

09-10-2010, 03:24 AM

how can a sport that stops the action as soon as a fighter cant defend himself be more violent

by Frost

Well, if that is what always happen, I have not much problem with such sport event. But I have watched MMA video clip where a fighter's both arms were locked on the floor. Obviously he could not move much, and his head was kept elbow struke six times before the punishment stopped.

Officially, what Syn7 said are the two strategies I have heard of in Boxing. I guess they can be applied in other MA sports too.

The King's Way - win by being more skillful than the opponent

The Tyrannt's Way - win by destroying the opponent

At the end, what I have said so far of the topic in this thread is not meant for people who support blood sports to hear.

KC
Hong Kong

Frost

09-13-2010, 05:03 AM

Well, if that is what always happen, I have not much problem with such sport event. But I have watched MMA video clip where a fighter's both arms were locked on the floor. Obviously he could not move much, and his head was kept elbow struke six times before the punishment stopped.

Officially, what Syn7 said are the two strategies I have heard of in Boxing. I guess they can be applied in other MA sports too.

The King's Way - win by being more skillful than the opponent

The Tyrannt's Way - win by destroying the opponent

At the end, what I have said so far of the topic in this thread is not meant for people who support blood sports to hear.

KC
Hong Kong

if its not meant for people who support "blood sports to hear" :rolleyes: why post it in the MMA forum :confused:

And what syn7 was talking about ISthe rule in MMA right now, not in boxing, please at least gets the facts right before ranting against something.

You seem to have a fantasy view or fighting thats fine but dont try to lecture others on it when you dont understand the issue proplery

Dragonzbane76

09-13-2010, 06:50 AM

This is the point what I stand firm on. There is no need to beat the guy to a pup in order to decide who is the winner. And a fighter is unlikely be able to tap for the fight to stop when his head kept getting punched. Not even the opponent who is in heat punching. The referee is the guy who is likely able to stop it at such a moment. Besides, it is part of his duty to do so. That concludes my view on the violence of MMA.

P.S. If we add more mandatory protective gears and instruct for earlier stop of the fight in its rules, then MMA will be a good event.

rule set in mma states....

Referee Stoppage: the referee may stop a match in progress if:
a fighter becomes dominant to the point where the opponent is unable to intelligently defend himself from attacks, which may occur as quickly as a few seconds;
a fighter appears to be unconscious from a grappling hold;
a fighter appears to have developed significant injuries in the referee's view, such as a broken bone.
Doctor Stoppage: the referee will call for a time out if a fighter's ability to continue is in question as a result of apparent injuries, such as a large cut. The ring doctor will inspect the fighter and stop the match if the fighter is deemed unable to continue safely, rendering the opponent the winner. However, if the match is stopped as a result of an injury from illegal actions by the opponent, either a disqualification or no contest will be issued instead.
Corner stoppage: a fighter's corner men may announce defeat on the fighter's behalf by throwing in the towel during the match in progress or between rounds.

the barbaric death matches you are trying to paint because of MMA's Vale tudo roots won't work. There are more injuries in football and boxing than there are in MMA.

The rule sets today dictate that the ref. will stop the match at any time if there is a curcumstance of a fighters safety comes into play.

Adding more gear will not solve any "issue" you think it has. In other words what you want is a retro back to point sparring?

quit being a p u ss y.

bawang

09-13-2010, 08:04 PM

mercy is for the weak
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE

Violent Designs

09-14-2010, 01:18 PM

Ya bawang, people like Steve Lau with their morally presumptuous worldviews are annoying right? :cool:

Syn7

09-26-2010, 01:34 PM

so what im hoping to see is all these bjj/muaythai hybrids start showing how they are a winning formula in mma matches... and as the mma matches get bigger, more audience etc, and these fighters start getting known in china as being great fighters, hopefully we'll see other tcma stylists step up and represent their art... its going to be pretty interesting to see what happens... to see what kind of fights come out of the whole my style is better than your style... i hope we'll see a more evolved version of what we saw in the early days of american mma... but lots and lots of style clashes, style wars...

how do you guys think it'll go down???

GeneChing

09-30-2010, 10:01 AM

More on Zhang (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58184).

Zhang hoping to lead Chinese wave into MMA (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mma/2010-09-29-2324317675_x.htm)
Posted 19h 30m ago
By Greg Beacham, AP Sports Writer

When Zhang Tiequan saw a mixed martial arts bout on television five years ago, it was love at first fight.

"I really admired the skill sets, and it reminded me of traditional Chinese combat movements, so I thought it was a perfect fit for me," Zhang said through a translator.

The 25-year-old Chinese martial artist and wrestler immediately got to work learning the skills he saw on TV, embarking down a path that led him this week to the suburbs of Denver, where he'll make history in the octagon on Thursday night.

When Zhang faces Pablo Garza at WEC 51 in Broomfield, Colorado, he'll become the first Chinese-born MMA fighter to compete in North America with the industry-leading UFC, which owns the lighter-weight WEC promotion.

Zhang is certain he won't be the last, given the UFC's determination to capitalize on the sport's burgeoning popularity in a country rediscovering its rich martial arts heritage. As China further opens its athletic endeavors to the world following the Beijing Olympics, Chinese athletes increasingly are participating in boxing and martial arts, which were discouraged or overtly banned during the Cultural Revolution.

"As a country, they want their athletes to come to America, and vice versa," WEC general manager Reed Harris said. "Once this sport really grows and develops, I believe they'll be able to compete as well as any country. In the next 10 or 20 years, this is certainly going to become a big deal."

Zhang loved climbing and wrestling as a kid in Inner Mongolia, and he trained in both Mongolian wrestling and Greco-Roman skills before moving into sanshou, the Chinese hand-to-hand combat sport also known as sanda and usually described as kickboxing with throws. Zhang competed near his home before moving to Xian with his coach, Zhao Xue Jun, and eventually channeling his passion into MMA.

While Zhang worked on his game, the UFC began looking for fighters just like him. UFC president Dana White and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta decided to make a move on China, eager to put their product into the huge market cultivated by the NBA and nearly every other major North American sport.

China has native MMA promotions, but nothing on the UFC's scale, and the sport's public profile is still relatively small. The UFC recently hired Mark Fischer, a former NBA executive who's working to get the UFC's fights on regular television in China.

"I see China in the same place as we were in the U.S. back in the late '90s, where this thing is kind of gaining some steam and picking up, and these shows are starting to do better," Harris said.

Zhang was discovered by Sean Shelby, the WEC's matchmaker and a longtime sanshou student tasked by the UFC with finding China's best fighters. Shelby crisscrossed the country for three weeks, starting on the northern border and moving all the way down to Hong Kong on his fact-finding mission.

"The thing that amazed me was the spirit of the Chinese people and the Chinese athlete," Shelby said. "There's absolutely no quit in them, and that's something you just can't teach an athlete. You either have it or you don't. It's the intangible. When they have the jiujitsu to go with the sanda, there's no telling how far they can go."

Shelby attended a local fight card and saw wildly differing levels of athletes <emdash /> including far more skilled heavyweights than he ever imagined. But when Shelby scouted the Chinese Top Team, a Beijing outfit run by a Brazilian coach, he immediately liked Zhang's toughness, his advanced kickboxing skills and his 16-0 record.

"If you're going to be a successful MMA fighter, you have to be a good Greco-Roman wrestler," Shelby said. "They decide where the fight goes. ... If you have that kind of resume, you're set up to do very well, no matter where you come from. Chinese or not, he's got potential."

The WEC formally signed Zhang last month, promoting him with the nickname "The Mongolian Wolf," and recently moved him to Colorado to finish training.

"Colorado is so wonderful," Zhang said with a smile. "The outdoor life is great and reminds me of my hometown. I go running and see all kinds of animals along the path. I saw a fox, but no wolf."

Shelby has identified several more Chinese fighters who could be added to the promotion. He thinks Chinese MMA will grow along with a proliferation of schools teaching Brazilian jiujitsu, the grappling and ground-fighting discipline that's so important in MMA.

But nobody will know just how quickly this experiment will move until Zhang steps into the octagon on Thursday night.

"I'm a realist, and coming into the WEC or the UFC is certainly a huge step in a guy's career," Harris said. "We'll see how he does. Sean's report from China is he's very well-rounded, a really good striker, good on the ground. He's got the record, but we have to see what his level of competition was. I'm excited to see what happens."

Dragonzbane76

09-30-2010, 10:10 AM

hopefully it will expand over to china. Glad to see the market is finally opening up over there.

GeneChing

10-05-2010, 12:43 PM

Jiequan yu Gedou (Intercepting Fist and MMA 截拳與格斗).

It's mentioned in passing in The Real Kreese By Zhao Xiaohu in our Nov Dec 2010 issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=923). I've not seen a copy of it yet but it is considered as one of the leading martial arts mags of the PRC now.

bawang

10-05-2010, 02:53 PM

im very happy for this guy i hope he wins and be succesful in america.

Violent Designs

10-05-2010, 03:48 PM

im very happy for this guy i hope he wins and be succesful in america.

yes he choked out the guy.

bawang

10-07-2010, 03:32 AM

i cried.
today wec, tomorow ufc.

KC Elbows

10-07-2010, 12:44 PM

sanjuro_ronin

10-07-2010, 12:46 PM

you and i are on the same page.

Unless this post goes on the next page.

bbbwwwahahahah !!!!!

Violent Designs

10-07-2010, 01:01 PM

i cried.
today wec, tomorow ufc.

you are a f@g, and a woman.

bawang

10-08-2010, 07:57 AM

i dont do gay lee foot. the only choi ur throwing is bak choi. i no gay u gay.

Dragonzbane76

10-08-2010, 09:15 AM

bawang your like the dude at a party that's a nut job but you have to laugh at him anyways because he's so dam funny. :p

GeneChing

12-23-2010, 11:52 AM

on Pay-Per-View on Friday, January 28

Legend building MMA superstars in martial arts birthplace (http://www.aroundtheoctagon.com/?p=7966)

http://www.legendfc.com/images/logo.jpg
Having established itself as the premier MMA promotion dedicated to the brightest talent in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong-based Legend continues to take the lead in developing rising stars from the birthplace of martial arts – China.

Next month, Legend 4 will become the first-ever Chinese MMA promotion to be broadcast across the United States, with the show available on Pay-Per-View on Friday, January 28, starting at 8pm EST. Among the nine scheduled fights are four which feature Chinese fighters, including the Legend debut of top Chinese prospect Wang Sai.

Wang, 24, had a prolific Sanda career before making the transition to MMA in 2009, and trains alongside UFC fighter Zhang Tiequan at China Top Team. Now one of China’s most promising fighters, Wang’s aggressive and exciting style will see him meet New Zealand’s Rod MacSwain, also 24, at Legend 4 to be held in Hong Kong on January 27.

Says Legend co-founder Michael Haskamp: “Wang’s level of natural talent, athletic ability and physical strength are rare not just in MMA fighters, but in professional athletes in general. There’s a real will to win there and an upside that I’m excited to see at Legend 4.”

Chinese athletes are an integral part of Legend – Legends 1-3 featured eight Chinese fighters, including Zhang, who defeated New Zealander Daniel Digby at Legend 2 – his last fight prior to signing with the UFC. A pioneer for Chinese fighters in the United States, Zhang made his WEC debut in September, submitting Pablo Garza at WEC 51, before ending his undefeated streak at 12, losing to Danny Downes in a unanimous decision at WEC 53.

“Martial arts is a big part of Chinese culture, and one of the most exciting parts of our jobs is scouting the best MMA fighters from across China and bringing them to Legend,” Legend co-founder Chris Pollak says. “For US-based MMA fans, Legend really brings something new and different to the table, a brand of MMA you’re not going to see anywhere else so I encourage everyone to tune in on January 28.”

Legend 4 will see Australia’s Adrian Pang defend his Legend Lightweight Title against South Korea’s Nam Yui Chul – recently ranked 4th on Bloody Elbow’s World Lightweight Scouting Report – in a rematch of the Legend 1 main event.

Legend clips, images, news and background are all at www.legendfc.com. Legend 4 will be broadcast in the United States on PPV; Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia on KIX; and in China on digital sports channel Power Sports Network.

Shaolin

12-24-2010, 10:39 AM

I'm curious to see their grappling skills.

Lucas

12-24-2010, 03:22 PM

Wang should be at least up to par if he trains with Zhang. He has bjj skills (not sure what rank he holds) and hes a mongolian wrestling champ

if this holds its weight, he promises to be an exciting fighter.

"Wang’s level of natural talent, athletic ability and physical strength are rare not just in MMA fighters, but in professional athletes in general."

bawang

01-25-2011, 02:26 PM

the mongolian wolf lost his second match in america, his third is gonna be in few weeks in ufc.

my boner only semi hard right now, i hope that loss was a fluke.

Lucas

01-26-2011, 09:38 AM

dont get to flacid bawang i think maybe its a fluke, his record on sherdog is good. it doesnt have new loss tho

Loss Daniel Downes Decision (Unanimous) WEC 53 - Henderson vs. Pettis 12/16/2010 3 5:00
Win Pablo Garza Submission (Guillotine Choke) WEC 51 - Aldo vs. Gamburyan 9/30/2010 1 2:26
Win Daniel Digby Submission (Neck Crank) LFC - Legend Fighting Championship 2 6/24/2010 1 0:30
Win Caloy Baduria Submission (Armbar) URCC 15 - Onslaught 11/21/2009 1 4:21
Win Caloy Baduria Submission (Guillotine Choke) URCC 13 - Indestructible 11/22/2008 1 3:03
Win Malik Arash Mawlayi Submission (Punches) AOW 10 - Final Conflict 12/23/2007 1 8:48
Win Erik Kalseth Submission (Ankle Lock) AOW 9 - Fists of Fury 11/25/2007 1 0:49
Win Seong Hee Kim Submission (Triangle Choke) AOW 8 - Worlds Collide 9/22/2007 1 1:39
Win Shashi Sathe TKO (Punches) AOW 6 - Art of War 6 5/26/2007 1 3:57
Win De Gi Ji Ri Hu KO (Punch) AOW 5 - Art of War 5 3/31/2007 1 1:04
Win Yun Tao Gong Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) AOW 4 - Art of War 4 12/22/2006 1 0:59
Win Salvador Domasian TKO (Punches) URCC 7 - The Art of War 12/10/2005 1 4:48
Win Zhao Yun Fei Submission (Choke) AOW 1 - Art of War 1 11/6/2005 N/A N/A

wiz cool c

02-04-2011, 08:13 PM

remember this name yao honggong my last coach in beijing shuai jiao background turned pro mma fighter. has a fight this week or last week in shanghai, hasn't made it big yet but got the athletic ability and will be a force here in china. if anyone read the sep 2010 issue the article shuai jiao mma connection, he is the guy throwing me around in the photos

Syn7

02-04-2011, 09:07 PM

wiz cool c

02-04-2011, 10:05 PM

sorry july/ aug http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=902

Syn7

02-04-2011, 10:42 PM

hey, thanx...

Syn7

02-27-2011, 10:03 PM

So Tiequan Zhang did well this weekend... the wolf is back, i guess... it was disappointing to see him lose to Downes last fight... He came out with crisp fast boxing and finished it quick with some grappling... it was fresh... 45 second fiight... tight guillotine... im glad the UFC has feathers and bantam now... i`d like to see a 125 division aswell... and the heavyweight division split in at least two, 205 - 230, 230 - 265 or something...heavyweight and super heavyweight... and to be honest i think their should be a cruiserweight too... i guess if they could afford it they`d have 8 pound divisions like boxing... anyways, rant... good to see the mongolian wolf back on his feet...

GeneChing

02-28-2011, 11:14 AM

The article I posted on the Zhang Tie Quan - Chinese Fighter in MMA (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58184) said "The Chinese fight fan market is also untapped and a big reason why UFC put Zhang's fight on Facebook."

"Facebook is blocked in China and not widely used by Chinese." (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/28/china-usa-media-idUSTOE71R07J20110228)

:rolleyes:

bawang

03-01-2011, 02:03 AM

i feel very happy for zhang and wish him good luck in the future. im very happy china finally entered ufc.

GeneChing

07-13-2011, 03:33 PM

Peter Chernin Purchases Stake in Hong Kong’s Legend Fighting Championship (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-13/peter-chernin-purchases-stake-in-hong-kong-s-legend-fighting-championship.html)
By Andy Fixmer - Jul 13, 2011 7:30 AM PT

Peter Chernin, News Corp.’s former chief operating officer, is investing in the Hong Kong-based mixed martial arts promoter Legend Fighting Championship.

CA Media LP, the Asian division of Chernin Group, and Diamond Ridge Ventures LLC are making the investment, the companies said in an e-mailed statement. Terms weren’t provided.

Legend will vie for fans with Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE), which also hold events in Asia. WWE and UFC are weighing whether to start their own U.S. TV channels. Their matches draw some of the biggest audiences on cable TV and pay-per-view.

“We are committed to helping Legend develop its high- quality MMA offering into the leading and most exciting martial arts franchise coming out of Asia, the original home of martial arts, and onto the world stage,” Chernin said in the release.

Founded in 2009, Legend will host its fifth championship on July 16 at Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (MPEL)’s City of Dreams casino in Macau. The event, with tickets priced as high as HK $1,280 ($164), will feature events with welterweight champion Rod MacSwain of New Zealand and Chinese title holder Yao Honggang. Bouts are carried on television networks including Kix, owned by Haim Saban and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF)

Legend, co-founded by managing directors Michael Haskamp and Chris Pollak, marks Chernin’s first Asian investment. CA Media Chief Executive Officer Paul Aiello, former CEO of News Corp.’s Star TV service, and Josh Swartz, managing director of Newport Beach, California-based Diamond Ridge, are joining Legend’s board, the companies said.

Chernin, 60, founded Chernin Entertainment and Chernin Group, both based in Santa Monica, California, after leaving News Corp. in July 2009. Chernin Entertainment makes TV shows and films, while the Chernin Group manages, operates and invests in media, entertainment and technology companies.

Hong Kong-based CA Media in November was created to oversee investments in India, China and other parts of Asia. Diamond Ridge Ventures is a music, consulting and sports management company.
WWE needs to start gyms like UFC. ;)

GeneChing

07-25-2011, 10:10 AM

Asia takes on the best in mixed martial arts (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/asia-takes-on-the-best-in-mixed-martial-arts-2319688.html)
AFP
Sunday, 24 July 2011

It has taken time and a few false starts but Asia, the spiritual and physical home of martial arts, now seems ready to take on the best in the world of modern mixed combat.

When Bae Myung Ho raised the Legend Fighting Championship welterweight title belt last Saturday night he showed it briefly to his fans and then the South Korean mixed martial artist went straight for the television cameras.

Bae fought in front of around 1,500 people inside Macau's City of Dreams casino complex - but an estimated 150 million households across the globe watched on TV.

Mixed martial arts incorporates the skills of everything from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, through judo, wrestling, karate and Muay Thai kick-boxing.

From the sold-out ringside in Macau it was easy to see why MMA has become so popular.

Fight fans were treated to everything from a knockout to a submission and, finally, Bae's high-octane display in wresting the welterweight crown from New Zealander Rod MacSwain through a unanimous points decision over three rounds.

The fighters enter the ring through smoke, lights and pounding beats. There are rules, of course, including no eye-gouging or blows below the belt, but pretty much everything else goes.

For Bae that meant making use of his superior strength over MacSwain and dumping him to the canvass for long periods in both the second and third of their five-minute rounds.

Once pinned, MacSwain could do little more than try to cover up as his opponent pounded knee after knee into his head and upper torso.

"We are experiencing a tonne of momentum now," said Legend co-founder Chris Pollack. "You have to have world-class fighters and we have that. We now think we are producing something that is as good as anything you will see."

In the United States, mixed martial arts - primarily through the Ultimate Fighting Championship - has long been the most-watched sport on pay-per-view television, a feat it first achieved in 2006 when its bouts generated more than $200 million in revenue over the year.

The sport also has a long and successful history in Japan but the rest of Asia has struggled to consistently organise and market its major events internationally.

A spate of failed ventures and cancellations culminated in the debacles of the "Fury 2" and "Mayhem in Macau" cards, planned for October 2010 and January this year respectively.

Both events were axed at the last minute after poor ticket sales, rumours of internal wrangling and negative press.

But organisers of Saturday's event signed previously unmatched broadcasting deals throughout North America and beamed the event live from Macau into the rest of China, a market even the wildly successful Ultimate Fighting Championship has struggled to pin down.

"It's a sport where athletes can draw on the best from so many sports from this region and they now have a chance to show them to the world," said Pollack.

The fact that Asia finds itself at the forefront of the sport has, for some, been a long time coming.

"It seems to be turning full circle as it can all be traced back to one man - Bruce Lee," said Hong Kong-based film director/producer Bey Logan, who specialises in martial arts films and wrote the script for action icon Jackie Chan's "The Medallion".

"The first filmed MMA match was the opening scene of 'Enter the Dragon' - 38 years ago. Bruce Lee has the trunks and the gloves, he is fighting on a mat and takes the guy down and makes him tap out. It all goes back to that."

He pointed to the upcoming release of Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh's production "Haywire" - which stars American mixed martial arts star Gina Carano - as further proof that the sport has gained wide acceptance.

Pollack and his Legend Fighting Championship have three more events set for Macau in the next 12 months, as well as others in Hong Kong - all to be beamed across the globe.

