Sanda/Sanshou

Sanshou/Sanda may not be as popular as other forms of kickboxing, but it also has its strong points. Although the rules may vary from one country to another, fights generally permit punches, kicks, knees, short clinch work, and throws, and prohibit elbows and ground work.

Sanda means something like "free fighting", while "sanshou" means "free hand" ("shou" meaning "hand"). In some places people have kept using older names, such as "Shoubo". And sometimes Sanshou and Sanda actually possess two separate sets of rules. I'm not going to explain the history of the sport this time, but I'll introduce you to a few examples of Sanda fighting.

One of the most famous Sanda fighters in China is Liu Hailong. He's taken part in a few "Sanda vs Muay Thai" tournaments. Since these tournaments usually end with the Thai boxer winning, he's famous for actually defeating his Thai oponents. As you can see in this video, Karo Parysian is not the only one who knows how to throw people around.

In the US, the big name in Sanshou is Cung Le. After you watch him destroy Shonie Carter, you can learn how to catch a leg and take someone down, Sanshou style.

With a little more emphasis on boxing, and some ground game, Sanda fighters could become pretty dangerous in MMA.