San Shou Ignorance

[CD Lee]

I will totally show my ignorance here but due to the fact that I have not seen any on TV, Cable or DTV, I am at a dissadvantage. I am not really clear on what San Shou is and how exactly if relates to Kung Fu.

Just how much Kung Fu is allowed, and what are the limitations. Sport fighting is severely limited in techniques that can be safely used and is an entity unto itself in my opinion.

Also, there are so many styles of Kung Fu. What makes San Shou more closely aligned with Kung Fu vs. some other sport fighting such as Muy Tai or pancrase or NHB style competitions?

MightyB - you should have a fresh idea since you just competed in one.

[SanHeChuan]

check the site in my profile if you still have q's ask

[Ralek]

UFC is closer to kung fu since there are less restrictions on techniques. San shou does not use kung fu techniques. It uses western boxing and wrestling takedowns and muay thai and TKD side kicks.

Many kung fu people are turned off by san shou becuase it uses western fighting and rejects chinese kung fu but san shou is actually the most effective kung fu style (since it is muay thai and wrestling)

[Xebsball]

san shou is actually the most effective kung fu style

WRONG

[jon]

San Shao is a ring combat art developed by the Peoples Republic of China.

Its most similar to Thai boxing with the big difference being the 'clinch'.
In Thai boxing knees and elbows are used when the fighters start to clinch. In San Shao usualy throws are the order of the day.

Its ring combat in the true sence of the word, its NOT a streetfighting art.
Its also very good fun and an excerlent conditioning method and way for students to get some proper contact experience.

The main reason it comes off looking a little more like Kung Fu is there is less restrictions on the types of striking techniques. People use backfists and spinning movements and many different kicking techniques. Also obviously being traditionaly a Chinese made art many of the practioners are also traditional martial artists.

If you have anything specific please ask away and ill do my best to answer.


PS In MOST San Shao fights Knees and elbows are illegal, same with Thai boxing most throws are illegal. This is where the major difference lies. Other than that the two are actualy very closely related.

[CD Lee]

SanHeChuan:

Excellent. I have bookmarked and will look at further.

One big question: Where can one view SanShou matches and why have I not seen anything at least on cable or something like that? Looks like it would be pretty good to watch.

[Mutant]

CD-Lee,

San Shou is a ring (&/or lei tei) sport based on CMA. It is a modern full-contact training method, that uses traditional, as well as the best cutting edge modern (whether derived from China or not) training methods available. In this sense it is both, it is progressive. Many traditional methods and techniques ARE used (although this varies; other styles also compete but generaly do not dominate). Many of the core CMA techiques can be utilized with this gear on.

Check out www.marvinperry.org for some clips and info.

ps. ralek knows nothing about this sport.

[Braden]

Try to keep in mind the difference between a sportive venue and a system of training methods. This word can be used to describe forms of both, but these two things are not the same thing.

[NPMantis]

What do you mean wrong? Ralek? Shock horror! And there was me being under the impression his opinion counted for a lot on this forum.

[wusu2000]

Listen guys you are partly right and wrong. Here is a site that will explain everything. Also I want to add something. Thailand and China fought each other like 6 times already, the last fight was a couple of days ago in china. 6 competitors 1 being a female. Muay thai fighters lost 6 to 1. They only won two competions in the past year or so. China challenged or was challenged by Japan(karate),Korea(TKD),Thailand(MuayThai),Americ a(kickboxing, and boxing), and every country who fought lost. With an almost complete victory on every match. Sanshou is awsome and I hope to train in China and learn as much as I can next year. So here is the site
http://www.terra.es/personal/ealpan/articles/sandaw.htm

[Ralek]

I know nothing about san shou? If i remember correctly I have fought a san shou fighter in a challnege match who was the #3 winner in the national tournament or something who outwieghed me. And several of the people on this forum know him and he has told them that we fought.

I see san shou. What i see are WRESTLING moves. I see Double leg takedowns. I know what a doulbe leg takedown is. I see Wrestlings Supplexes. When did the chinese kung fu people start wrestling? You don't need to be an expert to see that san shou has borrowed the ancient art of wrestling. But mysteriously this is called kung fu moves. I guess wrestlers are really chinese kung fu stylists.

The TKD connection. The spinning backfists, side kicks, and lots of front leg kicks. It is the very stereotypical essence of TKD itself.

Muay thai. Watch the fight's striking. The leg checks, roundhouse with the shin.

I see every move in san shou being EXACTLY identical to something in Wrestling, TKD, or Muay thai (and sometimes judo). There is not one move that is not from these styles.

But throughout hundreds of challenge matches between BJJ people and kung fu people it has been proven that even an average BJJ blue belt can defeat Kung fu stylists who have been training for over 10 years. I knocked out a taijiquan instructor myself and i'm not even the striker type of fighter.

[dre]

Oh my sweet god! Can he shut up!?

[Ralek]

I am not dre. You can check my IP address if you don't beleive me.

[NPMantis]

So sorry, I forgot what a master of kung fu you were. Actually we do much grappling in kung fu, including double leg take downs, KF is not only a striking art... though I'm sure you already know this being a master of all things MA (and of course the hardest man on the forum, ha ha).

[Merryprankster]

Listen guys you are partly right and wrong. Here is a site that will explain everything. Also I want to add something. Thailand and China fought each other like 6 times already, the last fight was a couple of days ago in china. 6 competitors 1 being a female. Muay thai fighters lost 6 to 1. They only won two competions in the past year or so. China challenged or was challenged by Japan(karate),Korea(TKD),Thailand(MuayThai),Americ

Hey, look at me! I'm a Communist country that can hand-pick the people that fight here and we fought on Chinese soil with Chinese judges and hey, I forgot to mention we're a notoriously racist culture. And we WON those fights! Imagine that!

I'm not knocking San Shou--I love it, love watching it, would love to FIGHT in it, but this kind of stuff always smacks of the "It's the best," stuff.