"A lot of our guys are still coming from single sports - they are learning all about what you can use in mixed martial arts," said Pollack. "They are learning about the sport and now the world is learning about them."

Legend Fighting Championship official site (http://www.legendfc.com/)

GeneChing

08-11-2011, 10:44 AM

The Evolution of Modern MMA in China (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=986) by Gregory Brundage

LeeLi

10-10-2011, 11:07 AM

from MMAinASIA.blogspot.com (http://mmainasia.blogspot.com/2011/10/ufc-next-stop-asia.html):

UFC: Next stop, Asia.
At the Versus 6 post-fight press conference (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtNKCcpp-Qg&feature=player_embedded), UFC President Dana White only spent about 20 seconds talking about its plans for 2010, but those 20 seconds were monumental to MMA in Asia. A new flyweight division. China. South Korea. TUF reality TV expansion into the Philippines. Taking a look at the UFC's past record of dropping mini-bombs in press conferences, following up with well-timed match ups, then announcing major events, it's blatantly obvious that the Zuffa-owned promotion has its sites set on Asia. Right now.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRrhSDdmtQc/To4m61prSzI/AAAAAAAAAXE/JJJVJGlxzcQ/s320/ufc-japan-photo.jpg

Since 2009 the UFC has been talking about putting on a show in Japan. The earthquake and resulting economic conditions delayed this from happening. However, at the beginning of 2011 Zuffa was able to secure some distribution deals (http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/25/zuffa-targeting-japanese-ufc-event-in-2011/) pushing the event closer to reality. Then, on August 27th, Japanese fighter Yushin Okami was set to challenge Anderson Silva in UFC 134 to be followed by 3 Japanese fighters on the next card,135: Takeya Mizuzaki, Takanori Gomi, and "Kid" Yamamoto (who cancelled due to injury). Smack in the middle of this was the announced return of the UFC to Japan (http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-Returns-to-Japan-in-2012) with an event set for February 26, 2012. Perfect media strategy.

Given White's most recent comments on expanding the UFC into China, South Korea, and the Philippines (http://mma.sbnation.com/2011/10/3/2466751/flyweight-125-division-ufc-dana-white-mma-news), can an actual game plan for their conquest be deduced?

Earlier this year, White announced an interest in expanding the reality show TUF to other countries - expressly the Philippines. This got the interest of UFC fighter Mark Munoz as shown plastered all over his personal website (http://www.markmunozmma.com/2011-debut-of-tuf-philippines/). Just last month, Anton Tabuena of bloodyelbow.com in the Philippines reported that the organization is indeed finalizing plans and working out a broadcast deal (http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/9/20/2437285/the-ultimate-fighter-philippines-edition-targeted-for-2012) with the Philippine sports channel Balls. This was Step 1 - dropping mini-bombs. Step 2 - well-timed events - are on the horizon: UFC Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is set for a Philippine tour (http://www.bjj-asia.com/2011/09/jon-bones-jones-visits-philippines.html) on October 22nd. Mark Munoz, the Filipino hero of the UFC, headlines UFC 138 (http://www.ufc.com/news/UFC-138-fight-card-updates) on November 5th. The TUF 14 finale (http://www.ufc.com/schedule/event) is on December 3rd. And Dana White just tweeted (http://twitter.com/#%21/danawhite/status/121979936629202944) that Jon Jones will defend his title against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 on December 10th. Step 3 - the big announcement - could happen at any one of these Philippine attention-aimed events.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CBxDZvEjZLQ/To4m50dGUAI/AAAAAAAAAXA/W8NiW_Gz6Ls/s320/JON+JONES+teaseR+ad.jpg

That's Japan and the Philippines covered. What about China and South Korea?

Rumors and news of the UFC in China have been circulating since the Beijing-based promotion Art of War kicked off it's 12th event (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ys-mmaweek052209) under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. UFC heavyweights Big John McCarthy and Michael Buffer were inside the ring. Rolles Gracie was on the card and brought Rickson, Royce, Royler, and Renzo into his corner. Around the same time, Flash Entertainment - a subsidiary of the Sheikh's Abu Dhabi government - purchased a 10% interest in Zuffa. The Renzo Gracie-facilitated deal was thought to help the UFC's chances in China (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-aburenzo040810). During the same period, Aaron Randolph was a consultant for the UFC in China (http://rxtremesports.com/about), and he confirmed that the UFC (http://www.headkicklegend.com/2010/7/21/1580345/not-so-fast-ufc-china-office-yet) was indeed working its way into the China market. However, in the two years since, Randolph has gone on to work directly for Legend FC in Hong Kong, and Art of War stopped running events. China went silent.

Until now. Dana White's simple mention of China holds a great deal of portent. There may not be a huge quantity of information coming out of the UFC on China matters, but the flurry of activities behind the scenes in Asia is pointing heavily back to the UFC. So step 2 - event - well that would be this very weekend's October 8th event, UFC 136. China's only rising star in the organization, Zhang Tiequan, is on the prelim card which will be shown live on Facebook - ironically which is banned in China. Zhang is from the Xi'an Sports University, where Pat Healy from Team Quest is currently running a 6-week training camp (http://teamquestmma.net/?p=3101). This is a partnership set up with Hong Kong-based Legend FC (http://www.legendfc.com/) to develop Chinese MMA talent, specifically in the lead up to Legend FC 6 in Macau (http://www.legendfc.com/).

Macau is a good choice for fight promotions to find venue partnerships with casinos; it is aptly named the "Las Vegas of Asia". Legend FC signed a multi-event deal at City of Dreams starting with their 5th event last July. Now Victor Cui of new Singapore promotion One FC (http://67.225.139.131/baguio/sports/2011/10/04/one-fc-chief-eyes-team-lakay-183033) has stated they will hold a future event in Macau. So the China market seems to be getting hotter. Even Shanghai-based promotion RUFF (http://ruffchina.com), fresh off its first event, has indicated that its next event might not be in Shanghai (http://www.ruffchina.com/us), but elsewhere in China. And although its from a source who wishes to remain anonymous, I was told that the UFC is in talks with a China venue in regards to a 2012 event.

The flurry of activity doesn't stop at the "where and when" level, it goes deeper into the "who" - the actual talent pool. Recently, Filipino superstar MMA Team Lakay (http://www.facebook.com/LakayMMA) was personally visited by both Victor Cui of One FC (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/sports/2011/10/04/one-fc-chief-eyes-team-lakay-183033) and Mike Haskamp of Legend FC. Talent from Team Lakay has appeared on both promotions. Three Filipino fighters also signed management agreements with URCC Talent Management (http://www.urccmma.com/), which is reportedly to help them defend their titles in the Philippines-based URCC and gain new ones across several promotions. One FC has signed partnership deals with Thailand's DARE (http://www.darefightsports.com/) and South Korea's Road FC (http://www.roadfc.com/), including a champion versus champion event with Road FC's tournament winners. RUFF is currently seeking fighters. With Legend FC's sponsored fight camp in Xi'an and One FC's recent signings to multiple fight deals from DARE's fight roster, plus both wooing the Filipinos, they are snapping up talent at the speed of light.

In regards to the UFC, many promoters have stated they would like to have the reputation of being a 'feeder' of talent to that promotion. Another option is being bought out by them. With these promotions all scrambling for more talent, more venues, more cross-promotion connections - essentially 'assets' in the MMA industry - it remains to be seen if they are aware of and moving towards a UFC bid, or hedging against it.

LeeLi

11-14-2011, 11:09 PM

‎RUFF锐武终极格斗 (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (http://www.ruffchina.com/us)) announces its second show:

December 17, 2011
Chongqing, China

FIGHT CARD:
Zhang LiPeng vs. Rodrigo Caporal (70kg)
Wang Guan vs. Wang JinGang (70kg)
Jumabieke Tuerxun vs. Zhao YanFei (66kg)
Ayideng Jumayi vs. Irshaad Sayed (61kg)
Liu PingYuan vs. Amu RiJiRiGaLa (61kg)
XueGuoBin vs. Dong YanJun (66kg)
Yang Liang vs. Liu LianJie (61kg)
Li LinLin vs. Li BoLin (66kg)
Ta Yier vs. Wan HongChen (70kg)

http://www.ruffchina.com/images/stories/RUFF_Gensis_KV0_new.jpg

Fighting Eagle

11-15-2011, 04:23 PM

sweet, I had no idea...

GeneChing

01-20-2012, 11:44 AM

Anyone been to a RUFF event?

Mandt Bros. Gets RUFF in the Land of the Dragon (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mandt-bros-gets-ruff-in-the-land-of-the-dragon-137657318.html)

Company to Develop Groundbreaking Mixed Martial Arts League and Events in China with Exclusive Government-Sanctioned Professional MMA-Rights Holder, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF)

SHANGHAI, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In the birthplace of kung fu and such action fighting stars as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the still-nascent sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) gained some muscle today when RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation), the first government-sanctioned professional MMA organization in China, announced a strategic partnership with L.A.-based Mandt Bros. Productions. RUFF and Mandt Bros. will collaborate on the creative development of the league and live events, with Mandt Bros. leading all television production, from one-off specials to a potential reality television series.

"This is a huge opportunity to help grow MMA in the most populous country in the world, where martial arts is already popular," offered Neil Mandt. "Mandt Bros. has strong expertise in sports and reality television, with deep relationships with networks, sponsors, athletes and others, and we are thrilled to team with RUFF to bring all of our creative and production skills to China."

In October 2010, after four years working with the Chinese government, RUFF founders and entrepreneurs Joel Resnick and Saul Rajsky secured the exclusive rights to produce and stage live, government-sanctioned, professional MMA events in China. RUFF produced its first two events in late 2011, which garnered television viewership of close to 20 million and 27 million, respectively. They anticipate that their third MMA fight, scheduled to take place in Chongqing on March 24, will reach a TV audience in excess of 60 million people.

Working with RUFF to engage investors, sponsors and other partners in gaining further traction across China, Mandt Bros. will help execute at least a half-dozen MMA events in 2012, which will include the crowning of official Chinese national champions across all weight classes.

For now, says Joel Resnick, it's about developing Chinese fighters for Chinese fans. In the past, he says, "nobody was willing to build the fighters, give them a personality, and make them fan-favorites. It's about showing ordinary kids that they can be the fighter, and you don't have to be the biggest or strongest guy to win."

About Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF)
Headquartered in Shanghai, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) has the exclusive rights to produce and stage live MMA events as a sanctioned sport in China, by permission of the General Administration of Sport of China Wushu Administrative Center. Its first two MMA events were produced in late 2011 in Shanghai; a third event is scheduled take place on March 24 in Chongqing. For more information, please visit www.ruffchina.com.

About Mandt Bros. Productions
Brothers Neil and Michael Mandt are partners in the Los Angeles-based production company Mandt Bros. Productions. Between them, they have earned four Emmy Awards, nine Emmy nominations and a Cable Ace Award, among numerous other accolades. Their projects include the critically acclaimed feature film Last Stop for Paul, its TV adaptation "Next Stop for Charlie" (Showtime) and other television projects which have included "Destination Truth" (Syfy), "Jim Rome is Burning" (ESPN), "Ice Brigade" (Food Network), "Strangers in Danger" (Fuel TV) and "The Car Show" (Speed Network).

SOURCE Mandt Bros. Productions

Yung Apprentice

02-07-2012, 11:08 PM

What ever happened to the Art of War Fighting Championships? I thought they would be the big dogs in China, since they seemed to have had some pretty good cards, and then they just fizzled out? I was hoping they would become what Pride FC was to Japan. Haven't heard much from them, or they officially done?

LeeLi

02-08-2012, 03:56 AM

it is the common perception that Art Of War gained a big sponsor with the assistance of Renzo Gracie: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. the Sheikh's dual investment in Zuffa would supposedly help the UFC gain inroads to China. it didn't fast-track, and the Sheikh stopped sponsoring the Art Of War. Co-Founder Andy Pi still insists he will resume producing events one day.

currently there are are only a few promotions in China which the outside, English-speaking world knows about: Top of Forbidden City, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, and Legend Fighting Championship. TFC is co-run and sponsored by Bokesan and the Chinese government. RUFF is privately run and sanctioned by the Chinese government. Legend FC is privately owned and run. there are many regional fly-by-night shows going on all over China, but the MMA culture isn't developed to the point that anyone sees longevity in being a promoter. there's a complete list of promoters all over China and Asia - past and present - here on my website (http://www.mma-in-asia.com/p/promotions.html).

Legend FC has an event this weekend. you can watch the undercard streamed live and free on their YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/LegendFCMMA/featured). international PPV and broadcast information cab be found on their website (http://www.legendfc.com/en/broadcast/). their are six Chinese athletes on their card, and one of them is from a Chinese Shuai Jiao background, Yao HongGang of China Top Team. he's being challenged for his Bantamweight title by Jumabieke Tuerxun of Xian Sports University. CTT is a private sector team, whereas Xian Uni is part of the government-sponsored athletics scheme.

there's a very good podcast interview with Mike Haskamp, Co-Founder of Legend FC with Eddie Goldman, "the Godfather of MMA Media" on No Holds Barred here (http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/index/2012-01-29T18_31_50-08_00). Haskamp gives a thorough explanation about MMA in China - he's like an encyclopedia on it. really worth your time if you want to understand how MMA is developing in China.

i will be at this weekend's Legend FC 7, so if you're interested in what's happening on the ground from weigh ins to after party, check out my website, MMA-in-ASIA.com (http://www.mma-in-asia.com/) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/MMAinAsia)!

GeneChing

04-02-2012, 09:50 AM

RUFF brings martial arts back to China (http://espn.go.com/blog/mma/post/_/id/10087/ruff-brings-martial-arts-back-to-china)
April, 2, 2012 11:17AM ET
By Josh Gross
ESPN.com

The fate of Chinese mixed martial arts apparently rests on a handful of guys who've never been in the fight business before.

So stamped the Chinese governmental division that controls martial arts within mainland China, the Wushu Administrative Center, which recently issued one permit to stage mixed martial arts events as a legal sport throughout the country.

While there were several suitors, including Zuffa LLC, Joel Resnick believes his startup group, the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, was awarded the government sanction because it offered the right "mix between Chinese culture and Western mentality. I think that's really what did it."

"We decided right at the very beginning that if we're doing to do this, we're going to do it right. So it's going to be done as a sports event. It's going to have the backing of the government. Most importantly we have to be able to award a country's national MMA championship, which at the end of the day is what we're doing," said the 51-year-old Canadian, a longtime resident of Shanghai and principal in the Ranik Group -- a buying agent that calls Nike a major client.

RUFF is three cards into what its backers hope is the start of something massive. With the foundation of a burgeoning Chinese middle class learning what to do with its disposal income, the government handed RUFF the opportunity to develop Chinese MMA as a sport while selling it as a new entertainment option across the country.

On March 24 in Chongqing, a major city in Southwest China, 4,000 Chinese watched a nine-fight card in a sold-out arena. The event was RUFF's first since the company announced its ambitious intentions through the next Chinese new year. Capped by awe-inspiring prize money per Chinese standards, seven National MMA Champions will be crowned. Fighters aren't required to be Chinese nationals, but they must live and have a work permit in China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan. Each winner will receive RMB 1,000,000, the equivalent of about $160,000. The average Chinese household brings in a bit more than $10,000 a year, so the idea is for the siren song of big money to prompt a generation of quality Chinese fighters to quickly emerge.

"We needed to make a statement out to the general public that said, 'Hey look, this is a new sport, but you guys can do this.' We needed to make it attractive," Resnick said. "We needed to draw attention. Something small wasn't going to do that."

The figure got the Chinese media talking, which is what Resnick and his partners -- Saul Rajsky along with American brothers Neil and Michael Mandt -- hoped for.

"We feel that the events we'll have in the next year will gain attention," said Michael Mandt, 40, who, with his brother, operates the Los Angeles-based production company that will deliver RUFF to tens of millions of Chinese televisions. "It will be natural for Chinese athletes to want to be involved. I think there will be a grass roots development because of the chance to win 1,000,000 RMB. It's not easy to be Yao Ming. To be a RUFF MMA champion, you don't have to be seven feet tall."

Considering the martial arts heritage of the region, China appears to be a natural fit for MMA, which is among the reasons UFC has maintained an office in Beijing since August 2010. Former NBA executive Mark Fischer operates out of the office and heads the promotion's Asians Operations division.

Just this week UFC president Dana White promised that the UFC will hold an event "in China" this year. Yet claiming that Macau, where the card is expected to take place, is in China "is similar to having a fight in Puerto Rico and claiming to be in the United States," said Resnick, who worked four years inside the bureaucracy of the People’s Republic of China before receiving the license to work with the government. "Chinese citizens require a visa to go from China to Macau. Macau is a separate territory with its own government, currency and passports."

Resnick welcomed the UFC to hold an event in Macau "as it will only bring more attention to the great sport of MMA in Asia."

For the UFC to host something on the mainland, it would need to be considered a one-off cultural event, which means no ticket sales, no revenue streams.

The idea for RUFF came about five years ago when Resnick's son, Brandon, a teenager at the time, talked about his love of MMA. Brandon Resnick, now almost 20 and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, serves as RUFF's matchmaker and talent scout. RUFF fighters compete under the Unified Rules, and referees are certified under John McCarthy's C.O.M.M.A.N.D system. The Chinese government too will be a sort of talent scout via its support for MMA, especially in schools. Resnick expects the government to help with the cost of finding and grooming fighters, as well as regulating them through soon-to-be formed associations.

The government is “really excited about this because this is a growth sport here," Resnick said. "This is something the Chinese public can wrap their hands around, they can get it.

"We're finding that this can be a mainstream sport out here and people are willing to spend the money to come out and see it. As long as they get their value back."

The cheapest ticket to an event costs $15, though live attendance is insignificant compared to the potential access into China's 700,000,000 homes. Through the government, TV relationships are already opening up for the Mandt brothers in Chongqing and other major municipalities. RUFF is the first MMA organization in China permitted to advertise its events in mass media. Neil Mandt, 42, is moving to China, where he'll handle broadcast production of events every other month.

Sponsors have taken notice. Chinese arms of multinational companies -- Nike, Ford, Ducati Motorcylces and Sofitel Hotels -- have already aligned with RUFF.

"The exposure RUFF has on TV and magazines is something we're interested in," Mike Bordiga, CEO of Ducati Asia Pacific, is quoted as saying in the organization's promotional packet. "The audience has a low average age; It's exactly what we're aiming for."

There's talk of a North American-esque reality show aimed at the core 18-28 demographic. But this is first and foremost a sporting venture in a country that does not have much in the way of pro sports.

"We're starting a sports company in China," Resnick said. "That's amazing. The most amazing thing is we're bringing martial arts back to China. This is where it all started. That's the coolest thing." Spot on about Macau.

GeneChing

05-03-2012, 09:22 AM

There are half a dozen photos if you follow the link. I'm posting this one because of the emblem on the corner post.

RUFF, China's New Home for Martial Arts (http://english.cri.cn/8046/2012/05/03/45s697065.htm)
2012-05-03 15:55:20 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Sun
Mixed Martial Arts, the world's fastest rising sport, has officially arrived in China with the rise of the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation; China's only government sanctioned fighting promotion.
by Stuart Wiggin

http://english.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2012/05/03/e1cde6d8ed6049e39abcf47f673318e7.jpg
Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, a combination of Boxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Sanda and Wrestling, is the fastest growing sport in the world; but many people are still unaware of this growing phenomenon, not least in China. The sport is becoming increasingly popular in America and Europe, and the organization spearheading its rise there is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). However, the UFC is far from a household name in China, and the sport has not exploded here as it has in North America. But that may be set to change with the rise of a Chinese organization, the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, or RUFF.

RUFF is the brainchild of Toronto natives, Joel Resnick and Saul Raisky. The pair managed to navigate the various government channels and achieve the only professional fighting permit for MMA in the country, awarded by China's governing body for combat sports, the Wushu Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport in China. As Resnick himself states, "I wouldn't say we have (the market) cornered; there's always cultural events and promotional events. But we're the only ones that are sanctioned by the government to do it as a sport and give out China's national MMA title championships belts". As a result, RUFF is in an enviable position, leading the charge of MMA in China; and it is being led in a very particular way.

They have already issued a one million yuan Super Fight challenge which will see China's first set of national champions across seven weight classes crowned in 2013; with each winner receiving a one million yuan purse. The organization also plans to start filming a reality television show at the end of June, which will air in the fall, serving as the build-up for the Super Fight event which is expected to take place prior to Chinese New Year.

While many combat sports depend upon name talent to draw an audience, the lack of Chinese names within the MMA world means that foreign organizations have not had much success creating buzz in China. Resnick understands this limitation, and is under no illusion that bringing in big names from abroad would help to improve the prospects of the sport here. As Resnick says, "We're building a sport in China for China. We're not bringing in 'X' fighters from North America, or Europe or from across the world. We're interested first and foremost in building the Chinese fighters; building the sport of MMA in China".

That's not to say that foreign fighters are discouraged from participating in RUFF events, but as the co-founder points out, "one thing that we're insistent upon is that foreigners can fight, but they have to have a connection to China. Whether they're in Macao, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or the mainland; they must be living and working here and under a work permit. It's going to be for a country's national championship; so you have to have some roots here".

