Sanda 散手
EBM Kung Fu offers instruction in Sanda to people of all levels. The Sanda training at EBM Kung Fu is very methodical, starting with principles of body mechanics, power, balance and footwork and the practice of shadowboxing. The student then progresses to training with a partner to learn proper offense, defense, fighting tactics and strategies. Sanda encompasses both the striking arts as well as the grappling arts to produce a very practical and well rounded system. Free sparring and competition are an optional part of the training for those who have mastered the fundamentals.
Sanda is the official full contact fighting sport of modern Chinese Wushu which is rapidly growing in international popularity. As an integral part of most Wushu competitions, Sanda has been an important event at the World Wushu Championships since its inception in 1991. Presently Sanda competitions are held in over 80 countries worldwide. Recently Sanda has also become a professional sport in America.
The word "Sanda" also spelled "Sanda" translates as "unbound hand" and refers to free fighting where the rules are designed to most accurately simulate actual combat. Sanda matches are fought on a raised platform called the "Lei Tai". Historically, the Lei Tai dates back centuries in China where challenge matches were fought both bare handed and also with weapons with no rules. These matches often resulted in death or serious injury. At the National Chinese tournament in Nanking in 1928, the fights on the Lei Tai were so brutal that the final 12 contestants were not permitted to fight for fear of killing off some of the great masters of the time. So changes were needed!
Modern Sanda developed into a sport about the same time as modern Wushu
during the 1960's by the Chinese Government. In order to define a standard
kung fu fighting style, the great masters from all over China were given the
task of organizing the huge heritage of Chinese martial arts in to a system
of rules in which different styles could complete. Protective equipment was
also added to further reduce the risk of serious injury.
The rules of Sanda allow for a wide array of full contact punching, kicking, takedowns and throws derived from the traditional application of Chinese martial arts. Finishing holds (chokes, arm locks etc.) have been excluded from the rules which forces the fight to continue at a fast pace. Sanda addresses the three ranges of fighting-- kicking, punching and grappling which adds great realism to the sport. A fighter can win by a knockout or by points. Points are also awarded for the techniques according to effectiveness. In a tournament, you fight for 2 rounds of 2 minutes each, plus a third round in case the first 2 score even. Forcing the opponent off of the platform is also a major technique of Sanda. It is a mistake to think of Sanda as just Kick Boxing because the strategies of Sanda are much more complex.
There is a now a saying is China: Sanda shi Wushu de Jinghua--
EBM Kung Fu is the home of the Oakland Sanda Team which is one of the top Sanda Teams in the US with over 30 championship titles and 6 National Champions.