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Thread: Xu Xiaodong Challenges to Kung Fu

  1. #136
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    Spot on topic

    Chinese MMA promotion Chin Woo Men under investigation for financial crimes
    The rising MMA promotion’s parent company is accused by Chinese regulators of ‘illegally absorbing public deposits’.
    By Tim Bissell @timothybissell Sep 3, 2018, 7:30pm EDT


    Guangzhou, China, home of Chin Woo Men’s parent company Guangzhou Elephant Health Technology Co. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images

    Chin Woo Men (sometimes referred to as Jing Wu Men) is a popular Chinese MMA promotion based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Since late 2016 CWM has hosted nine events in China, mostly in Guangdong, but also in Henan Province. CWM’s most recent card, in July 2018, included four fights with veterans from organizations such as Jungle Fight and Road FC.

    Lee Li of AsiaMMA.com writes that since being founded in 2016 CWM has received a lot of recognition in China, which is currently witnessing an uneasy boom in mixed martial arts. The sport has dramatically grown in popularity over recent years, but is yet to receive serious mainstream attention or any kind of endorsement from China’s government.

    In light of that uneasy relationship, AsiaMMA reported last week that Chinese MMA – and specifically CWM – has suffered a serious hit to their reputation. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Safety Bureau has opened an investigation into CWM’s parent company Guangzhou Elephant Health Technology Co. (GEHTC).

    Along with operating CWM, GEHTC owns Health Mall – a sports e-commerce platform that provides software to sports coaches and manages sports event intellectual property (per China Money Network).

    GETHC’s CEO Yang Huali has been arrested along with nine other executives from the company after accusations of “illegally absorbing public deposits.” AsiaMMA describes those charges as:

    ...companies “engaged in financial credit business not approved by The People’s Bank of China; illegally absorbing public deposits for the purpose to lend the funds for profit; or a legally established financial institution raising or lowering the interest rate of deposits in violation of commercial bank law and relevant laws and regulations in absorbing deposits”.
    Chinese outlet EcoSports states that individuals from the sports and sports education industry who invested tens of billions of yuan in GEHTC have formed WeChat groups where they accuse the company of defrauding them.


    AsiaMMA’s Li opined that the scandal may have repercussions for MMA in China, writing: “The incidence of alleged mishandled financing will likely increase the scrutiny under which the sport further develops.” This incident, which may have seen hundreds of individuals lose money to an MMA promoter, is not the first scandal that has threatened MMA’s shot at widespread appeal in China.

    Last year Chengdu’s En Bo Fight Club made international news when the club’s mysterious owner En Bo went public on his claims that he has ‘adopted’ hundreds of orphans and trained them to be fighters. Former TUF contestant Jeremy May was one of En Bo’s instructors, he spoke to Bloody Elbow about his experience training orphans last year. The local government stated that En Bo’s adoptions were illegal and removed a number of children from the gym so they could attend public schools.

    Also marring MMA’s reputation are the controversial activities of Beijing based MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong. Xu, aka ‘Mad Dog’, has gone viral over the past year by beating up Wing Chun and Tai Chi masters, much to the chagrin of traditional Chinese martial arts enthusiasts (and maybe the government).
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  2. #137
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    Wow. This made TIME

    Meet the Chinese MMA Fighter Taking on the Grandmasters of Kung Fu
    By CHARLIE CAMPBELL/BEIJING November 8, 2018

    Fighters aren’t usually the blushing type. But Xu Xiaodong can’t hide his embarrassment when asked about his latest battle scar, a three-inch crimson railroad track that snakes over his right eyebrow. It was caused, he says, by an overzealous opponent’s knee at a recent training session, during which Xu grappled with four younger mixed-martial-arts (MMA) fighters in quick succession. “I was tired by the end and bam!” Xu tells TIME in his Beijing gym. “Twenty-six stitches!”

    It’s by far the most obvious of the 40-year-old’s war wounds, eclipsing even cauliflower ears and a catalog of creaking bones. But it’s nowhere near the deepest. Xu has spent a lifetime fighting, first at school and later channeling a red-hot adolescent temper into competitive MMA. But the fiercest blows he suffered were far from the ring, when he took on practitioners of traditional Chinese martial arts, known officially as wushu but more colloquially as simply kung fu.

    The dispute started with an argument on social media. Xu wanted Wei Lei, a kung fu master in the discipline of tai chi, to account for the outlandish powers he claimed to possess. Wei boasted of using an invisible force field to keep a dove on his hand, and pulverizing a watermelon’s innards without damaging its skin. The idea that masters of kung fu achieve mystical skills is widely accepted in China; Wei is just one of many making such claims. Xu believes this “fake kung fu” sullies true martial arts. The online quarrel escalated, and before long Xu and Wei were facing off in a basement in the central Chinese city of Chengdu for a bare-knuckle match. Xu says he only wanted to open people’s eyes, but the bout was billed as East vs. West, the master of a hallowed tradition vs. an alien upstart.

    In the video of the April 27, 2017, bout that later went viral on social media, Xu takes a standard MMA striking pose. Wei shuffles to and fro with both arms raised like a praying mantis. After sizing each other up for a few seconds, Xu advances, furiously hurling punches at Wei’s head. The tai chi master instantly tumbles onto the checkerboard matting. Xu leaps forward and rains down blows on his opponent until the referee stops the fight. Victory had taken 20 seconds.

    The bout left Xu with barely a scratch but a life in tatters. The video quickly became a viral sensation on China’s social-media platforms. Online trolls accused Xu of humiliating traditional Chinese culture, and he found he was banned from social media. The Chinese Wushu Association condemned the “suspected illegal actions that violate the morals of martial arts.” He and his family received death threats.