Bill Eng, Beijing-based MMA promoter and agent, has been in the business for a number of years and previously worked with now-defunct Beijing-based promotion Art of War. Eng is also of the opinion that the fighters are the most important commodity within any organization. "In any promotion, everybody knows you have to promote the fighters. Everybody knows Muhammad Ali, everybody knows Mike Tyson; do you know what promotion they fought in or who the organizer was? We don't know. So, I think the promotion is not as important as the fighters themselves", Eng said when asked whether RUFF will be the promotion to crack the Chinese market. And with regards to reports citing that RUFF's rise signals the return of martial arts to China, Eng holds a slightly different opinion. "Martial arts is part of the Chinese culture, it's engrained into Chinese society. You have people in the parks practicing all kinds of martial arts. In China back in the 70s and 80s, Sanda was MMA basically; they didn't have boxing gloves. Having this so-called MMA coming back into China, well it's not really coming back into China, because China already had this many years ago."

But despite the tradition's continued existence within daily life, there is no doubt that martial arts are seen more as a cultural element rather than a sport within the country. However, after WUSHU granted RUFF the only competitive fighting permit in the land, martial arts is firmly back in the sporting category. So far, RUFF has held three events; one in Shanghai and two in Chongqing. Attendance figures have gradually improved over the course of the events. The first show in Chongqing attracted some 1500 people, while the second event sold out with more than 4000 people in attendance. Their television deal provides them with an approximate viewing audience of 357 million, and the level of interest in the promotion is constantly increasing. With high production values and world renowned sponsors, such as Nike and Ducati, it seems as if it's only a matter of time before RUFF taps into the wider Chinese market.

As for why a sporting brand such as Nike would be willing to sponsor a Chinese MMA organization, when they tend to steer clear of the sport in the West, Resnick pointed out that mainstream sponsors are likely to view the Chinese market very differently from the Western market: "The way it is out here; this is the home of martial arts; this is it. It would be like basketball in North America. It's looked at completely different. We've spoken to a lot of people, and from what we can see; a lot of parents would rather that their kids do MMA than play basketball. We feel out of any country in the world, MMA could be a mainstream sport in China".

The Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation's next event is likely to take place in Inner Mongolia, though no date has been set. If the sport flourishes on the mainland, thousands of martial artists will have a platform upon which to demonstrate their skills and gain recognition and reward. However, the success of the sport is almost wholly dependent upon the approach that RUFF takes, which according to Resnick relies on "building the market in China for China".

bawang

05-16-2012, 12:42 PM

i felt really disappointed about zhang tiequan, i had high hopes for him in the ufc, but i cant blame him since hes already past age 30. hopefully there will be more upcoming talented martial artists from china.

GeneChing

01-15-2013, 11:36 AM

I just got this press release

DramaFever and Hulu Strike Legend Deal for MMA

Legend Fighting Championship World-Class Mixed Martial Arts Events Stream Online for Free on DramaFever and Hulu in US, Canada and Latin America

HONG KONG / NEW YORK [January 15, 2013] – For the first time, millions of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans in the USA, Canada and Latin America will be able to watch some of the Asia-Pacific’s most elite fighters compete for free and online. New York-based DramaFever and Hong Kong-based Legend Fighting Championship have teamed up to make Legend’s Asia-Pacific Championship MMA events available online exclusively through DramaFever, starting January 15. Fans can catch up with all previously televised fights in high-definition as originally televised on Pay-Per-View, online and for free.

All past and future Legend events will be streamed in their entirety on both DramaFever.com and a dedicated Legend-Hulu channel, which DramaFever is creating as part of a recent content deal. On DramaFever.com, each event will appear as its own series, giving viewers the option to watch the whole event, individual bouts, or highlights. Viewers will find information about the events and fighters in both English and Spanish via a bilingual player. Future features are being added to enable deeper fan engagement, such as adding photos and comments to videos or athlete pages.

Backed by AMC Networks, Bertelsmann, co-founders of YouTube and Machinima, MK Capital, and NALA Investments (the investment vehicle for the family that created Univision and Televisa), DramaFever’s global digital entertainment platform specializes in primetime television from around the world. DramaFever co-founder Suk Park went to Columbia Business School with the co-founders of Legend, Michael Haskamp and Chris Pollak, who have created the largest and most popular international MMA competition in the Asia-Pacific region.

“More Enter the Dragon than Mortal Kombat-style bloody slugfests, the Legend fights have very broad appeal, reaching the merely curious about MMA, true martial artists, and Bruce Lee fans, as well as hardcore fans, we hope,” said Suk Park, co-founder of DramaFever. “By making the fights available online and for free, on demand, US viewers and MMA fans gain some variety and a world-class, yet affordable, alternative to relatively limited choices that exist now.”

Co-founder of Legend, Chris Pollak added, “Sports fans will discover masters in non-traditional MMA fighting styles such as Sanda (“freestyle kung fu”), Wushu, and Shuaijiao, as well as the styles you see all the time in MMA, such as Muay thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, boxing, and wrestling.”

Starting January 15, DramaFever and Hulu will stream over 17 hours of fight entertainment not previously available online to US consumers. The events include plenty of drama and reasons to root for the fighters’ personal stories, the countries they represent and their fighting styles. Each event is approximately two hours in length (110 minutes), featuring current champions from South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, China, and 10 more Asia-Pacific countries. In 2013, Legend Fighting Championship plans to hold six events, with a new event televised and then distributed over DramaFever every two months. Viewers will find Legend featured prominently on the main page of DramaFever.com, or can use the Search fu nction anytime. Existing and future Legend events will also be added to a Legend Fighting Championship Collection on DramaFever.com and Hulu.com.

If someone notices when these go live on DramaFever.com, please to notify us here. Right now, it's just got of Korean dramas.

Perhaps I'll split Legend into it's own thread soon.

Lucas

01-15-2013, 12:56 PM

Thats good news. I like the variety of styles that get to fight. For me personally UFC has gotten stale and stagnant. Its like watching the same three fights over and over almost. I think breaking away from the repetition is important. Sport fighting , after all, is entertainment. Lets spice it up a bit!

GeneChing

02-08-2013, 12:22 PM

This perspective is a tad skewed, but quite relevant here.

Modern martial arts (http://www.economist.com/news/china/21571472-new-forms-martial-arts-are-catching-despite-nostalgia-filmmakers-aint-kick)
Ain’t that a kick in the head
New forms of martial arts are catching on, despite the nostalgia of filmmakers
Feb 9th 2013 | HOHHOT
http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/290-width/images/print-edition/20130209_CNP002_0.jpg
Zhang’s no kung fu panderer

THERE are now many ways to become a millionaire in China, and for Zhang Meixuan, the route has been through martial arts. In 2011 Mr Zhang, the son of poor farmers, was jailed for assault. On February 2nd in the grimy northern mining city of Hohhot, he became flyweight champion of China in mixed martial arts (MMA) and collected a cheque for 1m yuan ($160,000). His rise from the paddy fields of dirt-poor Guizhou province mirrors the rapid rise of more modern forms of martial arts such as muy thai and Brazilian jiujitsu and their challenge to traditional forms of Chinese kung fu.

Partly responsible for the shift is the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF), a China-based promoter run by Joel Resnick, a Canadian businessman (pictured, behind Mr Zhang). RUFF has been awarded the only permit to hold MMA events in China. The first, in 2011, was seen on television by perhaps 100,000 viewers. The Hohhot event was beamed to millions across China.

Traditional kung fu, incorporating different styles such as Wing Chun, Shaolin and tai chi , though still popular, has been in decline for decades, because of a one-two to the head, first from Maoism and now from commercialism. Youths with smartphones and short attention spans have no time for breathing exercises and meditation. The MMA crowd also accuses kung fu of being useless in an actual fight, and believe even Jet Li and Jackie Chan, two fighting film stars, are more like dancers than real toughs.

Into this debate has stepped Wong Kar-wai, an award-winning director from Hong Kong. His new film, “The Grandmaster”, opened the Berlin International Film Festival on February 7th. For many, Mr Wong’s film is just another kung fu epic. In China, however, the film has sparked further debate on the connections between traditional martial arts, beautifully portrayed in the film during the 1930s, and more modern forms.

A behind-the-scenes documentary, that shows Mr Wong’s largely unsuccessful search for kung fu masters of the old school to help train his actors, has been an online hit. Many Chinese people, including practitioners of MMA, still have a soft spot for the history and discipline of traditional kung fu. But, as in many areas of modern China, the new, the brash and the million-yuan cheque pack a bigger punch.

sanjuro_ronin

02-08-2013, 01:40 PM

Traditional kung fu, incorporating different styles such as Wing Chun, Shaolin and tai chi , though still popular, has been in decline for decades, because of a one-two to the head, first from Maoism and now from commercialism. Youths with smartphones and short attention spans have no time for breathing exercises and meditation. The MMA crowd also accuses kung fu of being useless in an actual fight, and believe even Jet Li and Jackie Chan, two fighting film stars, are more like dancers than real toughs.

I think the point that is lost is that, quite simply in the information and access age, the fact is that TCMA are getting beaten up over and over again by MMA.

Lucas

02-08-2013, 02:43 PM

Kellen Bassette

02-08-2013, 03:21 PM

Would that be be Roy "Big Country" Nelson?

Lucas

02-08-2013, 03:45 PM

shut up, dont talk to me!!! :mad::mad:

oh wait just kidding. ya. of course im not saying that he is a shaolin fighter. or even that kungfu is a majorty share holder in his fighting style... definately being a bjj black belt is going to be a dominant aspect of a mma fighter in many respects. but just the simple fact that a person can with their own mouth say , 'i started with kung fu and yes i still use it' then directly after that other people dismiss that for him....well...thats just a prime example of the way cma is treated by the mma community in general.

Kellen Bassette

02-08-2013, 06:11 PM

Yeah...I never brought him up, since I knew it would go straight to his BJJ black belt, but since he's been winning with KO's....he did say himself he trains Kung Fu everyday.

Everyone in mma crosstrains...but a lot, if not most fighters, have a core base. I think when a fighter tells you what his base is you have to take it seriously. Who knows yourself better than you?

Lucas

02-08-2013, 08:49 PM

Well usually when talking with naysayers and you supply undesputed proof, the proof supplied is pretty much always ignored. I personally have done so many times over the years here and that outcome is almost always the case. The times its not, straw man arguments are made that precisely mirror your comments.

Its OK though, I take my vengeance in the form of knowing the individuals I'm debating with at that time choose to be blissfully ignorant. To me, letting my adversaries maintain a level of self imposed stupidity is the best revenge, and furthermore, this mindset is a clear indication those individuals are similarly lacking in other areas of their life. I personally take a sadistic pleasure in that knowledge.

sanjuro_ronin

02-09-2013, 07:09 AM

mma gets beat up by mma over and over again too :eek: if people stop, think for themselves, and start actually looking for the good examples, (instead of only looking for the bad ones and acting like thats all there is) which have been pointed to time and again, people can see that chinese martial arts is used in the ring, and used to win fights. ive pointed out a shhheeeet ton of fighters over the years here who have and do use cma to win fights...im tired of thinking for other people.

heres an idea. MMA fighters are worthless in sanshou. show me one mma guy that is a sanshou champion. of course my statement is false, but prove me wrong. MMA is also worthless in olympic tae kwon do. lol

its like this, you have a UFC fighter who they themselves say 'hey i do shaolin kung fu, i use this in the ring and i train it for my fights' it gets tossed to the side. and everyone literally forgets immediately and cannot recall who this is. is he the champ? no. but did he fight in recent ufc? yes. are you in ufc fighting? no? is he more accomplished than you in mma with his shaolin? yes. and so what if there are not a ton of UFC cma fighters. there are guys using cma in many fighting formats across the world.

Also, 'kungfu useless in a real fight' ? really? there are tons of examples of people using kung fu to defend themselves in real life. articles upon articles in the news for years and years....people just choose to be ignorant. always have and always will.

I think you are missing the point dude.
Just like here were the new generation is being bombarded with videos and TV shows of MMA being the ultimate, it is happening all over the world also.
What the next and new generation is seeing is the high practically of MMA.
They are NOT seeing anything of the sort in regards to TCMA.
Guys join a MMA gym and in a few months they are beating they buddies, even those that have had years of TMA experience, I know because I have seen it and hear it.
I am sure the case is the same in China and the rest of the world.

In short, MMA is being shown to be THE MA and TMA are being shown to be "old", "antiquated" and worse, "obsolete".

Kellen Bassette

02-09-2013, 07:50 AM

In short, MMA is being shown to be THE MA and TMA are being shown to be "old", "antiquated" and worse, "obsolete".

I feel like we are seeing more traditional guys fighting, (and winning) nowadays, though. If you spar hard, condition and drill it with a partner, (traditional training), the traditional arts will work for you. If not they won't. Basically everyone here who fights agrees with that, and probably a bunch who don't fight.

I'm optimistic that mma will be good for tma in the end. If it forces schools to go back to the root of martial arts, being able to fight for real, then maybe it will save tma from itself.

I think we are going to see more and more fighters from traditional backgrounds and I won't be sad at all if the LARPing schools go down; and those that train for real survive. I may be crazy, but I think eventually there will be a well understood distinction between combat oriented schools and those that just babysit kids and do dress-up exercise. Those schools won't be able to pass themselves off as "teaching combat" anymore...at least in the future I envision. :p

Lucas

02-09-2013, 09:35 AM

Oh don't get me wrong. I agree that mma is raising the bar. Most tma have become stagnant, but at the same time the trend has caused people to reevaluate their arts, and you are starting to see the adjustments being made. I do not agree that tma is obsolete however. The traditions simply need updating. With the right intention and goals, people have proven their arts can hold. All styles? No. Do you need to modify your art, and adapt to the requirements? Yes. But we all know THAT is traditional. Most tma are not following the tradition of combat, but rather that of culture, and repetition, which is the primary source of the stagnation.

Look at the Gracie family as a perfect example. Here was an art that had so much promise, yet was stuck in the past. The art was modified, re worked. The work was put in to bring the art into the modern era, and the art evolved into gjj and bjj. Its still a tma. This can be done to most fighting styles. There just needs to be the drive and the work needs to be done. Sanda hs proven to be an effective vehicle in modernizing virtually any style of cma. Modernizing and adapting your traditions to the current need won't change the essence.

I do agree and understand that the vast majority of people are just not willing to change. But I really don't think that makes traditional arts worthless

Kellen Bassette

02-09-2013, 01:36 PM

I agree 100% with Lucas...I believe anyone in TMA who is involved in fighting knows this; and anyone who thinks otherwise probably doesn't fight or spar hard.

Lucas

02-11-2013, 11:19 AM

sanjuro_ronin

02-11-2013, 11:27 AM

sanjuro, i know, knows all too well exactly what we're saying. he's a smart fighter and has a long history in traditional arts so there is no way he couldnt. i know hes making a point about the relation of traditional arts with the public at large. mma is what the trend setter is, and its the method attracting the majority. I feel that cma in general is getting to the party late, and unfortunately has some serious cultural baggage it needs to shake off. but in defense of cma, the majority of guys you talk to you go 'hey, what do you think about sanda/sanshou?' the response is usually; 'san wha?'

Quite correct.
Those of us that have had the good fortune to be exposed to PRACTICAL TMA KNOW there is "nothing new" under the sun.
The fact is, however, the the next generation is being exposed to only one type of MA that is effective - Sport combat and principally MMA.

pateticorecords

02-11-2013, 11:55 AM

The problem with the TMA has been complacency. If you do not adapt you become extinct. I am not saying you should abandon traditional training; you should be incorporating and studying other fighting arts to better understand your opponent. I teach and practice MMA but from a TMA point of view.

I have experienced firsthand Traditional Martial Artists that cannot fight whatsoever, their forms look great but they have no idea how to fight. On the other hand, I have also had MMA fighters in the area come and test themselves out against what we do and they have failed miserably.

The average MMA practitioner is not remotely close to the elite that make it to the pros. Their tactics are predictable so with the right training there is no reason why you cannot defeat them in their own game but once again you have to cross train, learn to grapple, and learn to really generate power with your strikes.

I also help coach the local high school wrestling team (many of the varsity team have gone to states and several who are now wrestling at the collegiate level), when I show them throws, takedowns, and wrestling moves from a TMA perspective they get lost and can’t counter. So I teach them these moves, through live drilling, and they have been become unpredictable against their opponents. They are undefeated this season and they have their central league championship.

Here is a recent interview I did with Truwaza Martial Arts Times were I discuss a lot of this :)
http://truwazama.weebly.com/sifu-tom-lugo.html

Kellen Bassette

02-11-2013, 04:26 PM

I also help coach the local high school wrestling team (many of the varsity team have gone to states and several who are now wrestling at the collegiate level), when I show them throws, takedowns, and wrestling moves from a TMA perspective they get lost and can’t counter. So I teach them these moves, through live drilling, and they have been become unpredictable against their opponents. They are undefeated this season and they have their central league championship.

Congrats on that. I think the grappling of TCMA is a huge aspect of the art and is often under trained/utilized. People tend to think of KF only as a striking art, but it's really a striking/grappling art. Of course exposing yourself to the different tactis of wrestling, BJJ. Judo, MT clinch ect...just make you better...

Kellen Bassette

02-11-2013, 04:31 PM

sanjuro_ronin

02-12-2013, 06:30 AM

[QUOTE=Lucas;1210475]sanjuro, i know, knows all too well exactly what we're saying. /QUOTE]

Yeah, I read his posts...he knows what's up....seems like were always preaching to the choir, but I keep reiterating for the benefit of thousands of people outside the forum that may come across our comments.

Sometimes it's easy to forget it's not just the same handful of forum members that see our rants and arguments. I was aware of this forum and many of its' members for years before I began participating.

I think that our posts CAN be seen by so many is why it is important to continue to "preach to the choir" so as to make it clear to those reading that there is a difference between real TMA and what is commonly passed of as such.
Not every has the benefit of decades of training, training in different parts of the world, having seen and used TMA in the ring AND the "street" and because of that it is important to pass on the understanding to others.
Better for someone to learn the easy way with common sense than the hard way by getting their ass beat.

pateticorecords

02-12-2013, 07:14 AM

[QUOTE=Kellen Bassette;1210544]

I think that our posts CAN be seen by so many is why it is important to continue to "preach to the choir" so as to make it clear to those reading that there is a difference between real TMA and what is commonly passed of as such.
Not every has the benefit of decades of training, training in different parts of the world, having seen and used TMA in the ring AND the "street" and because of that it is important to pass on the understanding to others.
Better for someone to learn the easy way with common sense than the hard way by getting their ass beat.
Quoted for Truth! :D

Frost

02-12-2013, 07:34 AM

I feel like we are seeing more traditional guys fighting, (and winning) nowadays, though. If you spar hard, condition and drill it with a partner, (traditional training), the traditional arts will work for you. If not they won't. Basically everyone here who fights agrees with that, and probably a bunch who don't fight.

I'm optimistic that mma will be good for tma in the end. If it forces schools to go back to the root of martial arts, being able to fight for real, then maybe it will save tma from itself.

I think we are going to see more and more fighters from traditional backgrounds and I won't be sad at all if the LARPing schools go down; and those that train for real survive. I may be crazy, but I think eventually there will be a well understood distinction between combat oriented schools and those that just babysit kids and do dress-up exercise. Those schools won't be able to pass themselves off as "teaching combat" anymore...at least in the future I envision. :p

This is a tired old argument, MMA has been around for over 20 years in the west, and the number of traditional fighters taking part is going down not up, think of the early UFCs you had wing chun, 5 animals karate and lord knows what else taking part, now in the UFC you have cung lee ( a wrestler and TKD guy who went straight into Sanda with that background) big country and that’s about it. Yes people have to cross train but look at what they are cross training in, western wrestling, BJJ and thai, non are taking sanda for stand up let alone wing chun or hung gar
And the larping sc
hools are as popular as it was in the 90’s, wing chun can be found everywhere as can tai chi etc endless clips from hundreds of schools can be found on youtube doing line drills forms and 2 step stuff and still teach the deadly strikes as real self defence…. not much in the way of sparring can be found unless its CLF…..sanda outside of the east is virtually non existent, and the numbers of kung fu schools taking part in kick boxing, MMA or K1 can be counted on one hand

Kellen Bassette

02-12-2013, 09:05 AM

This is a tired old argument, MMA has been around for over 20 years in the west, and the number of traditional fighters taking part is going down not up, think of the early UFCs you had wing chun, 5 animals karate and lord knows what else taking part, now in the UFC you have cung lee ( a wrestler and TKD guy who went straight into Sanda with that background) big country and that’s about it. Yes people have to cross train but look at what they are cross training in, western wrestling, BJJ and thai, non are taking sanda for stand up let alone wing chun or hung gar
And the larping sc
hools are as popular as it was in the 90’s, wing chun can be found everywhere as can tai chi etc endless clips from hundreds of schools can be found on youtube doing line drills forms and 2 step stuff and still teach the deadly strikes as real self defence…. not much in the way of sparring can be found unless its CLF…..sanda outside of the east is virtually non existent, and the numbers of kung fu schools taking part in kick boxing, MMA or K1 can be counted on one hand

Well I wasn't referring to just TCMA, we're seeing some Karate based guys in the cage too...but at amateur level, there's getting to be more traditional schools with fight teams...I got to believe this will eventually translate into more traditional based pro fighters.

sanjuro_ronin

02-12-2013, 09:18 AM

I think that before the formation of MMA gyms that the whole TMA background matter far more than it does now.
Sure guys with a TMA background have a better core then those without any training BUT in some cases it can be a hindrance.
What I think needs/should happen is the adaption of MMA training in TMA, more than taking TMA into the MMA arena.
Lets be honest, very few people that do ANY MA wanna be fighters in the ring.
That said, every MA SHOULD be able to fight and fight well AND, IMO< be able to deal with what will be the "typical" fight out there and as MMA continues to grow, that is what they will be dealing with.

