Chinese Kickboxing
Chinese Kickboxing training is done in the guan (school's training area) under controlled conditions. The practice of Lei Tai is done under the supervision of Shifu, Instructors and Assistants. Unlike street fighting, Chinese Kickboxing has rules and equipment to protect the participants from unnecessary and/or life-threatening injuries. The practice begins with basic drilling, which allows the student to analyze techniques a with a degree of control. Protective gear must always be used. It is mandatory that all students purchase their own equipment sets for their level of training (beginners Sanda advanced Kuoshu Lei Tai). The use of mouth guard, groin guard and gloves is mandatory for all Chinese Kickboxing classes. The ZYKFA Chinese Kickboxing Program is for students that have spent enough time studying the basic techniques of Northern Shaolin and understand the ZYKFA school culture. Chinese Kickboxing training is not a requirement for general students; however, it is required to become a ZYKFA Instructor.
Requirements:
The ZYKFA strives to create a healthy and positive learning environment for all of its students. Students that wish to participate in the Chinese Kickboxing Program must meet certain criteria and requirements.
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Must be a minimum of 16 years of age to participate
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Must not have had a history of severe concussions
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Participants must be of sound mind and body
What is Sanda ( 散打 )?
Sanda literally means "free fighting" and is sometimes referred to as Chinese Kickboxing. It is a sport fighting format developed in Mainland China (PRC), by its military forces. Sanda was further developed, and turned into a popular amateur combat sport (also referred to as Sanshou), in 1991 as a counterpart to the sport forms competitions of modern Wushu that China had been promoting since the mid 1970's. Some will argue that Sanshou is the term for the amateur level of the sport and Sanda is used for the professional level. The equipment used in Sanda is:
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Head guard
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Chest guard
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Shin guards
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Groin guard
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Gloves (10 oz Boxing style)
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Mouthpiece
The rule set allows for punches, kicks, throws and takedowns. Points are scored for properly executed strikes, throwing your opponent to the ground or forcing them off the area.
What is Kuoshu Lei Tai ( 國術擂台 )?
Kuoshu (國術 - Guoshu in Pinyin) translates literally as "National Techniques" and is an abbreviation of the term Zhong Guo Wu Shu (中國武術 - Martial Techniques of China). Kuoshu Lei Tai (國術擂台) refers to the sport fighting rule set initiated in Nanjing, China in 1928, by the Central Guoshu Institute (中央國術館) for its first tournament, which some consider the precursor to the modern MMA events, as it allowed any style to participate under its full contact rules. The rule set was further developed throughout the 1960's in Taiwan (ROC) and introduced to the world in 1975 at the First World Kuoshu Tournament. The equipment used in Kuoshu Lei Tai is:
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Head guard with cage
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Mouthpiece
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Gloves (4 oz MMA style - covered thumb)
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Groin guard
The rule set allows for punches, kicks, elbows, knees, throws and takedowns. Points are scored for properly executed strikes, throwing your opponent to the ground or forcing them off the area. Knockdowns and knockouts are common in these events as the glove size allows for more transference of power in the hand strikes as well as the use of knees and elbows which are devastating blows when properly applied.
The ZYKFA Lei Tai Program has their fighting students begin by working on the Sanda format first. Once they become more experienced and proficient in sport combat, they move on to the Kuoshu Lei Tai format, as it was developed in Taiwan and is closely related to our school's history. Our past masters were not just involved in the Kuoshu movement of the 1930's but some also fought in the 1928 event.