    Many wanted a rematch. One aggrieved Chinese entrepreneur offered $1.45 million to any fighter who could defeat Xu. Other tai chi practitioners began challenging Xu both online and in person, setting up camp outside the MMA gym in Beijing that he manages. Some brazenly wandered in to pick fights.

    Xu insists his aim was not to disparage Chinese martial arts, but to show that what is often sold as a powerful fighting skill is useless in actual close combat situations. But his efforts were framed by his critics as placing the Western culture of MMA above cherished Eastern traditions–a perfidious sin in an increasingly nationalist China. President Xi Jinping has made reviving traditional Chinese culture a signature policy, deploying kung fu to boost the nation’s “soft power” overseas. Now, here was a man apparently dedicated to exposing it as a fraud.

    “A lot of people have been brainwashed by these fake kung fu masters,” says Xu, who broke his silence to talk to TIME. “I’m trying to wake them up and let them know what real traditional kung fu actually is.”

    The supposedly 4,000-year-old roots of kung fu can still be glimpsed in China’s Henan province, home of the fearsome fighting monks of Shaolin Buddhism. Dating from A.D. 495, the Shaolin temple is perched on the west side of the forested Mount Songshan, one of China’s so-called five Sacred Mountains.

    According to legend, the monastery’s fighting prowess evolved from perfecting household chores like sweeping, fetching buckets of river water and collecting firewood. Feuding warlords would eagerly petition the warrior monks’ help for their bloody campaigns. Even after the Shaolin temple was routed for subversive activities during the Qing dynasty, its influence spread as its monastic diaspora journeyed across the Middle Kingdom and as far as Japan.

    Today, life inside the temple begins before daybreak, when the hundred resident monks shuffle into the central shrine to perform a 5 a.m. ritual. Kneeling before golden statues of the Buddha, they chant melodic rites accented by drum and cymbal, beneath bronze effigies of the order’s iconic warrior brethren.

    Later, the tourists arrive and the monks get to work. Novices put on kung fu shows where they tumble through the air, shatter metal bars over skulls and bend wooden spears with throats. Lithe performers adopt animalistic fighting styles, like monkey, leopard and leaping bullfrog. The reputation of the Shaolin monks has traveled far and wide; organizations using its name are all across China and the world. There are now around 140 Shaolin schools in 70 nations, according to local media.

    In the U.S. kung fu entered the culture in the 1960s and ’70s, partly due to Bruce Lee, the U.S.-born actor and martial artist who starred in cult movies Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury. His popularity helped pave the way for actors like Jackie Chan and Jet Li to turn kung fu expertise into Hollywood stardom. In the 1990s, hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan littered their music with references to the Shaolin temple and samples from Chinese kung fu movies.

    But kung fu’s cultural reputation has taken a battering with the rise of MMA, and in particular the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The first UFC tournament in 1993 was billed as pitting different martial art styles against one another, featuring experts in kung fu, karate, wrestling and even sumo. In the end, Brazilian jujitsu reigned supreme.

    A quarter of a century later, MMA rivals boxing in global popularity, augmented by the booming celebrity of stars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. Many fans prefer the intensity of the format and stripped-down rules. Brazilian jujitsu, Thai kickboxing and wrestling remain the pillars of MMA fighting. The fluid acrobatics of wushu barely feature.

    In China, kung fu remains a powerful draw. A study by Chinese Internet giant NetEase estimated the wushu industry’s worth at billions of dollars, including film, television, education, tourism and retail. Its official association boasts of 2 million full-time students at 12,000 academies. But MMA is catching up, with several rival promotions vying for supremacy. When Canadian MMA fighter Vaughn “Blud” Anderson moved to Beijing in 2008, there were maybe five MMA contests all year. Now there can be 10 in a weekend. “It’s growing faster here than anywhere else in the world,” he says.
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  3. #138
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    Continued from previous post

    Shaolin temple abbot Shi Yong Xin tells TIME kung fu can’t be compared to MMA because its true essence is spiritual rather than simply physical, bringing not superpowers but inner peace. But many people in China still give credence to the idea that the most skilled practitioners have supernatural abilities, and there’s no shortage of self-styled masters willing to go along with the ruse. A quick glance on YouTube reveals kung fu masters with claims of telekinesis and “shamanic dances that open up other realms of existence.” Some make money by promising to train others, and many have passionate disciples; the defeated Wei, for example, has 94,000 followers on China’s Twitter-like microblog Weibo.

    The Shaolin temple itself is not free of commercialization. As the monks practice before rapt audiences, hawkers brandish DVDs. Shi himself has a gold-embossed business card with no less than three QR codes on it. But he says crooked kung fu practitioners and teachers often use the temple’s name without permission. “I had one worker who wasn’t even a monk but quit and started his own Shaolin school,” he says bitterly.

    So Shi backs Xu’s campaign to rid kung fu of deceptive practitioners, like the female tai chi master who claims she can repel 12 opponents without using her hands. “He’s a good guy, even though he’s a totally amateur MMA fighter,” Shi says, before quipping to a fellow monk that “a hundred people in Henan province alone” could defeat Xu. But overall, concedes the abbot, “Xu is doing the right thing by fighting fake kung fu.”

    Xu’s battle is increasingly a lonely one, however, as the Chinese government is weaponizing kung fu for its own propaganda purposes. This year, the Shaolin temple controversially flew the Chinese national flag for the first time, illustrating its “patriotic” credentials under the auspices of the all-powerful Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong–born actor among the most beloved icons in kung fu, became a political adviser to the party in 2013 and now regularly appears on its behalf.