Frost

02-12-2013, 09:22 AM

Well I wasn't referring to just TCMA, we're seeing some Karate based guys in the cage too...but at amateur level, there's getting to be more traditional schools with fight teams...I got to believe this will eventually translate into more traditional based pro fighters.

Where are you based? because in the UK the amateur scene is dominated by Thai schools, BJJ schools and MMA schools….. the few karate schools that are involved are those which had already moved towards kickboxing, I cant remember seeing a single wado ryu, Shotokan etc fighter anywhere near the events my teammates enter, same for the TCMA clubs and the Korean ones, when I started out in KSBO a decade ago (no head shot amateur rules) there were a few karate guys (kokashinki go figure) but these days three’s not a lot around the comps from traditional backgrounds only
The few that are around david rogers, alan Orrs guys are few and far between and they are by and large the schools that were already competing in sanda etc back in the day, it’s a natural evolution form them, but you don’t see many clubs coming though doing this and the vast majority of TMA schools aren’t interested in developing fighters for the cage and wont ever be
People take TCMA for other reasons than getting into the ring, which is fine, but when teachers use that excuse for the reason theirs no clips of their students fighting or even sparring in house but can post endless clips of their students doing forms, weapon forms, 2 man forms, pad work, two man applications) it does make you wonder about just what they are training for and what they are selling to their students

Kellen Bassette

02-12-2013, 09:31 AM

I'm optimistic about this happening, I may be crazy...but I know traditional schools in my area that have fight teams, their guys seem to do as well as anyone elses'. I'm seeing Karate and JKD guys showing up at events, even Capoeira. Sure they're amateurs, but so are the vast majority of mma fighters.

The traditional schools that fight are certainly a minority; and only a small percentage of their students do...but there's definitely interest in it. If this keeps happening we'll start seeing some fighters. Most won't make it, but some will; the same as everywhere.

As to sanshou fighting being rare in the west, it's sad but true...but interestingly, some BJJ schools here have hosted sanshou events in areas that have NO kung fu at all. I guess they just wanted their guys to fight in that rule set.

Kellen Bassette

02-12-2013, 09:40 AM

Where are you based?

I live in northern New York...unfortunately I have to travel pretty far to downstate or western NY to find these events...my region doesn't have much going on. Some of the downstate shows I've been to are hosted by Karate schools. Lots of BJJ and MT guys of course, but lots of Karate fighters as well. I also know a local Hung Gar teacher who has a fight team, they compete in kick boxing...I never trained with him, but from what i gather his guys do alright.

Pro MMA is still illegal here. (We're one of only 3 states.) After 10 years of no legal MMA shows, the first sanctioned amateur event in NY happened last year. Apparently amateur was never illegal and no-one read the law close enough. Before this, guys were traveling to PA or Ohio to fight; now AM shows are springing up in many cities.

Go back 15 years ago, there was nothing at all for full contact in much of upstate except Kyokushin; and that was few and far between. (There may have been MT or kickboxing in some cities then; but if so I was unaware.

Kellen Bassette

02-12-2013, 09:42 AM

Don't get me wrong Frost, traditional fighters are certainly a minority here too, but the fact that I'm seeing some interest and some guys getting in the ring gives me hope.

GeneChing

02-12-2013, 05:23 PM

In my experience (and I confess, I have a weird lens) you can't throw a rock and not hit a TCMA master in China. I think Wong Kar Wai is just trying to position himself as the bannerman for TCMA, just to promote his film (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53227).

Lets be honest, very few people that do ANY MA wanna be fighters in the ring. Very true. The ring (or cage) appeals only to a very specific set. Personally, that was never my goal. I'm a weapons guy, by nature, so MMA holds very little for me as a practice.

That said, every MA SHOULD be able to fight and fight well AND, IMO< be able to deal with what will be the "typical" fight out there and as MMA continues to grow, that is what they will be dealing with. I don't agree with this. I think MA can have a much wider range to appeal as a health practice. Take Tai Chi for example - it might well have the world's largest underground population of practitioners when you factor in all of the senior centers and such. Do I expect them to be able to "to fight and fight well"? Not at all. I feel there's plenty of room for mediocre practitioners. Frankly, that's what most people are - they practice as a hobby and they have fun with it. Honestly, no other passtime imposes such rigorous requirements as the martial arts. Imagine the same standards for golf or tennis players. No wonder we have such neurotic growth issues. :rolleyes:

Lucas

02-12-2013, 05:34 PM

thai boxing is really due to popularity. it has nothing to due with the validity of sanda being a capable training format for developing striking. chinese fighters and thai fighters consistently fight each other in their respective venues and both parties fair well. The simple fact of the matter is that for either muay thai, or sanda, either needs to cross train for mma, both would be worthless alone, but both are quite capable methods of developing a powerful stand up fighter. The sanda method is a great transition for cross training in wrestling, as they already grapple/throw in the format.

people seem to forget the early resistance to the populartiy and move of the mma scene in many parts of asia. there are people who are definitely worthy of note in regards to striking that the majority of mma people have never even heard of. doesnt change the fact that some of these guys are beasts. keep in mind that the traditional arts are from asia, and are practiced through out asia to a greater degree than anywhere else in the world. we are working primarily off of western standards in these discussions.

what you are seeing in asia for the most part are people who are tapering in their fighting career making the change at the end of it. in essence, most of asia is showing up late to the party. where as in the west, people you see that are of note have started their careers in mma, and typically going the most favored popular route to do so.

here is a good example and one of my favorite fighters. guys like that who, late in his career are making the switch, pass those skills on to the next generation, but have them START with mma, utilizing sanda for the stand up and bringing in bjj and shuai jiao coaches....well just wait a fighter's generation, and see what the world gives us.

Sanda Muay Thai Challenge 03' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c75rK4Vvsb4)

Bao Li Gao is 5 ft 10.5 inches tall and fights at 85 kg or 185 lbs (in the AOWFC). He was the King of San Da champion in 2002 and 2003, IKF Super Middleweight champion in San Shou, and the biggest winner of the 2003 Muay Thai Vs San Da Challenge held in Bangkok, Thailand

Check out the Beijing Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Here is what Academy Director Andy Pi said about how his Team Art of War Trains

"they were provided with accommodation, food, a salary, and training. To improve their Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills they brought in a black belt from Brazil, Pedro Schmall. For their stand-up skills they train San Da (Chinese kickboxing) with the Chinese national team. For their takedown skills they train with the Chinese national wrestling and Judo team, and for their strength and conditioning they hired a national weightlifting athlete who also will be performing in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. These are full-time fighter, which means their office is the gym. They train 2 times per day, 6 day per week."

Frost

02-13-2013, 06:00 AM

No thai boxing is popular due to its effeciveness

We aren;t just talking about MMA in China and Pro Sanda we were talking about traditional Chinese arts in MMA there is a difference.

You keep bringing up sanda which is fine but sanda isn’t what 90% of TCMA practise is it? And its not HOW 90% of TCMA practise either is it? They practise hung gar, wing chun, mantis, long fist Bagua etc they do forms, post training, weapons conditioning stance work etc which is not howe the pro sanda teams train

Where are these arts in the cage, or even in the ring? What is seen in pro sanda is largely Chinese wrestling and kicking with western boxing hands (Ross has often spoke about this and the creation of the sanda programme when he was on here) they don’t use hung gar, wing chun, mantis or long fist do they?

If we were just talking and sanda and MMA i can see your point but TCMA isnt just sanda is it

sanjuro_ronin

02-13-2013, 06:28 AM

I don't agree with this. I think MA can have a much wider range to appeal as a health practice. Take Tai Chi for example - it might well have the world's largest underground population of practitioners when you factor in all of the senior centers and such. Do I expect them to be able to "to fight and fight well"? Not at all. I feel there's plenty of room for mediocre practitioners. Frankly, that's what most people are - they practice as a hobby and they have fun with it. Honestly, no other passtime imposes such rigorous requirements as the martial arts. Imagine the same standards for golf or tennis players. No wonder we have such neurotic growth issues.

A fair point but no one is expecting or demanding that the typical practitioner compete at the elite level or any level really BUT one should expect that the typical practitioner be able to ( with degrees of effectiveness) Use the MA as he trains it, yes?
A typical tennis player is expected to hit the ball over the net and a typical golf player is expected to get the ball in the hole and so, a typical practitioner of a fighting art ( an art that teaches how to fight) would be able to fight, right?
No expects a taiji practitioner to fight when he/she does NOT train for such ( no sparring, no drills, no conditioning, etc) BUT one should expect that of a MA that does do those things, yes?

pateticorecords

02-13-2013, 09:58 AM

Congrats on that. I think the grappling of TCMA is a huge aspect of the art and is often under trained/utilized. People tend to think of KF only as a striking art, but it's really a striking/grappling art. Of course exposing yourself to the different tactis of wrestling, BJJ. Judo, MT clinch ect...just make you better...

Thank you so much... yeah, the Upper Darby Royals (High School) team won the central league Championship last night. So very proud of them all!
Here are some videos of takedowns, trips, thows, grappling, striking, etc from our mma sparring sessions, nothing too fancy just some random clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7DqFEOEvdM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OCziSftrcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=080htGiBMwI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyJqxLFUDZ0

GeneChing

02-13-2013, 11:03 AM

A fair point but no one is expecting or demanding that the typical practitioner compete at the elite level or any level really BUT one should expect that the typical practitioner be able to ( with degrees of effectiveness) Use the MA as he trains it, yes?
A typical tennis player is expected to hit the ball over the net and a typical golf player is expected to get the ball in the hole and so, a typical practitioner of a fighting art ( an art that teaches how to fight) would be able to fight, right?
To some degree, but it's a matter of level. This is a bit of an extreme example, but take the special olympics - both tennis and golf (and even tkd) are included. They can hit the ball over-the-net/in-the-hole and the tkd players can 'fight' well enough to compete, but does that meet your definition of being 'able to fight'?

No expects a taiji practitioner to fight when he/she does NOT train for such ( no sparring, no drills, no conditioning, etc) BUT one should expect that of a MA that does do those things, yes?
So by that argument, a lot of taiji practitioners are not martial artists. You can draw that line in the sand, but it'll only frustrate you. They will call themselves martial artists, so what are you going to do? Visit all the senior centers in the USA and break their signs?

I have no objections to martial arts for health (in fact, I find that to be baseline) or for performance (it is an 'art' after all). It's like saying pop stars suck (they do mostly, but sales numbers are sales numbers). Only fighters fight for 'all martial artists have to be able to fight' and it's a fight that they lose because pop culture doesn't define MA so. These expectations only lead to frustrations.

sanjuro_ronin

02-13-2013, 11:06 AM

So by that argument, a lot of taiji practitioners are not martial artists. You can draw that line in the sand, but it'll only frustrate you. They will call themselves martial artists, so what are you going to do? Visit all the senior centers in the USA and break their signs?
YES !!!
Who's with me !?!?!?!
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3kodsygk1qg39ewo1_500.gif

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 11:12 AM

So by that argument, a lot of taiji practitioners are not martial artists.
I'll go along with that.

It's like saying pop stars suck
I'll go with that as well.

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 11:25 AM

Thank you so much... yeah, the Upper Darby Royals (High School) team won the central league Championship last night. So very proud of them all!
Here is are some videos of takedowns, trips, thows, grappling, striking, etc from our mma sparring sessions, nothing too fancy just some random clips.

But I was told KF never practices with non compliant partners. :rolleyes:

pateticorecords

02-13-2013, 11:49 AM

But I was told KF never practices with non compliant partners. :rolleyes:

hahaha... I know. I will also hear about how what we are doing isn't good enough, or it doesn't look light Kung Fu, etc. ;)

Lucas

02-13-2013, 11:53 AM

thats because i believe sanda/sanshou is the future of competative sport fighting for cma. its a very broad spectrum. there are thousands of kungfu schools in china. not all have a sanda program but there are a lot that do. they dont all use western boxing, many do for sure, but not all.

western boxing itself is a great example of clearly visible evolution of a sport fighting method. look at the top fighters today vs the top fighters from 100 years ago. it takes generations of development and evolution to re work your style to fit flawlessly into a new format, and then to exceed and excell beyond the previous generations capabilities.

look at this leonard-crushing video from 1894

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTXye62mAY

by todays boxing standards, these guys would get eaten alive. it takes generations to get things where they need to be, by fighting, losing, winning, and re evaluating your tactics, techniques, and methods of training, and then evolving and growing.

flash forward 70 years.

ingemar johansson ko's floyd patterson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wn0YclbKR0

after 70 years of development, the boxing is much better, leaps and bounds so, much closer to what we see today, but yet, still not up to todays standards. and thats after 70 years of constant boxing development from the previous video.

people are too focused on immediate results and forget all of the other elements in play.

you need to look at the historical cultural impact that chinese martial arts suffered from. the current generation is really THE generation that is re working the chinese martial arts to be able to compete within the modern context. it takes time, and efffort. you know, kung fu :p

don't get me wrong. I don't disagree with the majority of what people say. It's the simple truth, but I also like to look at the full picture in regards to chinese martial arts, and if you do, you can see what's going on. i'm not so deluded as to think that what cma offeres in terms of competative sport fighting is up to standard, its not, but i do believe that it will be, and we can see evidence of this with the top fighters that are using chinese methods. they are the exception at this point, but do prove that cma can be competative. eventually this standard will become more prominent, and i believe you will see a clear line drawn in the future of cma between combat/sport and non combat training halls.

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 11:53 AM

hahaha... I know. I will also hear about how what we are doing isn't good enough, or it doesn't look light Kung Fu, etc. ;)

One, the other or both. But it's a whole lot easier criticizing training than it is to train.

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 12:04 PM

Lucas makes a lot of good points. Detractors always say TCMA needs to evolve; then they say Sanda isn't TCMA. Maybe not...but in 70 years it could be. I think it's part of the immediate evolution of TCMA.

And yes Muay Thai is awesome and effective, but so is Sanda. These arts are similar, but not the same...and there's no real reason Sanda wouldn't be every bit as good as a striking base for MMA as MT. For that matter any of the south east Asian kickboxing arts would probably make great bases. The Cambodian, Burmese and Lao arts are all comparable to MT. They have never had much exposure due to lack of tourism, (compared with Thailand)...poorer, less developed countries, poorly developed fighting circuits, a general lack of pro experience...Thais always produce more and better pros. It's a social, economic and cultural thing. Not that MT is necessarily better than the arts from the surrounding countries...they are VERY similar. MT is more popular in the West, due to it's association with MMA, and it's popularity in European kickboxing. Sanda was lesser known, had fewer Western practitioners and came in late.

pateticorecords

02-13-2013, 12:05 PM

One, the other or both. But it's a whole lot easier criticizing training than it is to train.

Absolutely. We spar for 2 hours switching partners after every match up, we do 5 minute rounds with 1 minute of rest in between the matches. We tend to start the first couple of match ups focused on striking (punching, kicking, elbows, knees, shoulders, etc), then striking with take-downs and throws, then striking with take-downs into submission grappling. Also the sparring starts at medium speed and power and as it progresses we move into full speed and power. I am 41 and I make it through it all without getting winded.
It's a great workout to say the least.

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 12:11 PM

Absolutely. We spar for 2 hours switching partners after every match up, we do 5 minute rounds with 1 minute of rest in between the matches. We tend to start the first couple of match ups focused on striking (punching, kicking, elbows, knees, shoulders, etc), then striking with take-downs and throws, then striking with take-downs into submission grappling. Also the sparring starts at medium speed and power and as it progresses we move into full speed and power. I am 41 and I make it through it all without getting winded.
It's a great workout to say the least.

Is that a once a week routine, or more often?

pateticorecords

02-13-2013, 12:19 PM

Is that a once a week routine, or more often?
Every Saturday morning 9-11 AM... we have about 15 people or so that participate some of them are High School and College wrestlers, amateur MMA practitioners, and people from other arts that come to cross train with us.

Our regular classes are hand's on and once the initial concept it taught it is put to the test on resistant opponents... my focus is that everything that I teach is applicable in a real life/street scenario. We do a lot 2/3/4/5 vs ones. We also have days were they come in for sparring training in regular clothes, not sweats more jeans, slacks, etc I want them to experience what it is like to fight with their regular everyday work clothes.

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 12:24 PM

Every Saturday morning 9-11 AM... we have about 15 people or so that participate some of them are High School and College wrestlers, amateur MMA practitioners, and people from other arts that come to cross train with us.

Our regular classes are hand's on and once the initial concept it taught it is put to the test on resistant opponents... my focus is that everything that I teach is applicable in a real life/street scenario. We do a lot 2/3/4/5 vs ones. We also have days were they come in for sparring training in regular clothes, not sweats more jeans, slacks, etc I want them to experience what it is like to fight with their regular everyday work clothes.

Is your KF and MMA classes combined, or are they separate? If their separate do you get many of the KF folks showing up for sparring?

It's awesome if your getting wrestlers and guys from other schools to come down...I really think mixing it up like that goes a long way to sharpening everyone's skills. When it's all guys from the same school I think you get a lot of similar tendencies and it can be easy to pick up on.

pateticorecords

02-13-2013, 12:38 PM

Is your KF and MMA classes combined, or are they separate? If their separate do you get many of the KF folks showing up for sparring?

It's awesome if your getting wrestlers and guys from other schools to come down...I really think mixing it up like that goes a long way to sharpening everyone's skills. When it's all guys from the same school I think you get a lot of similar tendencies and it can be easy to pick up on.

The MMA perspective is always combined into our regular curriculum even if the students don't spar, we spar after class several times a month for those who can make it on Saturdays. For every principle taught I show/demonstrate as many possible reactions, what if's, and how would it work against boxing/grappling/mma. Then I also teach how to counter if that same principle move is done to you. I also show them how the same principle can be applied while stand up fighting, from a clinch, and on the ground.

I have been working on building a strong community of local like minded martial artists that get together to cross train in each other's methods. I have also humbled by some of the Masters of other arts taught here that now study under me as well.

Oh, I have been challenged as well and took on the challenges to prove a point.

My main objective to show people that the "flowery stuff" (one of the wrestling coaches once said that to me when I first met him and he changed his mind when we grappled...lol) does work. :D

Kellen Bassette

02-13-2013, 12:42 PM

I really like the idea of incorporating the MMA perspective into the traditional classes. To my way of thinking, MMA is just application and it should be taught with the traditional stuff.

GeneChing

05-01-2013, 10:04 AM

Taiwan gets Ruff.

Taiwan’s Huang set for China mixed martial arts debut (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2013/05/01/2003561154)
By James Goyder / Contributing reporter

Taiwanese welterweight Jeff Huang is set to feature in China’s biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion this month. The 34-year-old will be taking on Wang Aning at Ruff 9, which is set to take place at the MGM Grand in Hainan on May 18.

Huang will not have youth on his side when he goes up against the Chinese fighter, but he has just returned from an extensive training camp in Brazil and the US, and believes that experience might just give him the edge in this encounter.

“I have been training with some top-ranking, world-class fighters. Their level is way higher than mine, so I really learned a lot from getting beaten up in sparring with them. It made me mentally tough because I had to force myself to stand in front of them and try to survive,” he said.

Ruff was founded in 2007 and only fighters who are either native to China or who live in the region and possess a valid work permit are allowed to compete. Huang is to debut for Ruff on May 18 and will be fighting for the first time in almost a year.

In the intervening months, he has been training after quitting his job as an investment consultant in Taipei to dedicate himself to pursuing his dream of becoming a professional MMA fighter.

He was training at the American Kickboxing Academy in California at the start of the month, but flew back home to put in some final preparations for Ruff 9. After months of training, this will be a major test for Huang, whose opponent is fighting out of the most successful MMA camp in China, and he admits to feeling some pre-fight nerves.

“I am always nervous, but that’s a positive thing because it makes me cautious, and that makes me think more and train harder. I respect everyone who has the guts to step into the ring or cage, so I will always be nervous and get the best preparation for any fight,” he said.

For more information on Ruff 9, visit www.ruffchina.com.

Dragonzbane76

05-01-2013, 04:49 PM

I really like the idea of incorporating the MMA perspective into the traditional classes. To my way of thinking, MMA is just application and it should be taught with the traditional stuff.

exactly how we run our class. our flyer states at the top. "Traditional Kung Fu with a modern perspective." We do grappling at least once a week, we do clinch work (plum, knees, throws, sweeps, etc. We spar with equipment on for maximum potential and understanding power striking. We have a wide base of people with differing background from grappling to judo, to wrestling, to kung fu. We keep some of the traditional parts intact and teach varying kung fu techniques. I just like to think we threw out the crap honestly.

GeneChing

05-14-2013, 10:37 AM

Luv the title of this article. ;)

Kung fu dreams (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-05/14/content_16497813.htm)
Updated: 2013-05-14 13:48
By Belle Taylor ( China Daily)

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/attachement/jpg/site1/20130514/00221917e13e12fc198e11.jpg
Left: Fred Thomassen (right) practices jiu-jitsu with a student at Big King BJJ gym in Beijing. Right: Students spar with each other at the gym. Photos by Yin Di / for China Daily

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/attachement/jpg/site1/20130514/00221917e13e12fc19b312.jpg
Top: Augusto Miranda (right) and Luciano Queroz practice in their apartment in Beijing. Above: Miranda displays his tattoos and the logo of his jiu-jitsu team.

