WTF: Sanda expert showcases explosive takedown game

Hello again, kids. Gather around, we still got some Thanksgiving leftovers. Maybe I’ll bake some brownies if you’re nice. Maybe. But even if you’re not, we’ve got the remedy for your midweek blues with another entry in the wild, weird, and sometimes good of the fringes of martial arts and the combat sports world.

Also, please remember to hit us up at Mailbag@BloodyElbow.com, where a surly man with not much left to live for (me) will answer your questions (sorta) about fighting (or probably anything else, really). Get on that.

Sanda Airlines

So, I was initially skeptical about this one. A boxer takes on a Sanda specialist in a hybrid bout. Well, we love hybrid stuff around these parts. But still, it’s the internet. You never really know if you’re gonna see some cool Sanda stuff or just some dude throwing two meh kicks and half-heartedly going for a double leg.

For those less familiar, Sanda is a Chinese art that combines kickboxing with takedowns and throws. Also known as Sanshou, it’s pretty cool to watch. We’ve covered some highlights before, and BE’s own Blaine Henry recently covered this year’s Sanda World Championships. There was a lot to love from that.

And well, I’m the one looking dumb here (as usual). After all, this came courtesy of our guy Jerry over at Fight Commentary Breakdowns. How could we go wrong?

Well, it went wrong for one guy. Spoiler alert: it’s the boxer. And it starts off in an unsurprising manner, with the boxer piecing up the Sanda guy and landing tons of shots. After a brief break, the Sanda guy decides he’s had enough punchyface for the year and just straight dumps the other dude on his tuchus.

And it happens over and over and over again.

Peep the dread on my man’s face as he realizes he’s getting some hangtime and the fall is gonna suck. And the worst part is this is only the beginning of him racking up a ton of frequent flier miles.

This one was rather polite and elegant. It’s more of a scoop takedown where the boxer gets put down relatively gently.

The boxer gets lulled into a sense of safety as the Sanda guy starts to not only go back to trading on the feet, but landing some good shots. And maybe the boxer forgot for a moment what the tone and tenor were for this bout. He done goofed.

You can see the dude go “D’aww, come on!”

At one point, the Sanda guy just gives up on being nice. This one had me thinking we were gonna see a Jerry Lynn Sunset Flip. Not sure what I mean? Don’t worry, You’ll see.

I can’t read Chinese, but in my mind I’m reading that as “GAME OVER, FAM”.

At this point, I have to wonder why this is even allowed to continue. The boxer has to know he doesn’t need to keep going. And it’s not like the Sanda guy is going to take things any easier. Boxer guy is taking more licks than a Tootsie Pop with nothing to show for it. Maybe get up, call it a day, and go home to watch the final season of Reservation Dogs.

Nah.

Once again, the boxer got too comfortable. Not only was he boxed up a bit and ragdolled, he once again threw a combination to end up having this happen:

Man, if i’m that boxer? I’m either never doing a challenge like this again or linking up with this dude and training like a madman. Sanda gets the win again in the WTF showcase, and once again it’s a massive W.

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Stay down, son

African Warriors Fighting Championship still bringing that raw energy to the game. The production values getting a boost have really helped highlight the true tenacity these guys have in every outing. Check out this nighttime bout that has the loser’s health bar drop to zero mighty quick.

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Sambo highlights? Yes!

SAMBOFIAS celebrated the 2023 championships in Yerevan, Armenia earlier this month, and we’ve got highlights of all three days of competition.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

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Judo excellence

More highlights courtesy of one my absolute faves on YouTube, Judo Highlights. It’s right what it says on the tin, and they never miss. Here’s all the lovely action from the 2023 Tokyo Grand Slam.

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Definitely not chicken, I’ll tell you that much…

We’ll close out with a look at Naoya Ogawa, a formidable Judoka that doesn’t really get much recognition these days. A 1992 Olympic silver medalist, Ogawa plied his trade in both pro-wrestling and MMA afterwards. You may know him as the guy that had the “I’m Chicken!” tagline as he fought Fedor Emelianenko in PRIDE.

Curiously enough, the Chicken thing came from a tag team he formed in pro-wrestling where he and his partner were Beef and Chicken. Don’t ask, it’s Japan in the early aughts. He was cool, and tougher than the average cat. So here we have a tribute to Ogawa and just how solid his Judo was. The man was a dedicated martial artist, and continues to train athletes to this day. That includes his son Yusei, who has blossomed into a great talent as well.

And that’s the end of it for this week, kids. That new Indiana Jones hits streaming on Disney+ soon, if you were iffish about seeing it in theaters. And remember – you might think you can fight, but there are many guys like you all over the world.

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