    In this context, it’s easy to see why Xu weathered such a backlash. His mission to expose unscrupulous kung fu masters was a threat to the cultural outreach of the CCP. The idea that kung fu is unique, with perhaps otherworldly elements, gives it popular currency that sets it apart from Western combat skills. “Everybody thinks that in Shaolin there’s some secret knowledge that nobody wants to teach to others, especially the ‘evil foreigners,'” says Marta Neskovic, 26, a Serbian doctorate student who’s training at the temple for her fieldwork on Shaolin kung fu.

    Even veterans of other forms of pugilism believe. “I know Chinese MMA fighters who believe there are kung fu experts who live in mountain caves and can disappear and reappear at will,” says Anderson. He suspects ancient kung fu morphed toward the cabalistic because modern weaponry was making hand-to-hand combat less relevant. “It just isn’t efficient as a form of full-contact combat with a resisting opponent,” he says. “Bullfrog kung fu cannot be what defended the empire.”

    Proving that to nationalistic Chinese will be difficult, but Xu has dedicated himself to trying. After his defeat of Wei, police stopped a second bout against tai chi master Ma Baoguo, and the mounting opprobrium forced Xu to retreat from public gaze.

    Yet he can claim a partial success. In November 2017, China’s General Administration of Sport issued a directive apparently in response to Xu’s bout with Wei, clamping down on self-appointed masters and demanding practitioners “build correct values about martial arts.” But it also banned unauthorized fights, in a bid to stifle debate about the relative merits of traditional and modern martial arts. On Nov. 5, Xu heard he was barred “indefinitely” from organizing tournaments for fighters at his gym.

    Nevertheless, Xu is continuing his personal campaign. In April, he fought and defeated kung fu master Ding Hao in under two minutes, and he’s planning another bout against what he says will be three “top, top” kung fu masters in a single day. He hopes that each victory will stifle his dissenters and restore normality to his life. Defeat isn’t an option, he says. “I cut their way of making money by exposing them,” he says. “So I cannot stop, as then the whole weight of pressure will come crushing down on me. I have no choice but to keep on fighting.”

    –With reporting by ZHANG CHI/BEIJING
    Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.
    This appears in the November 19, 2018 issue of TIME.
    Anti-PRC undertone here?
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  4. #139
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    I was wondering if Abbot Yongxin's comment would raise any eyebrows

    KUNG FU PANDER
    A fighting style touting inner peace sparks a cultural war in China
    By Ephrat Livni November 13, 2018


    Challenges to the magical powers of kung fu practitioners aren’t appreciated.

    Tradition and modernity are always at war, at least figuratively. In China, however, the battle between mixed martial arts and wushu—or kung fu—is now literal and political, pitting old-school grandmasters against a new style of scrapper. And the Chinese government doesn’t approve.

    Xu Xiaodong, a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, riled traditionalists last year by defeating tai chi master Wei Lei, who claims mystical powers, in a brisk showdown that lasted just a few seconds. MMA is a postmodern fighting style, a pastiche of the world’s most effective forms and a sport that’s grown increasingly popular internationally. Xu was forced to go into hiding as the viral video of the fight inspired death threats by people who felt he was mocking tradition. A reprimand from the Chinese Wushu Association accused him of “suspected illegal actions that violate the morals of martial arts.”

    The MMA fighter emerged from hiding and in April won another big showdown against kung fu master Ding Hao in less than two minutes. Again, the win did little to convince traditionalists of Xu’s loyalty to Chinese culture. On Nov. 5, Xu learned that local sporting authorities were barring him “indefinitely” from organizing tournaments for MMA fighters at his gym in Beijing.

    Xu contends that he isn’t trying to undermine traditional fighting styles. Rather, he’s attempting to expose phony masters who make unfounded and outlandish claims about mystical powers. “A lot of people have been brainwashed by these fake kung fu masters,” Xu tells Time. “I’m trying to wake them up and let them know what real traditional kung fu actually is.”

    Wushu was developed by Zen master Boddhidharma, who brought Buddhism from India to China around 500 AD, and developed in the remote forest mountain temple Shaolin. Its approach is shrouded in mysticism and myth. Some practitioners claim to be able to defy gravity, for example. Before his loss to Xu, the tai chi master Wei claimed to be able to control invisible force fields. These claims, and Shaolin temple’s mystical aura, were popularized in kung fu movies by Bruce Lee and, more recently, in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as in the music of the Wu Tang Clan.

    While some monks may possess spiritual powers, like self-mastery, not every alleged grandmaster is a magician. That’s why Xu’s view has support from Shi Yong Xin, abbot of the Shaolin temple.

    Shi argues that kung fu and MMA are fundamentally different. Wushu is, at heart, a spiritual practice, though mastery involves rigorous physical training, so the abbot doesn’t consider the new style of fighting, or its proponent Xu, much of a threat. From his perspective, wushu is a method to cultivate inner peace.

    Of Xu, Shi says, “He’s a good guy, even though he’s a totally amateur MMA fighter…a hundred people in Henan province alone” could defeat him. Still, according to the abbot, “Xu is doing the right thing by fighting fake kung fu.”He, too, believes that con artists promote a mythology about wushu and the monks of the Shaolin temple that in the long term detracts from traditional practices.

    While the abbot and the new-school fighter may see eye to eye on debunking myths about magical abilities advanced by sham masters, the Chinese government isn’t thrilled with Xu. Kung fu is part of its “soft power” campaign to promote Chinese culture around the world. Hong Kong–born actor Jackie Chan, whose kung fu movies are widely adored, is a revered national figure who has been advising the Communist party on promotion since 2013. The politically agnostic Shaolin temple controversially flew the Chinese national flag for the first time to show support for the government this year.