They are three foreigners who share a passion for an ancient Chinese art. They traveled halfway across the globe to realize their vision of opening up a gym to share their knowledge of martial arts learned in Brazil and Europe. Belle Taylor reports.

Up a narrow stairwell in a gym above a coffee shop in Beijing's Wangjing area, three friends from opposite ends of the globe, Norway and Brazil, are working hard at creating their own version of the Chinese dream.

They are not manufacturing products to export, or selling foreign made goods to the booming Chinese market - they are building a martial arts gym, bringing an international flavor to an ancient Chinese discipline.

"We have been friends for a long time and we started to talk about plans to open a gym in Scandinavia," says Brazilian Luciano Queiroz. "But we talked things over and we saw that it was going to be much better to come to China because China is growing so fast."

The trio, Norwegian Fred Thomassen and Agusto Miranda and Queiroz, both from Brazil, met as they pursued their sport by training and competing internationally over a number of years.

They are all impressively tall and well built, athletes with years of training behind them.

But their imposing physical presence has little relation to their friendly demeanor as they chat about trying to encourage more female fighters and the challenges of adjusting to a different language and culture.

They established Big King BJJ gym in Beijing 18 months ago, renting out rooms in Wangjing's KOO Gym to start taking students.

While China has a long history of martial arts, commonly known as kung fu, Queiroz says they want to "introduce a wider spectrum of martial arts to China, in particular jiu-jitsu".

Thomassen, Miranda and Queiroz teach a variety of disciplines with a focus on Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Thai boxing and reality based self-defense, a pragmatic form of martial arts that focuses on modern conflicts and crime situations.

Thomassen says there are similarities across the various forms.

"There are only so many ways the human body moves," he explains. "So if you go into the Chinese system you are going to find the same way to break an arm," he explains.

Thomassen first came to China eight years ago to study martial arts.

"I started doing some Chinese styles in Norway and Europe and I wanted to come over here and check out how good I could get, how real it could get, and when I came to China I tried to find a good school, there are some good schools, but for every one good school there are a hundred dancing academies, they just show you how to dance, it's not real, and all of us are more into competing or defending ourselves."

Big King BJJ has had the softest of soft openings, slowly increasing the size and number of their classes to ensure each new student feels like they are part of the business. Chatting to them, it is apparent that they are operating their gym with the same one-eyed zeal they approach their sport - this is less a business and more a labor of love.

"Most gyms here start out by looking for a lot of capital from an investor and then they start looking for the students. They are usually not that financially sound and the students don't feel that much ownership to the gym, so we are doing it the other way around," says Thomassen.

When Big King BJJ opened they had only one student - their neighbor who worked in a local horse riding equipment store.

"He was just your average Joe, you know?" says Thomassen. "And the thing is, we still have that kind of customer, not all professional fighters, not all rich embassy people or something, we want all kinds of people, all walks of life to just blow those barriers away and just communicate and be happy together," he says, sounding more yoga instructor than martial arts competitor.

Thomassen has a firmer grasp on Mandarin than his fellow trainers, although Queiroz says he's improving every day.

"'Hao, bu hao (good, or not),' you can teach a lot with just those words," Queiroz says with a grin.

"I really like China but it is completely different from Brazil and the Western world. Sometimes it's kind of strange and hard to deal with but still, I've been here a year and a half and it gets better every day."

"We work together as a team and we help each other out but it's also an individual challenge," says Thomassen.

The trainer's ultimate goal is to have students they can develop into serious competitors who will represent the gym at competitions in China and abroad. But for now, they are working on developing relationships, building a client base. They show off their logo, two chess pieces with martial arts belts tied around them.

"Jiu-jitsu's like a chess game, using the mind and body together," Queiroz says.

It's the same approach they are taking to building their Chinese dream.

Wayfaring

06-25-2013, 08:50 AM

Why hasn't MMA flourished in a society rich with martial arts?

Very interesting blog post - long, detailed, developed points, and plenty of video.

Also a one paragraph tl dr; at the end for the Cliff Notes peeps.

http://dynastyclothingstore.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/where-are-the-chinese-fighters-why-mma-has-not-flourished-in-chinese-society-long-read-with-videos/

MightyB

06-25-2013, 09:56 AM

Some interesting points, but it also reads like a revival of the classic "Sick Men of Asia" theme.

Wayfaring

06-25-2013, 10:07 AM

Some interesting points, but it also reads like a revival of the classic "Sick Men of Asia" theme.

What is that?

MightyB

06-25-2013, 10:17 AM

What is that?

http://movieclips.com/UMPdx-fist-of-fury-movie-sick-men-of-asia/

Wayfaring

06-25-2013, 10:58 AM

http://movieclips.com/UMPdx-fist-of-fury-movie-sick-men-of-asia/

Ah, the Fists of Fury scene....

GeneChing

02-11-2014, 12:18 PM

THE HARD-KNOCK LIFE OF A FOREIGN FIGHTER IN CHINA (http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-hard-knock-life-of-a-foreign-fighter-in-china)
FIGHTLAND BLOG
By Sascha Matuszak

http://assets.fightland.com/content-images/article/the-hard-knock-life-of-a-foreign-fighter-in-china/china2_vice_670.jpg

On January 18th, in a small town outside of Chongqing in western China, Alan Ryan tapped out to a rear naked choke from Jumabieke Tuerxun.

It was a typical fight for both men. Bieke, as he is known to most people, is the top-ranked MMA bantamweight in China. Alan, a Muay Thai and K-1 fighter, is a 25-year-old Scotsman bouncing around China fighting a slew of more-experienced, better-trained fighters for a little less than $500 a pop. After the fight they went their separate ways. Bieke officially signed with the UFC and headed to Thailand to train for his upcoming fight on the Ultimate Fighter: China finale card in Macao. Alan dragged himself out of bed at 4:30am the next day and took a series of planes, trains, and buses to Weifeng, way up north, to get TKOd in the first round ... by a more-experienced, better-trained fighter.

“Most of my fights in China are unfair,” Alan told me. “The refs are against you, the audience is against you. It’s understandable but still unfair.”

Alan fights three to five times a month, and he routinely loses close decisions and often loses fights he’s clearly winning. One guy he TKO’d in the third round was given a minute to rest and then won the fight by decision.

The proverbial China vs. the World martial arts show has long been considered a farce to prop up Chinese nationalist sentiments and stave off stereotypes that Asians are “physically weaker” than westerners. In the past there were kung fu vs. Thai boxing matches in which everyone was Chinese and all the “Thais” took dives, and various other demonstrations of Chinese martial superiority taking place in two-bit shows all over the country. But with the rise of professional MMA promotions like RUFF, OneFC in Singapore, and now the UFC out of Macao, those farces are becoming more difficult to pull off.

Take an event I saw in Sichuan Province that featured MMA fighters from the World Team USA gym in California, the IKKC Thai kickboxing champion Michael Mannanquil, and three top-level Muay Thai guys flown in from Thailand. It was a great card with great fights in a fourth-tier Chinese town. But the main event was still a clear mismatch. Wang Sai, an Ultimate Fighter: China finalist who will be fighting in Macao as well, fought “Karl Rodrigue,” who told me before the fight that he had never trained MMA before, but, “**** it, I’m ready to fight.”

Karl got choked out in the first round. Turns out Karl, who also goes by the name Wesson Consil, trains at the same gym Alan Ryan trains at, the Fighters Unite gym in Shanghai, run by Silas Maynard. Silas opened his gym in 2009 and now has 300 active members, between 14 and 20 of whome are professional fighters.

Chinese promotions regularly ask Silas for good-looking foreign fighters with no skills to pit against their top guys. Although he says he turns those fights down, Alan’s recent tapout tells a different story. When I asked him about it, Silas told me that he thought Alan had a legitimate chance.

“Alan is a very dangerous fighter,” Silas wrote in an email. “If he could have kept it standing into the second or third round it is possible he could have won that fight. Bieke on paper was more experienced, but having seen Alan train and see his ability to get out of bad situations and get back to his feet, much like he did against Bieke’s armbar [early in the first round], we thought it was a winnable fight.

“If a fighter says they want the fight, I feel it is not my job to say no at that point. It is my job to get them as ready as possible to give them the best chance. It is common to be asked for paper mismatches. But with great risk is great reward. If Alan had managed to beat Bieke, it would be Alan fighting in the UFC in March ...”

Bieke’s coach and teammate, Vaughn Anderson, agrees with some of that. After Alan delivered a few headkicks early in the fight, Vaughn started screaming for Bieke to take it to the ground and finish it. Later that night, Alan, Vaughn, and a Ukrainian grappler named Artem who also fought (and lost) his first MMA fight, went to the only bar in town and drank fake whiskey. Alan and Artem told two stories. The first was about how they are getting pimped out by their gyms for pennies, and the second was about how much they love to fight and how they’ll fight anyone, anywhere. It sounded familiar to Vaughn.

Vaughn’s first professional fight took place on some mats thrown down in front of a department store in Taiwan. Over the next few years he choked out sumo wrestlers, fought dudes who showed up to fight with painted faces, and watched a fighter dressed in a full-body ninja suit puke his guts out after a show. Vaughn finally got his break when the now-defunct Art of War promotion came to Taiwan looking for fighters. He knows all about trying make a living as a foreign fighter in China.

“Alan ran up to me on the street [before the Bieke fight] asking if I spoke English and if I could help him find a sauna [for his weight cut],” Vaughn told me. “Alan came with no corner man, fought his debut on four days’ notice against one of the best domestic fighters, and got taken for 50% of what the promoter paid for him. It's a shame, sure. For guys like us, though, it's still better than keeping the full fight purse, getting matched up properly once or twice a year, and then washing dishes every night to pay the bills--like many fighters do in the west.”

Alan said he sometimes wishes he could be back in Glasgow training with his hometown gym, the Dinky Ninjas. But going back home would mean taking a full-time job to finance his training, while in China it's all fighting all the time.

"I know I am getting shafted, but that is just the way it has to be right now,” Alan said. “I'm just going for it. I am looking for new management though, so stick that in your article for me."
Heard this before, haven't we? :rolleyes:

GeneChing

08-22-2014, 09:28 AM

Agence France-Presse August 21, 2014 9:30pm
China's mixed martial artists rising up from the fields (http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140822/chinas-mixed-martial-artists-rising-the-fields)

As he pinned his opponent down and punched him repeatedly in the head, Yao "The Master" Honggang was -- like other emerging Chinese mixed martial arts fighters -- beating his way out of rural poverty.

Yao was once a national wrestling champion, but switched to the uncompromising discipline of mixed martial arts (MMA) a decade ago, when it was barely known in China.

It combines grappling with kickboxing and ju-jitsu in a combat where almost anything goes.

"My ideal is to get a knockout," said Yao, 33, who has a short, muscle-ripped frame and cauliflower ears.

For his latest contest, he returned to his home province of Henan and a sports centre in Zhoukou, just a few miles from the quiet plot of land where his parents still make a living growing corn.

A spotlight picked out local businessmen and government officials -- plus a consignment of shield-clutching riot police -- in the audience of thousands, and Yao sprinted towards the ring through clouds of smoke and past bikini-clad cheerleaders.

Within seconds of the referee's opening cry of "Fight!" the crowd erupted as he knocked his opponent Jadambaa Munkhbayar to the floor. But the Mongolian slid from beneath Yao's legs and leapt back to his feet, swinging wildly.

- A billion customers? -

Yao's long journey to MMA stardom saw him endure years of struggle and deprivation as he trained in obscurity with a Filipino coach in Beijing.

To keep his dream aloft, he worked as a restaurant night-watchman and an air conditioning repairman, hanging off skyscrapers to fix leaky units.

"Both my parents worked in the fields, my dad also worked as a PE teacher but his salary was low. So I had to depend on myself," he said.

Now he competes for prizes of up to $10,000 and fights in the United States and Hong Kong, while the sport's promoters are competing to cash in on what is a potentially huge Chinese market.

The gym where Yao trains has already sent several fighters to the US-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), whose annual revenues reach into hundreds of millions of dollars.

"The UFC is like every other sports league in the world -- they see enormous financial possibility in China," said Jonathan Snowden, author of an encyclopaedia of the sport.

"What they see are more than a billion possible customers. That's very alluring."

The UFC partnered with a Chinese TV channel last year, but life for the dozens of aspiring MMA champions fighting regular bouts around the country remains far from glamorous. Members of one Beijing gym sleep on bunk beds in tiny dormitories, squeezed into unheated slum houses.

"Nearly all of us MMA fighters are farmers," said bearded He Nannan, 22, gulping down cabbage soup. "People from cities have money and don't want to fight."

Wu Haotian is one of China's top MMA athletes and has defeated opponents as far away as South Africa, but went unrecognised as he walked home through dilapidated streets, sweating from three hours of afternoon training.

While he was growing up in a village in Inner Mongolia, he said, "when it rained and we couldn't work outside, we would gather for wrestling matches, that's how I started fighting".

"I thought MMA was great, because there are almost no restrictions."

His favourite move is a downward elbow strike, but pointed to his forehead to explain a recent defeat. "I was injured here. It bled a lot and I fainted after the third round."

The prizes he competes for are worth up to 30,000 yuan ($5,000), with around a fifth taken by his club.

Even so, he said, "We don't have enough money to live in apartments. We're poor."

- Eye of the Tiger -

The future of contenders like Wu and He will be decided by the spending habits of Chinese audiences, who pay to see fights and watch TV broadcasts.

Yuan Kaifu, a businessman who had travelled from Beijing to Zhoukou said: "I like MMA because it's real. Not fake like some other fighting contests."

Backstage, battlers from Australia, central Africa and Russia covered themselves in muscle-heating oil and sparred as a German coach played the "Rocky" theme song "Eye of the Tiger" from a mobile phone.

Yao looked relaxed as he secured his gloves with tape and sipped a protein drink.

"I don't get nervous in the ring, I'm aware of everything that is happening," he said.

After the initial grapple he dodged his opponent's right-handed punch, hoisted him up and brought him crashing to the ground.

Stuck in a choke-hold, Munkhbayar's white and gold glove tapped the ground three times, and a bell marked Yao's victory -- after a contest of just 53 seconds.

Balanced on the ring's white ropes, the winner drank in the adoration of the crowd, flashing a smile which revealed a gum-shield in patriotic red.

"Next time, I'll try and win more slowly," he said.

"If I didn't have MMA, I'd probably be doing some small business, construction or working as a cook," he added. "Or installing air conditioners."

tjh/slb/dwa Surprised this article didn't discuss UFC in Macao (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67738-How-will-Cung-Le-do-in-the-Twilight-of-his-career). That's a key point here.

Kellen Bassette

12-20-2014, 12:44 PM

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/xian-ji-prevails-one-fc-busts-main-chinas-175853848--mma.html

GeneChing

12-23-2014, 09:40 AM

Published: Tue, December 23, 2014
China joins mixed-martial arts craze (http://www.9news.ph/news/sports/2014/12/23/china-joins-mixed-martial-arts-craze)

http://www.9news.ph/incoming/2014/12/23/sports_mma_122314.jpg/ALTERNATES/w550/Sports_MMA_122314.jpg
(Screencap from a Reuters TV video clip)

(Reuters) - Five years ago in China you'd be hard pressed to find a combat sports fan who'd even heard of mixed martial arts (MMA), let alone watched it, but just half a decade later the sport has gone from obscurity to being watched on local television by millions.

The country even has its own version of the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter, and the promise of celebrity and riches has also inspired a generation of athletes like Hexigetu.

Hexigetu left his home in the grasslands of northern Inner Mongolia and came to Beijing to train with one of the country's best MMA teams in 2013.

"Going (to fight in) the biggest competition in the United States and getting the best score, that's the dream. For other things... well, for now this is the dream. Once I've done that, we'll see," he said, sitting on his bunk in a dormitory he shares with about 20 other training fighters.

Hexigetu is typical of many of those hoping for fame in the ring.

Born into a world of rural poverty, he left school at 14 to help look after the sheep when his father died.

For him training to be an MMA fighter is a choice between a dead-end factory job, or risking it all in the hopes of finding success in the sport.

He hoped to follow stars like "The Master" Yao Honggang, who came from a similar background in rural Henan province in central China.

Yao spent years living in a basement and training in a leaky room next to some badminton courts while holding down a job as an air conditioner repairman.

In one night he now makes ten times more than he used to in a month.

"This year if there aren't any problems I should be able to participate in six fights. Now the fights in China aren't like before, before for one fight you might get 1000 ($161) or 2000 RMB ($323), but now the very least is 20,000 ($3,230) to 30,000 RMB ($4,850). It's possible with the big fights to get 50,000 ($8,080) to 60,000 ($9,695) and with the even higher ones 100,000 ($16,160) is also possible," said Yao.

But for Yao there is one goal that has so far eluded him: fighting in a competition put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest MMA events organiser in the world.

To date, just two Chinese fighters have made it to the UFC. Zhang "The Wolf" Tiequan, fought light and featherweight in 2011 and 2012, while Li Jingliang from western Xinjiang province has represented China twice in the ring.

But for these two fighters results have been mixed. Zhang won only one of his four UFC outings while Li lost his most recent fight to Egyptian Nordine Taleb in a split call.

Industry insiders believe it will take time before the majority of China's fighters are up to the standard seen in UFC competitions.

"You know China's like any other developing MMA market, it will take a lot of time before Chinese fighters get to that elite championship level. The good news is that because of the martial arts background in China - Sanda and some of the other martial arts - that a lot of the Chinese fighters are actually very proficient from a striking perspective, I think the challenge is their grappling and their wrestling, which will have to improve over time to really compete at the top levels of UFC," said Joe Carr, who is the UFC's vice president of international business strategy and helps run the UFC fighter development programmes.

In the meantime life is not easy for wannabes like Hexigetu. Full time training means that he has to rely on handouts from his uncle and the money he gets from fighting in smaller competitions.

Hexigetu has fought seven or eight times per year in the past two years, and makes around 4,000 ($643) to 5,000 yuan ($804) for each fight.

The author missed the real story happening right now, ONE FC in China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68324-ONE-FC-in-China).

wiz cool c

12-31-2014, 03:13 AM

little yao,my friend/coach's yao honggong's little brother.hung out with him and big yao about 6 months ago.i remember when he trained at the shuai jiao school back in beijing. back then he was a little skinny kid.i remember throwing him around a few times sparring. now he is ripped and would rip my head off.

wiz cool c

12-31-2014, 03:15 AM

PalmStriker

12-31-2014, 04:44 PM

:)China MMA dominates Sport Fighting: http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2014/kung-fus-identity-crisis/

GeneChing

03-17-2015, 12:45 PM

There's an embedded vid too, if you follow the link.

Hong Kong goes 'mixed martial arts' crazy... and you don't even have to fight (http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1739107/mixed-martial-arts-great-way-exercise-even-if-you-dont-want-fight)
New mixed martial arts gyms are opening in the city as the sport gains traction
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 17 March, 2015, 6:15am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 17 March, 2015, 7:54pm
Mark Sharp mark.sharp@scmp.com

http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2015/03/17/mmacamp-a.jpg?itok=g2poYB9i
Reporter Mark Sharp gives the heavy bag a mean roundhouse kick. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Reporter Mark Sharp gives the heavy bag a mean roundhouse kick. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Whoever put the "art" in mixed martial arts (MMA) missed the point that it's more of a blood sport. One study found that 30 per cent of MMA bouts end with a fighter sustaining a traumatic brain injury. The controversial research, by University of Toronto, has been described as "flawed" by the MMA camp, but the combat sport is nevertheless a fighting style akin to something you might witness in a prison riot.

"People walking past see the fighting on the screens and stop to watch," says Andrew Power, a personal trainer at Everlast Fight & Fitness centre in Causeway Bay, referring to the televised MMA bouts screened in the windows. "It's great marketing, but when we say, 'Would you like to come in and have a look?' they say, 'Oh no, it's fine.'"

Everlast is one of two global boxing and MMA brands to open in Causeway Bay last year - the other being Hayabusa Martial Arts and Fitness Centre. They each now have two gyms in town. A new entry in 2012 was Epic MMA & Fitness in Central. That's also the location of long-time white-collar MMA outfit Impakt.

Akiko Uchiyama, a director at Epic, links the rising popularity of MMA to the globalisation of US sports promotion company, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). "Now that UFC organises UFC Macau, MMA's popularity has grown fast in Hong Kong and the demand is there, Uchiyama says. "This has made martial arts such as boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu more popular as well." Uchiyama adds, however, that most club members are strictly looking for fitness: "Only the real hard core ones are willing to take part in MMA fights."

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2015/03/17/mmacamp-b.jpg?itok=n48Ev1Rl
Sharp works on his grip strength. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Power agrees, saying many people find MMA intimidating. But he points out that it doesn't have to be about bashing the hell out of someone - or getting yourself beaten to a bloody pulp. MMA training is a high-intensity, full-body workout, and the training MMA fighters undergo results in optimum physical fitness. It also never becomes boring. Being "mixed", it combines the skills of both stand-up fighting and rough and tumble on the ground.

