The Science of 8 Limbs

By Fatsoking

It’s been a busy past week but now it’s a new week and I have some new fights for everyone.

Sanda Versus Muay Thai

Due to popular demand I have again uploaded more fights between these two styles of Sanda and Muay Thai. This time around fights were held over the course of three days from March 19th, 2010 to March 21st, 2010  in ChongQing city of China. I put the fights of this event here with one thing that should be clearly understood to anyone reading despite style preference:  the outcome is the outcome. Despite the rules disallowing knee strikes to the head and the inclusion of elbow pads, the rules were agreed upon by both sides. The format was also  accepted including the regulation staff and referees from China by the Thai team.

That said, let’s explore the facts.  The fact is that Sanda fighters’ records outside of China in non-Sanda rules is pretty poor.  In shootboxing they’ve repeatedly been eliminated and lost.  And the rules in Shootboxing have more common ground with Sanda then not as they also include throws but with the added bonus of standing submission moves.  Shootboxing even call their sport “standing vale tudo”.

By no means would I say the Sanda fighters are unskilled. Matter of factly they can fight and some of the China contingent can fight very well.  What’s become tiresome is the whole ‘my style is best’ mentality. And this mentality is what feeds the false air of invincibility permeated by fan boys from both sides.

Karuehard Vs. Ba Ta Er

I have and always will support the Muay Thai side of this if only for the unbalanced rules and format Thais knowingly put themselves into.  The problem is what happens in these contests repeatedly has as long of a history for as long as these style versus style contests have been alive. The referee typically allows time for a Sanda fighter to clinch to execute a throw however sloppy or weak the throw is yet the moment a Thaiboxer engages in a clinch he is immediately separated.  It’s the very reason why these sort of contests aren’t really taken too seriously by most hardcore Muay Thai fans. For my opinion, once a match takes away knee strikes to the head and face and adds in pads to the elbows; the entire contingent proclaiming Sanda superiority over all else becomes laughable altogether. The sandbagging and outright running away by a Sanda fighter really needs no explanation.

And yes I have seen the claims of Sanda being so much superior to Thaiboxing, Dutch kickboxing, Japanese kickboxing and boxing.  Sanda even pulled a trick out of the K-1 hat and put in non-descript boxers with shoes on and not allowed to kick. I guess they learned from the founders of making artificial advantages in kickboxing.

What separates Muay Thai’s track record from Sanda is that there have been foreigners that have beaten Thais. Thais have a much more realistic and balanced claim to make in their matches of foreigners versus homeland fighters.  A foreign boxer like Ramon Dekkers is deservedly a legend in the Thai Muay Thai fans hearts. The rules applying to these contests have been the exact same rules the Thais have competed under. Overall these events are much more balanced and give you a clearer idea of a fight’s outcome with balanced rules and even judging.

Now with my observations out of the way –  to the fights.  First up is Karuehard Vs. Ba Ta Er.

[tweetmeme source=”fatsoking”kung-fu-versus-muay-thai-the-3-2010-fights/]

Posted in Commentary, Video
Tags: Ba Ta Er, Karuehard, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Thaiboxing