    The rise of MMA and the apparent ability of Xu to dominate in fights against old-school masters is problematic in the government’s view. Worldwide, love of king fu has been lucrative for China, bringing in billions of dollars from films and schools, while cultivating affection and respect in practitioners and admirers internationally.

    Xu is undaunted, however, displaying the spirit of a true fighter. He’s vowed to continue fighting nonetheless, though he’s up against two formidable opponents—tradition and the state. It may be a losing proposition.

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  5. #140
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    Lei Lei is a clown. Here's his latest bout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3oOFoT9ZYk
    These guys are not exactly advancing TCMA, ha ha...

    At least it sounds like he finally got some sense beaten into him though:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB1DHVZj7F4

    I think it's time for him to choose a new hobby.

    BT

  6. #141
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    Zhu Chunping vs. Yao Hantian

    Srsly? Zhu Chunping is really too dumb to have accepted this challenge.

    Chinese kick-boxer knocks out tai chi master with one punch in latest blow to traditional martial arts
    Zhu Chunping, 47, lasts only five seconds against Yao Hantian
    The 22-year-old Yao has been training kick-boxing for just six months
    PUBLISHED : Saturday, 24 November, 2018, 6:01pm
    UPDATED : Saturday, 24 November, 2018, 6:16pm
    Nicolas Atkin
    https://twitter.com/nicoscmp



    Traditional martial arts has suffered another blow in the battle for supremacy with more modern forms of combat after footage emerged of a Chinese kick-boxer flattening a tai chi master with just one punch.

    The 47-year-old expert Zhu Chunping, who has been practising tai chi for decades, hit the canvas five seconds into a bout with Yao Hantian, a 22-year-old amateur who has only been training kick-boxing for six months.

    The cross-disciplinary fight took place earlier this month at an event put on by the Shanghai-based Shengshi Yinghao Club in Suzhou, eastern China. The card also featured seven kick-boxing matches and one MMA bout, with around 1,500 spectators watching.

    Doctors rushed into the ring to check on Zhu, with Shengshi Yinghao Club director Li Yong admitting the organisers had not expected things to end so quickly.

    “Upon examination, Master Zhu was fine. He recovered for one minute then walked down the ring by himself,” Li, who also coaches Yao, told MailOnline.

    At 1.7 metres, Zhu is one inch shorter than Yao but three kilograms heavier at 75kg. Organisers said Zhu is also a master with traditional weapons such as swords and sticks.

    Li said the fight was not arranged to determine the supremacy of one form over the other, but for mutual improvement.

    He also defended tai chi after the outcome of the fight had prompted ridicule of Zhu and the traditional form, but admitted it was an outdated style compared to modern combat sports.


    Zhu Chunping is hit by Yao Hantian. Photo: Shengshi Yinghao Club

    “Tai chi can improve one’s health and temperament and has a lot of philosophy of martial arts in it,” Li said.

    “A lot of the kick-boxing techniques come from tai chi, such as shoulder roll and the way you use your strength while kicking. It is an important part of modern boxing.”

    Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong sparked controversy last May when he pummelled self-proclaimed tai chi master Wei Lei in just 11 seconds. Such was the outrage of some, a Chinese tycoon offered a total of US$1.45 million to anyone who could defeat Xu and “defend the dignity” of martial artists.

    Xu said he was assaulted in September 2017 by two strangers claiming they represented traditional martial arts. He said the attack went on for 15 minutes, and forced him to withdrew from public life for a few months.

    But the 40-year-old resurfaced in April this year, beating kung fu master Ding Hao in under two minutes.

    He broke his silence earlier this month, vowing he would keep on exposing “kung fu fakery” but claimed he had been barred “indefinitely” from organising tournaments for fighters at his Beijing gym.

    Li appeared to share some of Xu’s sentiments, saying that modern masters do not know how best to convey the sophistication of traditional arts.

    “All they do is boast that they could fight, which leads to the opposition between modern boxing and those ‘fake’ kung fu masters,” Li said.

    “Chinese kung fu is great, but it has been used in the wrong place by people with their own agenda.”

    Tai chi is said to have been invented in 17th century China, and is one of the most popular sports with Chinese state media claiming it is practised by more than 250 million people worldwide.
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  7. #142
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    UFC Performance Institute Shanghai



    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.


    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.


    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)
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  8. #143
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    He's back

    Xu Xiaodong bludgeons another kung fu ‘master’ as Chinese MMA fighter leaves 56-year-old looking like he’s trying Bird Box challenge
    ‘Mad Dog’ shatters Tian Ye’s nose in seconds with brutal elbows in one-sided mauling
    Outspoken Xu toys with 56-year-old and mocks him before vicious TKO
    PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 15 January, 2019, 6:43pm
    UPDATED : Tuesday, 15 January, 2019, 7:30pm
    Nicolas Atkin
    https://twitter.com/nicoscmp



    Xu Xiaodong, the outspoken mixed martial arts star who has made it his mission to expose “fake kung fu”, is back doing what he does best.

    The man known as “Mad Dog” took on another kung fu “master” in China last weekend, this time under kick-boxing rules, and left his latest victim heavily bandaged and bruised.

    A Chinese tycoon reportedly put up 30 million yuan (US$4.4 million) in prize money for 56-year-old Tian Ye if he could defeat Xu, who has outraged many in China and caused debate in the traditional martial arts community with a series of brutal knockout wins in fights against practitioners of kung fu.

    Tian was guaranteed 3 million yuan even if he lost. But while his name may translate as “Wild Fury”, he could offer anything but that as 40-year-old Xu toyed with his opponent and mocked him before finishing him in the second round.

    Tian started the fight off by throwing a flurry of punches, which Xu barely even bothered to defend against before exploding with a brutal combination of elbows to the face.