"You're developing your upper and lower body," Power says. "For MMA, you need strong legs for submission and ground work, and you also need a strong grip. So you need strong hands, forearms, upper arms and shoulders. It's a full-body workout, but there are other aspects too, like you need to be fast, and you need to have endurance and coordination. It's all the elements you need in fitness."

The most popular forms of standing fighting used in MMA are karate, boxing and Muay Thai, Power says, because you can use punches, kicks, knees and elbows in the sport. For groundwork, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling are the most common disciplines. So although clubs may hold MMA submission and MMA striking classes, members who want to brush up on specific skills can also take classes in each of the separate disciplines.

Power says this approach is advisable because, "you really need to focus on and repeat your drills".

Here's a taste of basic exercises used in MMA training. It's a great workout even if your goal is to shape up rather than spar. Anyone can walk into Everlast for a free introductory session, says Power.

Climbing wall

Everlast has climbing walls that lean out at an angle of about 20 degrees, and grips on a ceiling beam where your bodyweight is held by just the fingers. "The climbing wall can be used to develop a strong grip and core strength. Both are particularly useful for the grappling aspect of MMA - also referred to as MMA submission," Power says.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/17/mmacamp-c.jpg
Core strengthening with medicine ball rebounders. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Medicine ball rebounders

This involves throwing a medicine ball at a tilted mini trampoline and catching the rebound. Power says it's important to catch the ball in the palms - without trying to wrap both hands tightly around the ball - keeping the body straight to engage the core muscles. The exercise is partly a test of coordination. Throw the ball too hard and off kilter, and it won't rebound in the right direction.

The ladder

With the right foot first, run through the ladder with both feet touching each square and ensuring you don't step on the frame. Increase speed as you go along. "The ladder develops speed, acceleration and agility. The benefits of using this particular exercise for mixed martial artists is that it helps to develop fantastic foot speed in the cage," Power says.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2015/03/17/mmacamp-d.jpg?itok=367J2rrS
Sharp flips a tyre. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Tyre flips

Lift the tyre from the floor, breathing out while doing so and engaging the core muscles. While exhaling again, quickly push the tyre over. Step inside, then in front of the tyre, then back again, and repeat. "Tyre flips are very effective at improving explosive power, mostly because the move incorporates both the upper and lower body," Power says.

The heavy bag

In this case, it was basic jabs - arms straight and shoulders rotating forward into the punch - and Muay Thai kicks, rotating the upper body for more power. "Bag work is essential for MMA exponents," Power says. "It provides the opportunity to hone stand-up technique by practising kicks, punches, knees and elbows without needing to worry about defence."

Combination

With gloves on, this non-stop circuit involves five jump squats, followed by five power push-ups - hands leaving the ground, landing on the fists - then 10 left-right jabs to the trainer's pads, and 10 head blocks with hands up shielding the side of the head while the trainer whacks the gloves. The circuit is repeated three times with no break. "The combination of jump squats with power push-ups again helps to develop explosive power necessary for exponents to develop their technique, whether you are just starting out or an advanced athlete," Power says. "The one-two jab is an example of a boxing combination commonly practised in MMA training to enhance a fighter's stand-up capability. The practice of blocking is essential in order to provide participants with a basic knowledge of defence."
tyre.... luv it. :)

GeneChing

07-15-2015, 09:05 AM

Taiwan's first female mixed martial artist makes her ONE Championship debut (https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-insider/taiwans-first-female-mixed-martial-artist-makes-143830204.html)
MMA Insider – 1 hour 21 minutes ago
By Chris Zahar
This Saturday, the world will witness the first Taiwanese female pro mixed martial artist make her debut in ONE Championship, Asia’s largest MMA organization.
The 24-year-old Taipei native will be fighting Russian atomweight Elena Pashnina at ONE: KINGDOM OF WARRIORS in Yangon, Myanmar.

https://s3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3NNZ94f2Z2Ain8vrYRyE6A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/wp_tumblr_migration_provider_889/9c4c1e5268407eceb345e351c8e17782

Considering the Republic of China is home to well over 23 million people, not including those living abroad, this is a spectacular feat, but not one the soft-spoken parkour enthusiast is eager to flaunt.
“I don’t want to brag about it,” Huang said. "I don’t want to think just because I am the first I don’t have to keep practicing. Because I am the first, I want to work harder and be the best. I always remind myself that if I get famous in the future, I don’t want to be a proud person.“
A natural athlete
In her own words, Huang was "born to be an athlete.” Though shy growing up, she took to sports immediately and used what little free time she had to indulge in her athletic pursuits.
“I only had a 10-minute break during school,” she recalled. "Every break I had, I’d bring a basketball or a volleyball and practice sports or play with my friends as much as possible.“
Huang got her first taste of martial arts at eight years old when her parents enrolled her in a taekwondo academy.
Unfortunately, they took her out only a few months later to put her in an English cram school.

https://s3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tVOVVuoAyQ2j3PvyLp.M6A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/wp_tumblr_migration_provider_889/a77dbef26d70606fc6435719020393ae

Sitting still was not exactly the girl’s forte and at the age of 12, judo piqued her interest. Much like one of her heroes – former Olympian and current MMA powerhouse, Ronda Rousey – Jenny embraced the Japanese "soft way” and earned her black belt four years later.
Her love of combat sports did not stop there, though.
Since the beginning of this decade, MMA has been creeping into Asia, and Huang could not help but embrace the new sport.
After graduating from Taipei Physical Education College (台北市立體育學院) with a major in health, Huang began training at one of Taiwan’s top mixed martial arts academies, TOUGH MMA.
She put herself under the tutelage of TOUGH’s owner, ONE bantamweight, “Sam” Ming Yen Sung, himself a revolutionary in the Taiwanese MMA scene and a man who was instrumental in ONE making its debut in Taiwan last year.
“Sam has helped me a lot with my game plan,” Huang added. "He keeps me in peak physical condition and gives me strategies to help me beat my opponents.“

https://s1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5SJvxrjmZsbj2jP3MYcbkA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/wp_tumblr_migration_provider_889/871488f161a1c40b674c7d5174bf802e

Pro MMA debut
On 31 May this year, Jenny Huang made history - as well as her MMA debut - when she competed at Taiwan’s Pro FC: Invincible.
Facing off against India’s Daizy Singh, Huang used her superior grappling game to earn herself a unanimous decision win.
"My judo and jiu-jitsu gave me an advantage,” she said. "I was able to control her well on the ground.“
Huang will have to do the same again this Saturday on the biggest Asian MMA stage.
Her opponent Pashnina is a high-level Sanda exponent, thus be prepared for a clash of styles between these two ladies.
"She is better than my previous opponent. This is my biggest fight yet.”

Parkour enthusiast? Now there's a martial art rendered useless in the cage. :rolleyes:

GeneChing

05-04-2016, 08:10 AM

One Championship lands Under Armour deal (http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/one_championship_lands_under_armour_deal)
04 May 2016 | Posted in Sponsorship, Martial Arts, Asia, | By Eoin Connolly

http://www.sportspromedia.com/images/sized/images/uploads/news/Angela_Lee_PA-25002831-300x225.jpg
Photo: Bullit Marquez/AP/Press Association Images

The One Championship, the Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) series previously known as the One Fighting Championship, has signed a partnership with Under Armour.

The American sportswear giant will sponsor upcoming One Championship events in south-east Asia in 2016, beginning with the One: Ascent to Power promotion in Singapore on 6th May and including other cards in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. No financial terms were released.

Under Armour joins G-Shock, Mah and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War as a sponsor of the One: Ascent to Power event, whch is headlined by Singaporean Angela Lee's (pictured left) world women's atomweight title challenge against Mei Yamaguchi of Japan.

"We are excited to be supporting this rising sport in south-east Asia, and especially so with a partnership with One," said Adrian Chai, the chief marketing officer for Under Armour's south-east Asian distributor, Triple. "We hope that athletes like One fighters, who truly embody Under Armour's values of never giving up to reach greatness and overcoming perceived limitations, will instill inspiration to young athletes internationally to achieve their goals."

shoulda been uncle martian (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57980-Chinese-Counterfeits&p=1293383#post1293383). ;)

GeneChing

07-31-2017, 07:24 AM

This may well deserve its own indie thread but for now, I'm posting it on MMA in Asia (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62987-MMA-in-Asia) and China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA).

UFC confirms first event in mainland China with Fight Night Shanghai to take place on November 25 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ufc/article-4744262/UFC-confirms-China-event-Fight-Night-Shanghai.html)

UFC is set to reach new shores with first live event in mainland China
Fight Night Shanghai to take place on November 25 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena
None of the fighters have yet been announced but tickets go on sale August 1

By MATTHEW SMITH FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:22 EDT, 30 July 2017 | UPDATED: 13:42 EDT, 30 July 2017

UFC is set to reach new shores after it was announced the first event in mainland China will be held later this year.

UFC Fight Night Shanghai will take place on November 25 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in the Chinese city.

None of the fighters at the event have yet been announced, however fans will be able to buy tickets from August 1.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/30/17/42D00C6300000578-4744262-Jones_leapt_on_top_of_Cormier_and_referee_John_McC arthy_was_forc-a-25_1501431350554.jpg
UFC is set to reach new shores after it announced the first event in mainland China

UFC senior international vice president Joe Carr said: 'We are always asked when the UFC will be making its debut in mainland China.

'We are honoured to confirm that Shanghai will be the home of the very first live event and to say that we are excited is an understatement. The entire organisation is looking forward to making history this year.'

It was also confirmed that fighters will be touring Shanghai and other Chinese cities to meet fans and promote the event, including UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/30/17/42D111AD00000578-4744262-Cris_Cyborg_overcame_Tonya_Evinger_in_the_third_ro und_of_their_c-a-26_1501431354766.jpg
UFC Fight Night Shanghai is set to take place on November 25 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena

GeneChing

09-08-2017, 07:47 AM

The MMA/Chinese Kung Fu Connection (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1377) by Chris Friedman

China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA) & Yao Honggang (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67911-coach-and-friend-Yao-Honggang%92s-last-fight)

GeneChing

09-08-2017, 09:31 AM

The Complicated Morality of a Mixed Martial Arts Fight Club for Impoverished Chinese Boys (https://globalvoices.org/2017/09/01/the-complicated-morality-of-a-mixed-martial-arts-fight-club-for-impoverished-chinese-boys/)
Posted 1 September 2017 8:24 GMT

https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/fingerprint-800x492.png
An adolescent was forced to sign a document ending his training at a fight club and sent back home. Screen capture from Beijing News video.

A video of underprivileged adolescent mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters duking it out in a ring, with a large crowd cheering them on, recently went viral on the Chinese web, triggering widespread debate about the morality of recruiting vulnerable children to take part in a violent sport.

In response, government officials — seemingly to save face — yanked some of the children from the club without prior warning, leaving the boys in tears and Chinese netizens worrying about the young ones’ futures.

The original report, entitled “MMA orphans: If you don’t fight, then you can go back home and eat potatoes,” was produced by online media outlet Pear Video. It shows a number of boys between the ages of 12 and 14 fighting. Some of their faces are bloodied.

They belong to EnBo Fight Club in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, founded by a man named En Bo, who used to serve in the Chinese Armed Police Force and won two championships in a district army fighting match.

The video reports that EnBo Fight Club takes in about 400 children of the Yi people, an ethnic minority from Liang Shan Autonomous Prefecture. Rates of drug abuse, HIV and poverty are high in the region. Most of the EnBo children have lost either one or both of their parents, and would have to work hard labor at home.

In the club, they eat foods that might not otherwise be available to them, like beef and eggs. One of the employees from EnBo mentions that the children earn some money from their commercial fights; the money is managed by the club and is given to the children when they need it.

One of the children says that even though the training is hard sometimes, life in the club is much better than back in his hometown. His ultimate dream is to win the UFC (Unlimited Fighting Championship), which comes with a gold belt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvyFR7ItlUQ

Perhaps unsurprisingly, EnBo Fight Club came under fire after the video report went viral. Chinese netizens furiously debated the ethics of an MMA fighting club for vulnerable boys:

Translation Original Quote
Starting such intense fight training when they are only adolescents will probably cause permanent damage to their bodies in the future.

Translation Original Quote
This is also a good way out to a brighter future, much better than growing up deep in the mountains and then trying to go to the city.

Translation Original Quote
Letting the kids be trained to participate in underground combat and to entertain the gamblers, this is the right path? My god!

Translation Original Quote
How comes starting young in ping pong, gymnastics, or basketball aren’t considered bad for your future, but training to be a fighter is believed to lead to no future, that it can only teach physical fighting and become a hidden danger for society?
‘Is the government’s face more important than the kids?’

Following the attention, on August 17 local authorities from Liang Shan county in Sichuan province stepped in. They pulled some of the children from the club, took them back home, encouraged them to focus on their studies, and promised 748 yuan per month (112 US dollars) as a monthly stipend for those living in extreme poverty.

But club founder En Bo wasn't hosting and training the children without the government's knowledge. He says some government officials from Liang Shan contacted him and sent him the first batch of students. Later more arrangements of the same nature were made.

Some of the criticism centered on the children being deprived of the opportunity to receive China's nine-year compulsory education. En Bo explained to Beijing News that he tried to enroll the boys in schools in Chengdu, but was asked to pay 30,000-50,000 yuan (about 4,500-7,500 US dollars) per child for fixing their local residential permits. Eventually, he decided to start his own night school in the club by hiring four part-time tutors to teach Chinese and math.
continued next post

GeneChing

09-08-2017, 09:31 AM

During the interview, the fight club founder choked up when talking about the children having to leave. Below is the full video report of their last day in the club:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqNWjKxOGVw

Beijing News interviewed a number of the boys, who were in tears when they learned it would be their last day. The video showed children being forcibly dragged away from the club, triggering another heated online debate, but this time, public morality and local government authorities were the subject of scrutiny:

Translation Original Quote
This is the saddest video I’ve seen this year! An outcome of collective vice in the name of “kindness”!

Translation Original Quote
[Imagine] your parents are drug addicts, gamblers or have vanished. In the mountains, you are always starving. One day, a top-level sports club in the city takes you in without asking you for a training fee. It gives you food and Nike sport shoes, provides you with the world's top trainers. You have teachers and friends and have developed a sense of confidence… suddenly, everything ends and you have to return to the mountains. If I were in that situation, I might kill myself.

Translation Original Quote
Admire En Bo, a great dream creator.

Translation Original Quote
Is the government’s face more important than the kids?

Translation Original Quote
When you forcefully took the kids away, did you consider what they think? You are just putting your own desire above the kids, and believe that it’s the right thing to do.

Translation Original Quote
En Bo should use this opportunity to advertise the fight club, if it’s the right road you should keep going! MMA is a very good sport!
Discussions will surely continue, and we can only wish the children all the best in their future.

Written by
Jimmy Wu

This is complicated knowing Chinese culture. It somewhat reminds me of the Opera school where Jackie, Sammo and their martial siblings were trained.

Kids (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?51595-Kids-and-MMA) &
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)

GeneChing

09-27-2017, 10:07 AM

UFC beefs up Chinese presence on its November Shanghai card as it announces the signing of two mainland fighters to its ranks (http://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2112768/ufc-beefs-chinese-presence-its-november-shanghai-card-it-announces)
Main event is Anderson Silva v Kelvin Gastelum slated for November 25 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena
PUBLISHED : Monday, 25 September, 2017, 6:40pm
UPDATED : Monday, 25 September, 2017, 10:51pm

Staff Reporter

https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2017/09/25/864c910c-a1dc-11e7-84b5-dfc1701cb40c_1280x720_202230.jpg
Ahead of its mainland debut on November 25, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) announced the signing of two more Chinese fighters to its growing roster on Monday.
Strawweights Yanan “Mulan” Wu (8-1) and Yan Xiaonan (7-1, 1 NC) both hail from Liaoning province in northeastern China, and have been signed in time to make their debuts on November’s Shanghai card.
Sanda specialist Wu will make her UFC bow at the UFC Fight Night event against American Gina Mazany in a bantamweight match-up.

https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/09/25/2e8e72bc-a1c5-11e7-84b5-dfc1701cb40c_972x_202230.jpg
Xiaonan Yan hails from Liaoning province and will make her UFC debut in Shanghai. Photo: Twitter

Mazany (4-1) fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada took part in season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, and is mentored by former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, who famously beat then bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
The 28-year-old Yan is a well-rounded MMA fighter who counts sanda, muay thai, wrestling and Brazilian ju-jitsu as her specialities. She will take that wealth of skill into the octagon as she faces
Kailin Curran (4-5) from Ewa Beach, Hawaii in Shanghai.
Curran, eager to turn her fortunes around after three straight losses, will be focused on coming away with a decisive win in foreign territory while UFC debutante Yan will draw motivation from the thousands of home fans at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/09/25/2ebf8668-a1c5-11e7-84b5-dfc1701cb40c_1320x770_202230.jpg
Xiaonan Yan is ready to make her UFC debut in Shanghai. Photo: Twitter

Also on the Shanghai card will be rising Chinese star Li “The Leech” Jingliang (13-4). The Beijing-native attended the UFC press conference on Monday, and announced that he and his fellow countryman, Wang “The Dongbei Tiger” Guan (18-1-1) will both participate in China’s first ever live UFC event.

https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/09/25/96d05a36-a1dc-11e7-84b5-dfc1701cb40c_1320x770_202230.jpg
Anderson Silva answers questions from the media in Shanghai. Photo: Getty / Zuffa LLC, UFC Fight Night Shanghai:

Both men are awaiting confirmation of their opponents, which will be announced by the UFC in the coming weeks.
“The response has been tremendous and we are honoured to have such overwhelming support from our loyal fans since we announced our inaugural UFC event in mainland China,” said UFC VP of Asia Pacific Kevin Chang at Monday’s conference.
“This is a historic moment for our company and is set to be one of the most thrilling live events UFC has ever brought to Asia.”
“We’ve been waiting for the right time for UFC to enter the Chinese market and we know that the time is now,” said David He, vice-president of music&live entertainment at WME-IMG China.
“MMA is developing rapidly in China and amassing a large fan base and this is an exciting first step to making the sport a mainstay here.”
The main event on the Shanghai bill will be a hugely anticipated middleweight clash between UFC great Anderson Silva of Brazil and the up-and-coming American Kelvin Gastelum.

https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/09/25/7713cd72-a1dc-11e7-84b5-dfc1701cb40c_972x_202230.jpg

Interesting...

GeneChing

09-28-2017, 09:06 AM

'Happy to be the black Bruce Lee' (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2017-09/28/content_32587660.htm)
By Yang Xinwei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-09-28 07:24
'Happy to be the black Bruce Lee'

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20170928/b083fe9fe7851b369d6b01.jpg
Main-event fighters Anderson 'The Spider' Silva (left) and Kelvin Gastelum pose in front of Kevin Chang, UFC's vice-president for Asia Pacific, at Monday's media conference for Fight Night in Shanghai, set for Nov 25 at Mercedes-Benz Arena. [Photo by Hugo Hu/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images]

Longtime UFC champ Silva still feels inspired by Chinese icon

Drawing inspiration from someone they look up to is often very helpful for those who aspire to be professional athletes.

For Octagon fighter Anderson 'The Spider' Silva, his inspiration is Chinese martial arts icon Bruce Lee, who died in Hong Kong in 1973.

"When I was very young, I told my brothers and my mom that I was Bruce Lee. I'm a black Bruce Lee," Silva said on Monday during a media conference for UFC Fight Night Shanghai.

"Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen, these guys are all my heroes, my Chinese heroes. I think Bruce Lee personifies the greatness of all martial arts, as a fighter and as a professional. When I am training and want to cheer myself up, I think about Bruce Lee. In my life, I'm happy to be the black Bruce Lee."

Could Lee have made the cut in UFC?

"Bruce was an amazing master of the martial arts. If he was around today, he would beat everybody," said the 42-year-old Silva, whose record UFC title streak ended in 2013 after 2,457 days, with 16 consecutive wins.

The Brazilian will face rising American middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum at Mercedes-Benz Arena on Nov 25.

The media conference kicked off UFC's second promotional tour in as many months, introducing the headline stars before their upcoming clash in the Octagon. In addition to bringing in Silva and Gastelum, UFC announced the signing of two female fighters from Liaoning province - Wu 'Mulan' Yanan (8-1) and Yan Xiaonan (7-1-1).

Wu will face American Gina Mazany in a bantamweight matchup. Mazany (4-1), who appeared in Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, is mentored by former UFC women's bantamweight champ Miesha Tate and will be looking to upset Wu's ambitions for a home victory.

The 28-year-old Yan is a well-rounded MMA fighter who counts sanda, Muay Thai, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu as her specialties. She will square off with Kailin Curran (4-5) of the US.

Rising welterweight star Li Jingliang (13-4), fighting out of Beijing, announced that he and compatriot Wang Guan (18-1-1) of Northeast China will both participate in China's first live UFC event. Both are awaiting confirmation of their opponents.

"We first started around 10 years ago, when nobody knew what UFC or MMA was. To come from that point to where we are now, it's been a fantastic dream come true and it will continue to develop in this part of the world," said Kevin Chang, UFC vice-president of Asia Pacific.

"The response has been tremendous and we are honored to have such overwhelming support from our loyal fans since we announced our inaugural UFC event on the Chinese mainland. This is a historic moment for our company and set to be one of the most thrilling live events UFC has ever brought to Asia".

