Before the rise of mixed martial arts, exponents “proved” the value of their discipline by talking about it. Taekwondo was better because legs are stronger than arms. Kung Fu was better because it uses internal strength, which is superior to mere muscle. Everyone was better than average. That worthless chatter has ceased in the West, at least in public.
However, in China it’s still a thing. Xu Xiaodong, 41, is changing that. A former Sanda competitor and coach, “Mad Dog” got interested in MMA in 2001, and in 2003 founded the first MMA team in Beijing and organized the first MMA event in China. He’s the Royce Gracie and Art Davie of China, combined. Since 2017, he has held a series of viral bouts against Tai Chi masters, going undefeated, and incurring the wrath of powerful elements in China, because of the significant role Traditional Martial Arts play in Chinese culture.
The latest contest, vs. Tai Chi expert Chen Yong, on November 28, was two years in the making, and lasted 10 seconds. It’s funny.
However, the hilarity of the Tai Chi master’s guinea pig level of combative skills is eclipsed, easily, by his post-fight breakdown.
“When I arrived, it was rushed,” he began, as translated by Fight Commentary Breakdowns. “Why? Because it started two hours early. I had no time to warm up! And I hadn’t been in the location for a year. It was too foreign for me.
“I quickly put on my clothes and got into the cage. The moment I stepped into the cage, I realized the ground was so soft. I’ve been practicing for a year on hard surfaces. Soft surfaces inhibit Tai Chi. The power and force that comes from Tai Chi can’t be found on soft surfaces.
The ref put me facing the sun and he put Xu Xiaodong’s back against the sun. I had the sun in my eyes but I wasn’t completely aware of that at first. When the match started, that’s when the sun became very apparent. At first, there was shade to block the sun a little, but then the shade was not there. When Xu Xiaodong hit me I was just finding my groove, and then I was blinded by the sun.
“So I lost by a fluke, and I also couldn’t find any force from the surface of the cage.”
“Mad Dog” agreed with the analysis, and is open to a rematch.
For the record, Tai Chi is an amazingly great martial art. It’s a tremendous means to improve condition for the elderly and improve peace of mind for everyone, among countless other positive attributes. And it has no practical use in actual fighting, as you can see.