    Xu Xiaodong lands an elbow that breaks Tian Ye’s nose.

    Blood began to pour from Tian’s clearly broken nose as the referee pulled the fighters apart with barely 30 seconds gone.

    Xu turned away and shrugged his shoulders, and Tian went over to his corner to be treated by his team. His trainer then appeared to wave to the referee that his fighter could not continue, with Tian’s nose flattened.



    Xu began showboating and dancing in the ring as Tian got bandaged up, before slumping over looking bored in the corner and pretending to fall asleep.

    But Tian re-emerged heavily bandaged with his eyes and nose almost entirely covered, looking less like a professional fighter and more like someone trying their hand at the “Bird Box Challenge” – a trend inspired by the hit Netflix film – where people blindfold themselves and do dumb things.


    Xu Xiaodong pretends to sleep.

    And taking on Xu when you’re 56 years old and have evidently had very little MMA training is certainly a dumb thing.

    Xu could have ended things quickly but instead of further pulverising Tian’s face, he took mercy and reeled off some brutal leg kicks.


    Tian Ye is bandaged up.

    “To me, he was a very nice person to do that,” wrote one commentator on YouTube. “If he was nasty, he would have just kept attacking his nose.”

    Tian came out swinging again but Xu continued to shrug off his offence. Some more kicks took away Tian’s leading leg before Xu dropped him with an overhand left.


    Xu Xiaodong floors Tian Ye.

    The referee checked Tian out and somehow cleared him to continue. Xu then threw a spinning back kick and turned his back and casually walked away, as Tian comically tried to punch him from behind, before the bell sounded.

    The fight went into a second round, and in more farcical scenes, the ref then got hit by a stray right hand from Tian and was knocked backwards with his earpiece falling out.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  9. #144
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    Continued from previous post


    Xu Xiaodong casually turns his back on Tian Ye.

    Xu was clearly taking it easy, and was being far less aggressive than in his other fights, perhaps looking to get a little bit more screen time as he embarrassed his opponent.

    He let Tian punch himself out with some non-stop windmilling but then decided enough was enough, charging forward and throwing a devastating flying knee to the body at 1:27 of the second round. Add that one to the highlight reel.


    Xu Xiaodong lands a knee.

    Xu then took a bow before giving a nonchalant interview in the ring. Asked if there would be a rematch, Xu said: “No, we don’t have anything more to do with each other, me and this guy.”

    The effect of that flying kick could be seen in the form of a huge welt on Tian’s right rib area, while there were several other large bruises on his legs.

    Still, he stood in the centre of the ring and waved to the crowd.


    Tian Ye waves to the crowd.

    “I’m a martial artist, so I need to be able to take challenges,” Tian said. “I will pull out my sword when needed.”

    The interviewer responded: “Yes, you pulled out your sword, but unfortunately it wasn’t sharp and it didn’t have its chance to shine.”


    Tian Ye crawls on his knees as Xu Xiaodong is declared the winner.

    As with most of Xu’s fights, this one caused plenty of debate.

    “Fights like this don’t make traditional martial arts look good. I’m surprised that almost a year after Xu Xiaodong’s first fight there hasn’t been a martial artist serious enough to challenge him,” said one user on YouTube.

    Female UFC fighter Polyana Viana rubbishes fake ‘arrest warrant’ story after beating up man who tried to mug her in Brazil


    Xu Xiaodong mocks his opponent.

    Another said: “The reason fights like this matter is because there is this idea in Asian martial arts that size and age can stop mattering in a fight when technique is applied, which is total c***.

    “Put any 56-year-old kung fu martial artist who has ever lived against Yoel Romero or Jon Jones and they will get murdered. These martial arts do not work and their philosophies are flawed and harmful.”


    Xu Xiaodong lands a vicious kick.

    “Xu Xiaodong should at least fight someone who is younger or fit. Him fighting all these old men is pointless,” said another user.

    One comment read: “I don’t agree with how he disrespects traditional martial arts, but eventually traditional martial arts was going to get called out.”


    Tian Ye tries to pick himself up off the canvas.

    “These guys [traditional martial artists] bend steel and break bricks at exhibitions but when it comes to real fighting they look like rank amateurs,” said another.

    A comment read: “Xu Xiaodong is not a good fighter by any means, but that’s the whole point, even a s*** fighter can destroy these so-called masters that claim to have deadly martial art skills, these people are closer to scam artists then martial artists, they seek undeserved attention and praise by claiming to be unbeatable fighters.”
    I'm changing the title of this thread from "That MMA vs Taiji Fight Everyones Talking About" to "Xu Xiaodong Challenges to Kung Fu". That original fight seems so long ago now.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  10. #145
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    Xu Xiaodong v. Yi Long

    Column by Nicolas Atkin
    Xu Xiaodong could next face Yi Long – but this ‘fake Shaolin monk’ can actually fight
    Chinese MMA fighter will need to take Yi Long a lot more seriously than usual martial arts frauds
    Yi Long is self-trained in Shaolin kung fu but has serious kick-boxing pedigree
    PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 16 January, 2019, 5:18pm
    UPDATED : Wednesday, 16 January, 2019, 5:45pm
    Nicolas Atkin
    https://twitter.com/nicoscmp



    Xu Xiaodong’s return to fighting was such a stroll he even pretended to fall asleep in the corner of the ring at one point. But he could be caught napping if he takes his next opponent so lightly.

    The Chinese MMA fighter bludgeoned a 56-year-old kung fu “master” last weekend, breaking Tian Ye’s nose in a matter of seconds before toying with and mocking his then-heavily bandaged opponent, so pathetic were the blows being aimed his way.