Gastelum said he's looking forward to his fight with Silva.

"Anderson Silva is one of the greatest of all time. But you have to recognize that his time as champion is over. He hasn't won a lot recently. And now I feel like it's my time," said the 25-year-old California native.

"He's got millions, he's got cars and houses. And I want the same things for me."

In conjunction with UFC Fight Night Shanghai, Sina Sports launched a nationwide fitness competition to discover China's first Octagon Girl. Interest was so strong that UFC has named not one but two women to represent China on the Fight Night: Wang Jingjing from Beijing and Pan Xiao from Suzhou.

yangxinwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Silva (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55058-Silva-jumping-to-heavyweight) & China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)

GeneChing

11-27-2017, 10:37 AM

This may well deserve its own indie thread but for now, I'm posting it on MMA in Asia (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62987-MMA-in-Asia) and China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA). I guess it didn't really deserve it's own indie thread after all.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT SAT. NOV. 25, 2017 BISPING VS GASTELUM (http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-shanghai-nov-25-2017)

Bisping v s Gastelum Bisping WIN Gastelum **
Jingliang v s Ottow WIN Jingliang **
Ottow Guan v s Caceres WIN Guan
Caceres Salikhov v s Garcia Salikhov WIN Garcia
EARLY PRELIMS 3:45AM/12:45AM ETPT
Magomedsharipov v s Moraes W Magomedsharipov **
Moraes Kenan v s Nash WIN Kenan Nash
Curran v s Xiaonan Curran WIN Xiaonan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eat4i8OyVsE

GeneChing

11-26-2018, 10:48 AM

This looks promising.

MMA: From Shaolin temple to MMA star - meet China's 'Monkey King' (https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/mma-from-shaolin-temple-to-mma-star-meet-chinas-monkey-king)

https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/11/23/colin-sm-23.jpg?itok=Zt9juT2r&timestamp=1542965498
MMA star Song Yadong has recently replaced "The Terminator" as his fight name with "The Monkey King", in reference to the mythical Chinese hero Sun Wukong.PHOTO: AFP

PUBLISHED NOV 23, 2018, 5:23 PM SGT

BEIJING (AFP) - Song Yadong was so obsessed with Chinese martial arts that he convinced him mother to pack him up and send him off to learn at the feet of the famous kung fu masters of Shaolin.

He was just nine years old at the time.

"I had watched a lot of kung fu movies, so I wanted to be like my heroes, like Jet Li," said Song. "I went to Shaolin and I trained, getting up each day at 5am. It was harder than I ever expected."

A decade later and Song's thirst for action has led him into the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and on to the biggest stage in mixed martial arts.

"I left Shaolin after two years and then I learned about MMA," said the 20-year-old. "I like the action, I like the fact every fight tests you and that you always have to work to be the best fighter you can be."

Song is at the forefront of the Las Vegas-based promotion's push into China, the country many consider the spiritual home of all martial arts, and the Tianjin-born fighter is among nine locals set to take part in the UFC's first fight card to be held in the Chinese capital.

Saturday (Nov 24) night sees the UFC Fight Night 141 event at Beijing's Cadillac Arena headlined by a blockbuster bout between heavyweight contenders Cameroonian-Frenchman Francis "The Predator" Ngannou (11-3) and American Curtis "Razor" Blaydes.

But there is little doubt where Chinese fans' attention - and hopes - will rest.

"It will be the biggest chance for us Chinese fighters and for the sport to grow in China," said Song, who will face American Vince "Vandetta" Morales on Saturday night.

Song's rise to the UFC has captured China's attention, as has the origin story he carries with him.

When he was 15, Song was so focused on becoming a professional MMA fighter that he used a forged ID card to convince local promotions that he was 18, and legally allowed to fight.

"I was super-aggressive back then," said Song. "I just wanted to fight so I used the fake ID. I looked strong enough so they believed me."

After plying his trade in domestic and regional fight promotions - and racking up a fight record of 10 wins and three losses - Song received a surprise call last November, just weeks before the UFC was set to make its debut in mainland China.

Called in to replace an injured fighter on the UFC Fight Night 122 card, Song needed just over four minutes to choke out India's Bharat Khandare. He has since backed up that performance with a second-round knockout of the Brazilian veteran Filipe Arantes in Singapore in June, and so comes to Beijing on a 2-0 run and with a 12-3 win-loss record overall.

"There is still a lot of room for improvement in my skills," said Song. "I am focused on winning step by step, fight by fight. I have been training with (UFC Hall of Famer) Urijah Faber and his Team Alpha Male in California and I am learning.

"Chinese fighters need more experience but soon we will be a force."

The UFC currently has 11 Chinese fighters on its books, a mix of established stars such as the veteran welterweight Li "The Leech" Jingliang and rising stars such as Song and female strawweight Zhang Weili, with all three in action on Saturday.

This week the organisation announced an investment of around US$13 million (S$17.8 million) in what it called the world's biggest MMA academy in Shanghai, designed to help Chinese fighters make the transition from smaller fight promotions to the UFC octagon.

Song has recently replaced "The Terminator" as his fight name with "The Monkey King", in reference to the mythical Chinese hero Sun Wukong.

He believes China's rich history in martial arts has the country - and its fighters - well positioned as MMA continues to take hold.

"We have the history in China," said Song. "This is only the beginning."

THREADS
Shaolin in the Ring and Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68809-Shaolin-in-the-Ring-and-Cage)
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)

GeneChing

11-29-2018, 09:26 AM

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/14/864.jpg

UFC Wants to Turn Shanghai Into a Mixed Martial Arts Mecca (http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1003275/ufc-wants-to-turn-shanghai-into-a-mixed-martial-arts-mecca)
The company says it’s going to build the world’s largest MMA training facility in the eastern Chinese megacity.
Kenrick Davis
Nov 29, 2018 5-min read

SHANGHAI — It’s been a big month for mixed martial arts in China. On Nov. 20, the sport’s largest promotion company, Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, announced plans for a $13 million training center in China. The 93,000-square-foot UFC Performance Institute Shanghai will be the largest MMA training facility in the world and will feature a gym, sparring areas, recovery pools, and the sport’s iconic octagonal rings — one complete with stadium-style lighting and spectator seating.

UFC said at a press conference in Shanghai last week that the center will help train China’s next generation of MMA fighters and spread the sport throughout the country. There are currently 11 Chinese fighters — eight men and three women — on UFC’s roster of 461 athletes from around the world, and the company hopes to triple this figure in 2019. In just the past year, the number of users on social app WeChat who follow UFC’s official account has increased by 60 percent.

On Saturday, UFC held its 141st Fight Night event at Beijing’s Cadillac Arena to a crowd of over 10,000 — the second time an installment in the series had ever been staged in China. Although a faceoff between elite heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Francis Ngannou was nominally the night’s main draw, two local fighters attracted the most attention from domestic media present at the event — and they did not disappoint their home crowd.

UFC’s most experienced Chinese fighter, Li Jingliang — known as The Leech for his mastery of headlock submission holds — defeated his German opponent, David Zawada, by delivering a deft kick to the midsection. Meanwhile, 20-year-old rising star Song Yadong — dubbed The Kung Fu Monkey after the simian hero in the Chinese epic “Journey to the West” — won his fight against American Vince Morales in three rounds. The three female Chinese participants — all of whom won their matches — also turned heads, especially Zhang Weili, who “mauled” veteran Jessica Aguilar of the U.S. to claim her 18th straight victory.

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/14/884.jpg
Chinese mixed martial artist Zhang Weili celebrates after her victory at UFC’s first-ever event in Beijing, Nov. 24, 2018. Courtesy of UFC

The MMA training facility coming to Shanghai represents a major investment in developing the sport in China, where it was little-known just a decade ago, Kevin Chang, the Asia-Pacific vice president of UFC, told Sixth Tone during last week’s press conference. When the company entered the Chinese market in 2011, there were myriad misconceptions about MMA — like whether it was real fighting or merely a testosterone-fueled performance akin to a World Wrestling Entertainment event.

Over the past few years, the sport has gradually found a foothold in China thanks to UFC, local promoters, and the Singapore-based ONE Championship, with specialized MMA gyms popping up across the country. For its part, UFC has cultivated a Chinese fan base by inking broadcasting deals, expanding its social media presence, and grooming local stars like Li, who has over half a million followers on microblogging platform Weibo.

But the sport has also courted its fair share of controversy. In April 2017, MMA fighter and promoter Xu Xiaodong attempted to demonstrate the superiority of his craft by pummelling an older, portlier tai chi master in a heavily criticized fight. More recently, a brawl that ensued on the sidelines of a high-profile Las Vegas showdown between MMA stars Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov — known among Chinese fans by their respective nicknames, Mouth Cannon and Little Eagle — was widely reported and commented on in China.

Reputation management remains an ongoing challenge for such an inherently violent pastime, said Chang. “We’re not a bloodless sport,” he said candidly, adding that lax standards at local, non-UFC events — many of which don’t have the resources to test athletes for doping — have led to incidents that tarnish the sport’s reputation. “When something quote-unquote ‘bad’ happens in MMA, it affects all of us, and it affects that perception which we’re trying so hard to correct,” Chang said, noting that conditions at domestically organized fights seem to be improving at least.

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/14/885.jpg
American mixed martial artist Vince Morales protects himself from a punch thrown by his Chinese opponent, Song Yadong, at a UFC Fight Night event in Beijing, Nov. 24, 2018. Courtesy of UFC

American Ramsey Dewey, a former MMA fighter who now runs a gym in Shanghai, describes some of the hassles he experienced in the sport’s early days in China on his popular YouTube channel: a fighter covering himself in oil to slip out of holds, promoters vanishing without making payments, trainers supplying banned materials to bind fighters’ hands, and competitors kicking the heads of their fallen opponents. According to Dewey, his MMA career ended after a bout with a Chinese fighter who had wrapped his fingers with a dangerous kind of tape provided by event organizers. “One single punch shattered my skull,” Dewey says in one of his videos, explaining how certain wrapping materials can pack a harder punch.

Although most injuries are superficial and not life-threatening, local authorities can be nervous about events taking place under their watch, UFC fighter Wang Guan told Sixth Tone at last week’s press conference. Wang — or The Dongbei Tiger, as he’s sometimes known — competed in China’s first Fight Night event a year ago. He’s also the man Dewey says forced him into early retirement, though Wang maintains that his hand bindings were legitimate. According to the Chinese fighter, officials are afraid of competitors suffering severe injuries and have been known to shut events down early. Nevertheless, Wang said MMA in China has come a long way in recent years — particularly with respect to the quality of referees, whose split-second decisions can prevent curtailed careers — and he’s bullish about its continued growth.

“Judging by how things are developing in China, I think MMA will be the dominant fighting sport here in the future,” he said.

For now, though, Chinese fans are holding out for a champion and remain only slightly bitter that local fighters seem to have such a hard time getting matched up against the world’s leading competitors. Li, for example, has had 11 UFC fights, but none were against top-40 opponents. But according to Chang, UFC’s Asia-Pacific vice president, it’s only a matter of time before Chinese fighters will have the chance to prove themselves against elite competition.

“Even before the establishment of the Shanghai Performance Institute, some of our [Chinese fighters] could already hang with the best of the best — it takes years to get a title shot,” Chang said. “I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect that we’ll have some contenders in the next couple years.”

Editor: David Paulk.

(Header image: Li Jingliang of China lands a kick against David Zawada of Germany during the UFC Fight Night in Beijing, Nov. 24, 2018. Greg Baker/VCG)

THREADS
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)
You too could own a UFC Gym (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67702-You-too-could-own-a-UFC-Gym)
That MMA vs Taiji Fight Everyones Talking About (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70253-That-MMA-vs-Taiji-Fight-Everyones-Talking-About)
UFC Performance Institute Shanghai (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71097-UFC-Performance-Institute-Shanghai)

GeneChing

07-10-2019, 10:03 AM

I know he's just got two posts as of this one, but I'm giving Song Yadong is own thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71380-Song-Yadong)beyond just Shaolin in the Ring and Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68809-Shaolin-in-the-Ring-and-Cage) & China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA). I'm also copying this to our Monkey King thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50181-Monkey-King) for cross-ref.

UFC 239: China’s Song Yadong – inspired by Jet Li and the Monkey King – is out to conquer the world (https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3017611/ufc-239-chinas-song-yadong-inspired-jet-li)
The 21-year-old Chinese phenom blows veteran fighter away in Las Vegas and sets his sights on UFC Shenzhen
‘Kung Fu Monkey’ trained outside Shaolin Temple as a child before turning up at Team Alpha Male – and Hall of Famer Urijah Faber is his biggest fan
Mathew Scott
Published: 7:59pm, 7 Jul, 2019

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/methode/2019/07/07/0e744374-a0ad-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_220338.JPG?itok=2GOH8t0-&v=1562508226
Song Yadong celebrates a win at UFC Singapore. Photo: Handout

If Alejandro “Turbo” Perez had managed to eye the clock just before his head hit the canvas he might have seen that 2:04 of the first round had elapsed in his bout against Song “Kung Fu Monkey” Yadong.
What’s more likely, though, is that Mexican’s lights were already out, and that he woke seconds later simply wondering what the hell had hit him.
Fans across North America were left pondering the very same thing.
Not much had been known, stateside, about the 21-year-old bantamweight (14-3, two no contests) before Sunday’s heroics at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and a huge right hand ended the night for a Perez who was eight years older and of considerable more experience, in UFC terms at least, at 21-8-1.

Embedded video (https://twitter.com/niallmcgrath4/status/1147660947869376513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1147660947869376513&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fsport%2Fmarti al-arts%2Fmixed-martial-arts%2****icle%2F3017611%2Fufc-239-chinas-song-yadong-inspired-jet-li)

Niall McGrath
✔
@niallmcgrath4
Here’s the finish from Yadong

��pic.twitter.com/G5lnX98R9h #UFC239

27
5:17 PM - Jul 6, 2019
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Hall of Famer Urijah Faber had been preaching from the MMA pulpit ever since Song turned up at his Team Alpha Male gym in Sacramento asking for his skill set to be fine-tuned.
In Vegas over the past week Faber had been telling all who listened what Song was all about, continuing a sermon that started in Singapore back in June last year, not too long after he’d started working with the Chinese fighter.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/07/ef6d8b0c-a0ac-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_1320x770_220338.JPG
Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai. Photo: Handout

“All this kid wants to do is learn,” Faber said back then. “You teach him something and he wants to practise again and again. You almost have to force him out of the gym.”
But Asia – and China in particular – has over the past 18 months taken the rising star from Tianjin to heart, as has the world’s premier promotion as it spreads its reach through the region, and into the Middle Kingdom.
As the second-youngest fighter on the UFC’s books Song stood smiling, once his arm had been raised and his record in the promotion had been stretched to a 4-0 that now includes two performance of the night bonuses. Song just keeps stepping up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3My7J9gLoms

“I was practising that punch. My coach made that call for me to train that specific technique,” Yadong said. “I was prepared to fight all three rounds. I didn’t expect to finish the fight so fast. I’m very happy with the win. I want to fight a top 10 opponent next.”
He’s certainly earned it and the UFC certainly know they’re on to a good thing.
There’s the Song origin story, for starters.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/07/fab262f8-a0ac-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_972x_220338.JPG
Song Yadong poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Mandarin Oriental on in Singapore in June 2018. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

So keen was the young Song on finding a career as a fighter that his family agreed to send him to the kung fu schools that line the walls of the famed Shaolin Temple when he was just nine years old. It was a tough life, long hours of training and chores.
But Song says that it still wasn’t enough. He wanted not so much to train but to fight.
“I had watched a lot of kung fu movies, so I wanted to be like my heroes, like Jet Li,” Song said last year. “I went to Shaolin and I trained, getting up each day at 5am. It was harder than I ever expected. I left Shaolin after two years and then I learned about MMA. I like the action, I like the fact every fight tests you and that you always have to work to be the best fighter you can be.”

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Song Yadong (right) in action at UFC Singapore. Photo: Handout

And so the journey shifted to MMA and to a fake ID that had Song inside the MMA cage at the age of 15. He drifted through the regional promotions while still a wide-eyed teen – from One Championship, through Kunlun Fight and Wu Lin Feng. But then came a late call-up as the UFC made its debut in Shanghai in November 2017.
Little, again, was known about Song until, that is, he demolished India’s Bharat “Daring” Khandare (5-3) and looked for all the world that he was born to fight among the world’s best, despite the fact he was still 19.
After Sunday’s fight, and after hardly raising a sweat, Song called on the UFC also to throw him back into the fray as part of its Shenzhen card on August 31.

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Song Yadong is now 4-0 in the UFC. Photo: Handout

That event features a first for China as Zhang “Magnum” Weili (19-1), who faces Brazilian champ Jessica Andrade (20-6) for her strawweight belt and looks to be crowned the first UFC champion from her nation.
Last month, the UFC opened the doors on its multimillion dollar Performance Institute in Shanghai, with boss Dana White declaring it’ll be a “game-changer” for local fighters.
Song will no doubt see what’s on offer there, as will his good friend and Team Alpha Male gym pal Liu Pingyuan (13-5), the fellow bantamweight who’s up next for China, against American Jonathan Martinez (10-2) on the UFC Fight Night 155 card in Sacramento on July 13.

Embedded video (https://twitter.com/NickBaldwinMMA/status/1147686777492082688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1147686777492082688&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Fsport%2Fmarti al-arts%2Fmixed-martial-arts%2****icle%2F3017611%2Fufc-239-chinas-song-yadong-inspired-jet-li)

Nick Baldwin
@NickBaldwinMMA
If you need pointers on how to pronounce Song Yadong's name, the UFC bantamweight prospect has you covered.

12
7:00 PM - Jul 6, 2019
See Nick Baldwin's other Tweets
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Chinese fighters are on a 15-6 UFC record since the start of 2018, and Song for one believes things are only just getting started.
“I will be working towards the belt,” he told the media after Sunday’s win. “I don’t know when it will happen but I’ll be working hard, waiting for the chance to happen.”
****, this weekend in Sacto, but I'm already booked for the ITKFA Championships (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67960-ITKFA-Chinese-Martial-Arts-Championship&p=1313894#post1313894).

GeneChing

07-23-2019, 08:09 AM

The Takedown by Nicolas Atkin
Has China banned tattoos in MMA? Reports of crackdown on fighters but it’s complicated (https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3019422/has-china-banned-tattoos-mma-reports)
‘If you have tattoos, they don’t want you competing,’ says Thailand’s Phuket Top Team
The famed gym claims government has tightened rules for local promoters – but the issue appears to be muddy
Nicolas Atkin
Published: 10:12am, 20 Jul, 2019

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/methode/2019/07/20/437c2ea2-a9f3-11e9-862b-600d112f3b14_image_hires_101223.jpg?itok=VY6BXaRI&v=1563588749
Song Yadong’s tattoo on his left leg. The fighter poses (right) before his win against Renato Moicano. Photos: Instagram/@songyadong

Chinese MMA took a huge step forward with the opening of the state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai last month. But there were concerns this week it might have taken a strange step backwards.
Last year, China’s top media regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, decreed that media programmes “should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, subculture and dispirited culture”, according to a report in Chinese news outlet Sina.
This later widened to televised sport, with footballers in China’s three professional leagues told by the Chinese Football Association to cover up tattoos with athletic tape – “no visible ink” was the word from the top.
The issue has also appeared to touch MMA and other combat sports with rules said to be in place across CCTV and other major state broadcasters.
“The new bosses of CCTV have introduced laws to stamp out crime, so there’s no bad officials, no bad police and no more bad influencers on society in the media. This includes people with tattoos,” a senior official who works closely with the government told Asian MMA website The Fight Nation.
Chinese fighters have been able to get away with covering up any tattoos with rash guards or tape, just like their footballing counterparts – but one of the top Muay Thai/MMA crossover gyms in Thailand claimed this week the rules have recently become even stricter.
“MMA in China has made another strange step … No tattoos allowed,” Phuket Top Team tweeted. “Fighters are having to wear rash guards or tape over tattoos. Promoters are getting bored of that and now just saying NO fighters with tattoos allowed. That sure does take out a large pool of pro fighters.”
Phuket Top Team claimed the no tattoos rule was “direct from the Chinese government” and combat sport representatives.
“If you have tattoos, they don’t want you competing in MMA/kick-boxing,Sanda/Muay Thai or boxing in China,” it said. “Combat sports have been BOOMING in China! Now the government has banned tattoos from being streamed or televised.”

Phuket Top Team
@PhuketTopTeam
#phukettopteam welcome @ufc No.5 Ranked featherweight@zabeast_mma 💪🏼
Sharpening his #muaythai in Thailand at PTT 🇹🇭

Riding a 13 fight win streak.
5-0 undefeated in the UFC

Zabit is a DANGEROUS man inside the Octagon@joerogan @TheFightNation @UFC_Asia @UFCRussia

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
32
12:38 AM - Jul 16, 2019 · Phuket Top Team
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Phuket Top Team has several UFC veterans and stars on its roster – featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov and welterweight Zelim Imadaev are both there right now sharpening their Muay Thai skills in camp – so their voice clearly carries some weight.
The gym claimed that in the past two weeks, every local promotion in China had contacted them asking if they had any tattoo-free fighters, while a few said fighters can have tattoos but only ones small enough to be covered up with patches or wraps. Many Chinese fight promotions are broadcast on state television or streamed within China, such as WLF, Kunlun and Glory of Heroes.
“This will rapidly decline the fight scene in China. A huge shame for all of the top fighters who were embracing the fight scene there,” Phuket Top Team added in a reply to another tweet. “UFC and One Championship are two major [organisations] that have been hitting the Chinese MMA market. Now they need tattoo-free athletes to fill cards.”