    And after another quick TKO victory, reports in Chinese media suggest the 40-year-old “Mad Dog” will next face Yi Long, the “fake Shaolin monk”.

    But unlike the other traditional martial arts frauds Xu has pulverised on his mission to expose “fake kung fu”, Yi Long can actually fight.

    Xu Xiaodong bludgeons another kung fu ‘master’ as Chinese MMA fighter leaves 56-year-old looking like he’s trying Bird Box challenge


    Xu Xiaodong pretends to sleep while his opponent is bandaged up. Photo: YouTube

    Competing in yellow trousers with a shaved head, he has previously billed himself as the “No 1 Shaolin kung fu monk”.

    But a Shaolin Temple spokesman said in December 2010 that he “is neither a kung fu monk of Shaolin Temple, nor could he be named as the No 1 Shaolin kung fu monk at all”.

    Still, he is no joke. Yi Long is a Chinese Wushu and Sanshou kick-boxer who is self-trained in Shaolin kung fu, with a kick-boxing record of 61-12-1.

    Xu Xiaodong, the Chinese MMA fighter who pummels martial arts masters, vows to expose kung fu ‘fakery’


    Yi Long is self-trained in Shaolin kung fu. Photo: Instagram

    “Shaolin kung fu and Muay Thai have many things in common,” he has said. “Muay Thai is good at steel knees, iron elbows and iron legs, those who master Muay Thai have strong defences.

    “It’s the same in Shaolin kung fu. In Shaolin we have iron fists, iron legs and iron cloth,” he added, meaning the body is hard enough to defend any attack.

    Many observers have been saying Xu will get his comeuppance one day when he stops fighting such feeble opposition, and Yi Long could be the man to provide a challenge by combining the strengths of kung fu with more modern fighting practices.


    Tian Ye is interviewed after being bludgeoned by Xu Xiaodong. Photo: YouTube

    Despite being just 1.76-metres tall and weighing 76 kilograms, he got a TKO win against the 2.2-metres tall Korean super-heavyweight Choi Hong-man at knockout-only promotion MAS Fight’s debut event in Macau last November with a brutal spinning back kick to the body.

    Chinese media reported that MAS Fight would like to book a fight between Yi Long and Xu, though said a deal hasn’t been completed yet and they are trying to confirm the news soon.


    Yi Long in action for MAS Fight. Photo: Instagram

    Yi Long has previously called out Xu, writing on his microblog in 2017 he would not tolerate Xu’s belittling of traditional martial arts, and called him a “shameless fraud”.

    If the details can be ironed out, Xu is in for a much stiffer challenge – Yi Long has held his own against Buakaw Banchamek, fighting the Muay Thai legend twice with one win apiece.


    He is also thought to be the unnamed Chinese kick-boxer that MMA coach John Kavanagh said had offered UFC star Conor McGregor US$5 million for a fight last month.

    “He would absolutely massacre Xu Xiaodong,” was the verdict of another observer of Xu’s embarrassingly one-sided fight against Tian on YouTube.

    “Yi Long is going to crush Xu Xiaodong,” another wrote. “Xiaodong has never come across as particularly adroit or athletic; it’s what makes his easy wins over traditional Chinese martial arts guys so notable.

    “Yi Long, on the other hand, is a very good professional fighter who is in peak shape.”


    Xu Xiaodong lands an elbow on Tian Ye. Photo: YouTube

    It would certainly be a tougher challenge than most of Xu’s fights – he usually takes on opponents smaller and older than him, who have little to no fight training.

    It’s not his fault, of course, that these fools masquerading as “masters” in traditional martial arts choose to challenge him.

    Still, a video of Tian slowly limping through the airport has surfaced online, showing just how brutal Xu’s kicks, elbows and punches can be.



    Tian Ye can console himself with the 3 million yuan he earned just for fighting – a Chinese tycoon promised him 30 million yuan if he could win, such is the anger Xu has caused among some in the traditional martial arts community – but Yi Long is not some bum picked off the street.

    “I just hope that Xu Xiaodong takes his match with Yi Long more seriously than he did this one,” a commenter said.

    Xu Xiadong mocks his opponent. Photo: YouTube
    Indeed, Xu has some legitimate skill and experience and can hold his own – he puts in the hours training in his Beijing gym – but he can’t afford to drop his hands to his waist and showboat here.

    If he can put together a proper defensive strategy, it could lead to an interesting fight. Either way, it will certainly be more competitive that his mauling of poor old Tian Ye.
    At least Yi Long has some ring experience, unlike the rest of Xu Xiaodong's opponents.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  11. #146
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    Let's focus on Tian Ye

    I'm copying this thread Tian Ye - 56-year-old Kung Fu loser from the Xu Xiaodong Challenges to Kung Fu thread.

    So what is up with Tian Ye? Why does some 56-year-old self-proclaimed Kung Fu master get to represent Kung Fu so badly? Why does he fight much younger, stronger and more skilled opponents?


    Kung fu ‘master’ Tian Ye returns from Xu Xiaodong beating to face Chinese taekwondo black belt – and results aren’t pretty

    Tian Ye gets back in the ring after his brutal humiliation at the hands of MMA’s ‘Mad Dog’
    But Zhang Long toys with 56-year-old and laughs at his pathetic offence
    Nicolas Atkin
    Published: 10:37am, 22 May, 2019


    Kung fu ‘master’ Tian Ye looks to strike Chinese taekwondo black belt Zhang Long. Photos: YouTube

    The last time we saw Tian Ye, his head was wrapped in bandages as he shuffled through a Chinese airport having had his face and legs brutalised by the punches and kicks of Xu Xiaodong.
    Well, the 56-year-old kung fu “master” decided he wanted another taste of the action, and was back to take on Chinese taekwondo black belt Zhang Long last weekend.
    The fight took place in Karamay in Xinjiang on the same “card” as Xu’s quick demolition of another “master” – this time from wing chun. Tian did not look like he had learned much from the pummelling he took from Xu in January, though.