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Jessica Andrade and Zhang Weili (right) will compete in the main event of UFC Shenzhen. Photo: UFC

Of course, the UFC has a big Shenzhen show coming up on August 31, where Zhang Weili will be the first Chinese fighter to challenge for a UFC title when she takes on Brazilian straw weight champion (and heavily tattooed) Jessica Andrade. The UFC signed a five-year exclusive rights agreement in China with PPTV Sports, the nation’s leading online sports platform, in 2016.
None of the UFC’s nine other Chinese fighters have been announced for the card yet, though only Song Yadong has tattoos, on his left leg.
In the only other announced fight for the card, neither New Zealand’s Kai-Kara France nor American Mark De La Rosa have visible tattoos. The Post reached out to UFC China for clarification on the rules – and received no response.
One Championship told the Post there is no issue with foreign athletes who have tattoos competing on their fight cards in China.
For Chinese athletes with tattoos, One always asks the fighters to cover them up whenever they do promotional material such as interviews – but not for fights – on Chinese shows.
Officially, the Chinese government has not sanctioned a law on the matter, however, One said, adding that the rule applies more for football players and less so combat sports, with the reports of new changes to the rule just a rumour.

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Tattooed American fighter Troy Worthen fights against China’s Chen Rui. Photo: One Championship

China is not the only Asian country, though, that has a problem with tattoos. Japan will host two of the world’s biggest sporting events – the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics – in the next 14 months. World Rugby has warned players and fans to cover their ink later this year, in a bid not to offend their host where body art is associated with criminal gangs.
Rugby players and fans are one thing but MMA and its followers are a different beast. Tattoos and combat sports go hand in hand, and are a way of life.
“You can imagine how many of the world’s best fighters they have eliminated from being able to fight in China,” Phuket Top Team tweeted, presuming that the no tattoo rule would also apply to foreign fighters.
The issue is certainly unclear, and one to keep an eye on.

THREADS
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)
Kung Fu (and other Martial Arts) Tattoos (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48235-Kung-Fu-(and-other-Martial-Arts)-Tattoos)
Song Yadong (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71380-Song-Yadong)

SteveLau

07-27-2019, 11:47 PM

Well, it means some governments are quite backward in the attitude towards tatto.

Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

GeneChing

11-01-2019, 08:51 AM

UFC heading to China for Dana White's Contender Series in 2020 (https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27969632/ufc-heading-china-dana-white-contender-series-2020)
Oct 30, 2019
Brett Okamoto
ESPN Staff Writer

The UFC's expansion into Asia, specifically China, will continue in 2020 with the launch of an Asian installment of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.

The promotion announced plans Wednesday for the new show. Fights will take place at the UFC's new Performance Institute in Shanghai. Distribution details are still to be determined.

"One of my favorite parts of my job is looking for up-and-coming talent," White said in a prepared statement. "There's no area in the world right now with more potential MMA talent than Asia. We're going to use Dana White's Contender Series to find these fighters, develop them and give them the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage in combat sports."

The UFC has made its expansion into China a priority in recent years. Chinese talent has grown along with UFC investment. In August, the promotion crowned its first ever Chinese champion, female strawweight Zhang Weili.

Domestically, the DWTNCS has been held in Las Vegas. Cards consist of five bouts, after which White offers athletes contracts.

The show has produced notable talent in Maycee Barber, Edmen Shahbazyan and Sean O'Malley, among others.

I've been saying this for a long time - more Chinese MMA champs are coming. Everyone wants a piece of the PRC market, especially UFC.

GeneChing

12-26-2019, 02:43 PM

I'll say it again. More Chinese MMA champs are coming. Everyone wants a piece of the PRC market, especially UFC.

Another Chinese MMA fighter on the rise in UFC as Alateng Heili eyes top 15 after Busan win (https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3043424/another-chinese-mma-fighter-rise-ufc-alateng)
‘The Mongolian Knight’ makes it back-to-back UFC victories at Fight Night in Korea
‘I think there will be more Chinese fighters who can get into the UFC rankings, including myself,’ he says
Nick Atkin
Published: 5:28pm, 24 Dec, 2019

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Alateng Heili speaks to the ‘Post’ in Busan after his win at UFC Fight Night against Ryan Benoit.

China is starting to mark its stamp all over the world of the UFC, what with its first champion in Zhang Weili and two other ranked fighters in Song Yadong and Li Jingliang.
There could be another one soon. “The Mongolian Knight” Alateng Heili secured a gutsy split decision win against Ryan Benoit at UFC Fight Night Busan last Saturday. That made it back-to-back wins at bantamweight in Shenzhen and Korea for the UFC Shanghai Performance Centre academy graduate.
“I think there will be more Chinese fighters than can get into the UFC rankings,” Alateng told the Post at Sajik Arena. “The training facilities there and the coaches are world-class level. So I think in the near future there will be more fighters in the top 15.
“Including myself,” he adds with a smile, pointing at his chest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6731h9enQ

From China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Alateng lost six of his first 10 fights, but a remarkable turnaround has seem him won 10 of his past 12, with one draw.
Now, after fining tuning his craft at the UFC’s US$13 million state-of-the-art facilities in Shanghai, and announcing himself at Fight Night Shenzhen with a unanimous decision win over Danaa Batgerel in August, it feels like the 28-year-old is only just getting started.
“Definitely the Performance Institute helps me a lot, not just for training but also my life there,” he said. “It makes my life easier with the whole training facilities. If I didn’t train at the PI, I may not get the win tonight.”
The Performance Institute has also helped Chinese MMA veteran Li “The Leech” Jingliang finally break into the welterweight rankings at No 15, while Yan “The Fury” Xiaonan was also recently ranked in the women’s strawweight division.
China’s “Kung Fu Monkey” Song, who trains out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, under the tutelage of UFC legend Urijah Faber, is ranked 13th in the bantamweight division.

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Alateng Heili at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai. Photo: Elaine Yau
For now, it is Zhang who is taking the lead for China – she makes her first strawweight title defence against Joanna Jedrzejczyk on March 7 in Las Vegas.
“I used to train with her for a long time, so I know she trains very hard, that’s why she can win the title,” Alateng said. “I’m definitely inspired by that.”
Alateng fought on the prelims of that Shenzhen card, where Zhang triumphed in the main event against Jessica Andrade. He hopes for another taste of glory on home soil in Shanghai next year, but he isn’t being picky.

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Alateng Heili wants to fight in Shanghai next year. Photo: Elaine Yau

“To get the third win is next,” he said. “Any opponent that the UFC puts in front of me I will fight.
“Hopefully we have an event in Shanghai, I’d love to fight there. But if there’s fights before the Shanghai event definitely I can take it. I’m always ready, I will not refuse any fight.
“If I have the chance to fight in Vegas – which is the dreamland to fight in combat sports – to fight on those pay-per-view events, it will definitely be a dream come true.”

BalaklavaS

01-09-2020, 11:28 AM

GeneChing

01-09-2020, 02:49 PM

**** I like this topic. As I know many fighters now in UFC are Kung Fu fighters. For example Zabit Magomedsharipov is a King Fu fighter. He fights really very unusual and beautiful. I have ever seen many kicks which Zabit does. That is a great example of a brillian Kung fu master. I never skip his fights. I and my friends are always watching them on spam (https://www.martialartsmart.com/) streaming service.

Another from the same cluster of IPs as above. Same M.O. although I gotta give this one some cred for making a good observation on Zabit (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71543-No-Zabit-thread).

THREADS
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870)
Bannings (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58957-And-BOOM-goes-the-Dynamite-(Imminent-Bannings))

GeneChing

02-22-2021, 10:25 AM

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/35/394.jpg

The UFC Stars Kicking Chinese Martial Arts Into a New Era (https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006856/the-ufc-stars-kicking-chinese-martial-arts-into-a-new-era)
The breakout success of Chinese fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is shaking up the country’s martial arts scene.

Mathew Scott
Feb 22, 2021 9-min read

Li Jingliang has spent more than a decade establishing himself as an elite fighter in the world of mixed martial arts, with an explosive style and vice-like choke holds that earned him the nickname “The Leech.” But outside the cage is where the 32-year-old makes his biggest impact.

“As well as fighting, what I’m trying to do is change the landscape of MMA in China,” Li tells Sixth Tone. “Little by little, step by step, I’m letting people know what I know.”

Now ranked 12th in his division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — the highest rank achieved by a male Chinese athlete in the promotion — the welterweight born in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has emerged as a star with real clout in China.

The charismatic fighter has acquired millions of followers on social media, appeared on TV talent shows, and even performed with rock bands. And he’s using this platform with one goal in mind: to inspire a new generation of Chinese mixed martial artists.

What I’m trying to do is change the landscape of MMA in China.
- Li Jingliang, UFC fighter

Li’s feeds are filled with training videos explaining MMA and encouraging people to try it out. Each Saturday, he’s in a park near his Beijing home, running free sparring classes for local children.

“Martial arts is rooted in our culture,” Li says. “I’m giving these kids a basic understanding of martial arts, and of mixed martial arts. I’ve committed myself to this and being seen in public is part of that. It’s spreading the message.”

Li is part of a rising generation of Chinese fighters reshaping the UFC. They’re not only bringing legions of new fans to the sport, but also forging links between the worlds of MMA and Chinese martial arts that could turn China into a leading producer of fighting talent over the next few years.

MMA is often considered the world’s fastest-growing sport. Emerging in the early ’90s, it sees fighters compete using a mix of different combat skills, with techniques drawn from the likes of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, and muay thai.

But until relatively recently, MMA and its most famous franchise — the UFC — had barely made a dent in the Chinese market. Despite the country’s rich martial arts history and huge grassroots participation in combat sports, few Chinese fighters had heard of the UFC just a decade ago — let alone aspired to compete in it.

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Zhang Tiequan celebrates after defeating Jason Reinhardt of the USA during their featherweight bout at UFC 127 in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 27, 2011. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/People Visual

That’s changing dramatically, however, as a handful of Chinese athletes start to find success in the octagon. The first UFC bout featuring a Chinese fighter came on Feb. 27, 2011, with Zhang Tiequan defeating the American featherweight Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 in Australia.

Today, China has 12 fighters competing in the UFC, and it even has its first world champion: Zhang Weili, who claimed the women’s strawweight title in 2019. Like Li, the 30-year-old Zhang — who isn’t related to Zhang Tiequan — sees herself as a role model for young Chinese athletes and encourages them to follow the path she has forged in life through her dedication to martial arts.

“Years ago, a UFC championship looked far off in the distance for China,” Zhang Weili said ahead of her most recent title defense, an epic split-decision victory over Poland’s Joanna Jędrzejczyk in Las Vegas last March. “Now, we have it, and I hope I can give Chinese fighters more motivation to fight.”

Zhang Weili’s breakout victories have helped the UFC rapidly emerge as one of China’s most popular sports franchises. In 2020, the promotion’s following on China’s Twitter-like Weibo grew nearly 40% to just under 2.2 million, while on Douyin — China’s version of TikTok — it jumped 157% to 7.1 million, according to figures supplied by the UFC.

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/35/411.jpg
Zhang Weili celebrates following her split-decision victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland in their UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event in Las Vegas, USA, March 7, 2020. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/People Visual

“Chinese fighters are having a huge impact on getting the UFC into the mainstream,” Kevin Chang, senior vice president of the UFC’s Asia-Pacific operation, tells Sixth Tone. “It’s not just Zhang Weili, it’s extending into up-and-coming athletes and our veterans. All of them are trending.”

As its fan base in China grows, the UFC is increasingly looking to the country to expand its roster of fighters. The promotion itself is investing heavily to develop Chinese talent, opening a $13 million performance institute in Shanghai in 2019, where 40 top young athletes are currently training.

A number of people inside China’s MMA scene, meanwhile, tell Sixth Tone the UFC’s growing profile is attracting more young athletes to take up the sport. “The Leech” knows firsthand how important this shift could be.

Now, there’s more attention on MMA than on any other combat sport in China.
- Li Jingliang, UFC fighter
As a child growing up in the Xinjiang countryside, Li started off as a wrestler and was even offered a wrestling scholarship by a local sports academy. But watching his first MMA event on television in 2008 “changed everything,” he says, convincing him to move to Beijing and try to make it as a pro fighter.

“In my generation, if a person said, ‘I want to be an MMA athlete,’ there were a lot of critics — in society, among your family and friends,” Li says. “They just didn’t know what it was. I was very lucky, because my parents supported me … But now, there’s more attention on MMA than on any other combat sport in China.”

Yi Xiemu is one of the young hopefuls hoping to become China’s next UFC star. The 16-year-old trains at the Enbo Fight Club — a gym in the southwestern city of Chengdu that hosts around 400 fighters, some of them local orphans.

“I like MMA because it’s so powerful,” says Yi, who grew up in Aba Prefecture, a remote area northwest of Chengdu. “Training is very tiring, but I can persist … I’ve learned that in MMA, you have to continue training, keep fighting no matter what.”

At Enbo, Yi benefits from training every day with UFC professional Su Mudaerji. The 25-year-old flyweight, currently ranked 14th in his division, has been in the club since he was a boy and now plays an important role mentoring its junior members.

“I want to show them what’s possible if you work hard enough,” Su, also an Aba Prefecture native, tells Sixth Tone.
continued next post

GeneChing

02-22-2021, 10:26 AM

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/35/414.jpg
Su Mudaerji (right) punches Zarrukh Adashev of Uzbekistan during their flyweight bout at the UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 20, 2021. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Zhang Tiequan, China’s first UFC fighter, is also using his experience to welcome a new generation of fighters. Since hanging up his gloves in 2012, the now-42-year-old has become a driving force behind China Top Team —one of the country’s leading MMA gyms. As a coach at the Beijing-based facility, he’s already helped chart the rise of Li, as well as the surging talent Yan Xiaonan, UFC’s third-ranked women’s strawweight.

Chinese gyms have a natural head start when it comes to training world-class fighters, according to Zhang Tiequan. Unlike in other countries, where fighters normally transition from wrestling or jiu-jitsu to MMA, many Chinese youngsters start out training in kungfu or sanda — a native form of kickboxing that also incorporates wrestling and foot sweep techniques. Zhang followed this route himself, and he believes the wider range of skills he honed through sanda gave him an edge in the cage.

“I started as a wrestler, then I was introduced to sanda,” says Zhang. “I could box, I could kick, I could wrestle. I think this sport gives Chinese fighters an advantage when it comes to MMA and the UFC because of those skills.”

Song Yadong, the UFC’s 14th-ranked bantamweight, echoes this sentiment. His fighting career began at just 9 years old, when he convinced his parents to let him train at one of the famed kungfu schools surrounding the Shaolin Temple in Central China. From there, he transitioned into sanda, then began training with Chengdu’s Enbo Fight Club, before completing his MMA apprenticeship under the tutelage of UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in California.

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/35/409.gif
Students practice open hand strikes at the Shaolin Yongzhi Kungfu School in Dengfeng, Henan province. Courtesy of Matthew Scott

“Those kungfu skills I learned when I was 9 made me even more talented when I was practicing mixed martial arts,” Song tells Sixth Tone. “Chinese martial arts inspired me and taught me to mix the static with the dynamic, to understand that things can be true and false, and to fight with a capricious style.”

To many in China’s MMA circles, Song’s journey from Shaolin to UFC success is a blueprint for the future. Joe Qiao Bo, a veteran MMA coach and ambassador for the sport in China, says the country’s martial arts schools are filled with young fighters with the potential to become pro MMA fighters.

“There are a lot of young people getting into MMA, but the real numbers — the real giant pool of fighters — is still not activated,” says Qiao. “The real numbers are still in martial arts schools.”

In the area around the Shaolin Temple alone, there are scores of martial arts venues, some of them housing as many as 40,000 teenage students. Qiao, who also serves as a consultant for the MMA department of the Chinese Boxing Federation, spends much of his time in the region, working to deepen ties between the schools and the fledgling MMA movement.

“We are trying to activate that connection,” he says. “They (the students in Shaolin) are teenagers, and now is the perfect time to introduce them to MMA.”

http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/35/412.jpg
Joe Qiao Bo visits the Shaolin Yongzhi Kungfu School in Dengfeng, Henan province, 2019. Courtesy of Matthew Scott

Wang Zhan, a coach at the Enbo Fight Club, has already noticed an uptick in the number of kids arriving in Chengdu from Shaolin, wanting to learn the new sport.

“In the past three years, many people have been joining,” says Wang. “The UFC has indeed improved everyone’s knowledge of MMA in China … There are many fighters like Song Yadong.”

There are a lot of young people getting into MMA, but the real giant pool of fighters is still not activated.
- Joe Qiao Bo, MMA coach
Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing effort to build up MMA as an amateur sport in China, ensuring young fighters have more opportunities to develop before turning pro.

As elsewhere, MMA was for professionals only in China until just a few years ago. But in 2012, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) was set up to turn MMA into a globally recognized amateur sport. One day, the goal is for MMA to be accepted as an Olympic event.

The IMMAF and the Chinese Boxing Federation have begun organizing amateur competitions and promoting coaching programs in China. Chinese fighters also regularly compete in the IMMAF’s global competitions, with Han Guangmei the current women’s world bantamweight champion.

Qiao, who coordinates the work of the Chinese and international bodies, views these initiatives as vital to getting the sport on more sustainable footing.“We need to build a pathway for the fighters,” he says. “We need to push this toward the Olympics, like other combat sports.”

If these efforts pay off, China may once more emerge as a global center for combat sports. According to Qiao, if Chinese fighters dig deep enough into the country’s martial arts heritage, they could even show the UFC a new way to fight.

“In MMA right now, people will either strike or they’ll do grappling,” he says. “But the beauty of real kungfu lies in the middle. How do you put your opponent off balance, and then strike? There is an element of this tripping in kungfu that no one is using in MMA. I call this the missing link. That’s what we’re working on now.”

Editor: Dominic Morgan.

(Header image: Li Jingliang reacts after his knockout victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio of Argentina in a welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 17, 2021. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/People Visual)

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China-MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)
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GeneChing

07-20-2022, 08:43 AM

UFC fighter’s Chinese flag snatched away during in-ring victory celebration in controversial move (https://nextshark.com/ufc-official-snatches-li-jingliangs-chinese-flag/)
Bryan Ke
2 days ago
https://nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/UFC-Li-Jingliang.jpg.webp
An Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) employee reportedly snatched a Chinese flag that was draped over Li Jingliang’s shoulder as he paraded inside the Octagon after his win against Russian fighter Muslim Salikhov at UFC Long Island on Saturday.

The 34-year-old Chinese mixed martial artist tried to protest and reclaim the flag after it was taken away by the official, but failed.

Many on social media were outraged by the new UFC policy, which was enacted in May just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s a dumb policy when they are putting the fighter’s flag next to their names during fight walkouts and introductions,” one Twitter user wrote.

“Stupid rule for no flags,” another user commented. “Just because he’s from China doesn’t mean he agrees with their government, political decisions etc. Let the man represent his upbringing and homeland where he made it out of, in order to become an MMA star in the biggest organization in the world.”

An Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) official reportedly snatched a Chinese flag that was draped over Li Jingliang’s shoulder as he was celebrating his TKO win over Russian fighter Muslim Salikhov last weekend.

Li, also known as “The Leech,” was parading around the Octagon after defeating Salikhov with a second-round TKO in UFC Long Island on Saturday when a UFC employee was suddenly spotted approaching the 34-year-old MMA fighter and ripping away his country’s flag.

The Chinese fighter’s efforts to reclaim his country’s flag failed, sparking outrage on Twitter, with one user pointing out the inconsistency of the new UFC policy.

“It’s a dumb policy when they are putting the fighter’s flag next to their names during fight walkouts and introductions,” the Twitter user wrote.

“Stupid rule for no flags,” another user commented. “Just because he’s from China doesn’t mean he agrees with their government, political decisions etc. Let the man represent his upbringing and homeland where he made it out of, in order to become an MMA star in the biggest organization in the world.”

Speaking to reporters before the fight via an interpreter, the Chinese mixed martial artist said Salikhov is a big name in China after the Russian mixed martial artist defeated several Chinese fighters.

“He basically owns all the Sanda awards, especially the 2008 Sanda exhibition fight,” Li continued. “So the media has been broadcasting our fight in China because it’s very big in China, me vs. Muslim.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNsvuXOi1l4

It is unclear why the UFC banned its fighters from parading their flags after their matches in May. In a UFC 274 post-match press conference, UFC President Dana White briefly responded to reporters regarding the policy, stating: “You guys know why. Let’s not even play that f*cking game.”

The new UFC policy came just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Li’s recent win came months after a disappointing loss to Swedish fighter Khamzat Chimaev in October 2021. Before his victory against Salikhov, Li was ranked No. 14 in the official UFC welterweight rankings. Saturday’s performance could reportedly help Li bounce back from his last defeat.

Featured Image via UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship

Li-Jingliang (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69628-Li-Jingliang)
China-MMA (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)
UFC-lawsuits-and-scandals (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50188-UFC-lawsuits-and-scandals)