    Zhang toyed with his opponent throughout the fight, landing kicks at will to Tian’s body and face before the referee showed some mercy and called it off in the third round.
    The much younger taekwondo practitioner, who is in much better physical shape than his overweight opponent, almost looked bored, as if he is did not need the fight against a man whose name translates as “Wild Fury” seriously.


    Zhang Long laughs at the weak offence of Tian Ye.

    Zhang laughed on the rare occasion that Tian landed his weak jabs, with Tian even trying to sneak a few in after the bell to end the first round.
    The elder fighter also tried to take down Zhang and deliver some ground and pound, despite it being against the rules of the bout, in the knowledge his striking was having no effect.
    “TKD [taekwondo] guy definitely didn’t want to injure his elder,” wrote one user in the comments on YouTube channel Fight Commentary Breakdowns’ video of the bout.
    “He is just toying with the kung fu guy and being smug, that was really sad to watch,” wrote another. “I do ITF {a form of taekwondo] and that’s not how we do things. Also, the referee was completely irresponsible.”
    One user said: “TKD bravado at its best. Or worst. Kung Fu guy was no threat and the TKD was toying with him. Total lack of respect but I can’t blame him.”
    Tian had reportedly been guaranteed 3 million yuan (US$434,340) to get bludgeoned by Xu, but it’s not certain how much he received here to get his face all bruised up again.
    Oh right. $434,340 is enough for a lot of people to humiliate themselves...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  12. #147
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    Xu Xiaodong MMA vs Pressure Point Wing Chun - Ip Man Wing Chun Tested

    Gene Ching
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  13. #148
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    I've been wondering when Xu might cross this line...

    China orders Xu Xiaodong to publicly apologise and pay damages for insulting tai chi ‘grandmaster’ Chen Xiaowang
    Chinese court rules outspoken MMA fighter has to pay ‘world-renowned’ Chen Xiaowang around 400,000 yuan
    ‘Mad Dog’ also has to say sorry to Chen for seven consecutive days on Chinese social media
    Nicolas Atkin
    Published: 2:47pm, 24 May, 2019


    Xu Xiaodong (left) will publicly apologise to Chen Xiaowang (right) and pay him damages. Photo: Tom Wang/chenxiaowang.com

    Outspoken MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has been ordered by the Chinese courts to pay hundreds of thousands of yuan in damages and publicly apologise on social media for insulting a tai chi “grandmaster”.
    Chen Xiaowang bills himself on his own website as the “19th generation lineage holder of Chen family taijiquan” and “one of the few holders of the highest rank of 9th Duan Wei conferred by the Chinese Wushu Association”.
    These accolades have been bestowed on him “not only for his high level of achievements in tai chi, but also for the impact of his substantial worldwide contributions in introducing, promoting and developing Chen style taijiquan”.
    That didn’t stop Xu from calling Chen a fraud a couple of years ago – but it seems he was playing with fire.



    Chen is a board member of the Henan Institute of Sport and has the backing of the powerful Chinese Wushu Association, which has not taken kindly to Xu’s mission to expose “fake kung fu” by pulverising traditional martial artists who he believes are swindling the public.
    The 41-year-old was sued for defamation and now a court document translated by YouTube channel Fight Commentary Breakdowns shows that Xu has to pay Chen around 400,000 yuan.


    The court document detailing Xu Xiaodong’s punishments. Photo: Fight Commentary Breakdowns

    “Mad Dog” must also apologise to Chen for seven consecutive days on Chinese social media platform NetEase.
    The court document also shows some other punishments handed out to Xu, who now has a D-level social credit score in China.

    That means he can’t ride in second class or above on planes or sleeper trains, nor ride high-speed trains – which is why it took him 36 hours to travel to his latest bout in Karamay, Xinjiang, where he brutalised a wing chun “master” in less than a minute.


    Chen Xiaowang is a ‘grandmaster’ in taijiquan. Photo: chenxiaowang.com

    Xu is also barred from staying at certain hotels and golf courses, and has restrictions relating to buying or renting property and taking other modes of transport.
    Xu doesn’t have children but if he did, there would be education restrictions placed on them too.
    It seems like a costly mistake for Xu to have criticised Chen, who bills himself as a “direct descendant” of the creator of taijiquan, Cheng Wangting, and the grandson of Chen Fa’ke who was “renowned as the greatest taijiquan master at the beginning of the 20th century”.

    Chen says he received “rigorous training” in Chen family taijiquan theory, forms, weapons, push hands and free sparring from his father and uncles.
    He also boasts of winning three consecutive gold medals at the National Taijiquan Competition from 1980 to 1982, and in 1985 he became world champion for China at the First International Martial Arts Competition in Xi’an. He says he has since been champion in taijiquan more than 20 times.
    Chen’s accolades don’t stop there. He has also apparently choreographed and directed martial arts films and written books and essays on taijiquan which “have been translated into many languages and published worldwide”, and left China in 1990 “on a mission to promote taijiquan to the world”.

    He apparently also travels each year a distance “equivalent to twice the circumference of the earth” promoting and teaching taijiquan in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
    “Chen’s big heartedness, his outstanding taijiquan skills, and his personal characteristics make him highly respected around the world,” his own website says.
    “He is truly the most outstanding Chen family taijiquan master of his generation and a world-renowned martial artist.”
    Interesting that this news article puts 'grandmaster' in quotes for Chen Xiaowang.

    THREAD
    Xu Xiaodong Challenges to Kung Fu
    Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang
    Gene Ching
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  14. #149
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    More on Mad Dog


    China’s censorship of Xu Xiaodong for exposing fake martial arts masters is alarming

    Outspoken MMA fighter has to hide his face with clown make-up and use demeaning fake name for latest fight
    ‘Mad Dog’ is disappearing from Chinese search engine listings – and being forced to apologise on social media
    Nicolas Atkin
    Published: 1:47pm, 25 May, 2019


    Xu Xiaodong angrily stalks the ring after winning his latest fight in less than a minute. Photos: YouTube

    Xu Xiaodong’s nickname may be “Mad Dog”, but the Chinese MMA fighter looked even angrier than usual dealing out his latest beat down of a kung fu fraud.
    The 41-year-old pulverised balding pressure point wing chun “master” Lu Gang in Karamay, China, last weekend breaking his hapless opponent’s nose and beating him in 47 seconds.
    But exposing yet another fake martial artist didn’t seem to satisfy Xu, who still looked spitting mad as he paced around the ring while a doctor tended to his most recent victim.
    That’s because the humiliation and punishment he is having to deal with from Chinese authorities is increasing.



    If you are in China, you might not have even heard of the fight, because many Chinese search engines have stopped listing him – you have to subscribe to people on WeChat that talk about him if you want to get the latest.
    Xu was not allowed to use his real name or even show his face for this event because authorities won’t let him promote himself. He was given a demeaning nickname – Winter Melon – poking fun at his size (he was 100lbs heavier than his scrawny opponent) and was wearing clown make-up, under threat that the event would not be livestreamed unless he agreed.


    The referee speaks to Xu Xiaodong and Lu Gang before their fight.

    The ring announcers in Karamay seemed far more interested in promoting the balding wing chun master, too. They gave Lu a lengthy and gushing introduction, bigging up his abilities, on his way down to the ring, which he comically tripped up trying to enter.
    Lu tried to run away after being knocked down three times, and was thankfully saved by the referee stepping in – not before his nose had been flattened.
    He had laughably refused to wear a cup or mouthguard, saying it would hinder his wing chun abilities, until the referee made him go backstage and get them, which meant Xu had to stand around in his corner waiting like a chump for several minutes.
    Xu also had to travel 36 hours on a slow train just to get to the fight – because he is banned from riding high-speed public transport as part of his new D-level social credit score.
    That was handed to him by the Chinese courts as part of his punishment for insulting the tai chi “grandmaster” Chen Xiaowang – whom he must also apologise to on Chinese social media for seven consecutive days, and pay around 400,000 yuan in damages.
    The punishment places other alarming restrictions on Xu, including on buying or renting property, and would also put education restrictions on his children if he had any.


    The referee raises Xu Xiaodong’s hand – as the wing chun ‘master’ checks on his broken nose.

    And all of this simply because the all-powerful Chinese Wushu Association has taken umbrage at Xu’s actions and words.
    Xu is no angel – he has good intentions, but deliberately provokes people to create a stir, and that is never going to fly in China, as unfair as that is.
    The Chinese government have been actively censoring him since he first caused a stir when a video of him knocking out tai chi master Wei Lei in 10 seconds went viral in 2017.
    He’s had police break up his fights before they’ve started, and is barred from running his own tournaments or events now at his Beijing gym, while having to deal with angry groups – claiming to defend the honour of traditional martial arts – confronting him in the streets.
    “They’re trying to silence me,” Xu said, crying, in an emotional social media video post two years ago where he railed against the Chinese Wushu Association.
    “I was born in Nancheng, in Xuanwu Hospital. I grew up in Beijing. I speak like a Beijing person. I do all the things that Beijing people do. I don’t steal, I don’t rob. I fight, but that’s what men do. It’s not wrong.
    “I’m just an average citizen … I say I’m the first Chinese MMA person, am I wrong? I repeat, I’m Chinese. I represented Chinese people in MMA, and now they’re all attacking me.
    “When I competed, nobody gave me money. Who cared about me then? I’ve had 10,000 students since 2003. Is this someone who doesn’t love his country? It was my dream for anyone who wanted to do amateur MMA to be able to do it.
    “Investigate the Chinese Wushu Association and see what they’ve done for people in China. Have they developed martial arts to anything? Give Chinese people an opportunity to become healthier and stronger. Chinese people go up six flights of stairs and get so tired. Is that what we want the average Chinese person to be?”
    Xu has another fight coming up next month, but it is likely to be harder and harder for him to get his message out there in China.
    Those of us who can should enjoy the Mad Dog now, while China still lets him fight.
    I do believe in exposing fakes, however I wish Mad Dog would pick opponents that are his size and his age. His opponents are consistently smaller and considerably older. But that's not as good a story as exposing fakes by beating them up.
    Gene Ching
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  15. #150
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I do believe in exposing fakes, however I wish Mad Dog would pick opponents that are his size and his age. His opponents are consistently smaller and considerably older. But that's not as good a story as exposing fakes by beating them up.
    I agree with you 100%, Gene.

    IMO, he also could have shown a little more class than calling someone like Chen a fraud, even if he thinks he's a fraud. Xu is complaining now, but what did he expect? You cannot do the same thing the same way all the time, and keep expecting a different result. He keeps doing stuff that's getting him censored in China, and keeps wondering why they're censoring him. He probably could have achieved his quest without stepping on the toes of so many powerful people (or at least done so to a lesser degree).

    When I first watched the fight video with the 'Wing Chun Pressure Point' guy, I thought the WC guy was European.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 05-28-2019 at 10:01 AM.

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