For the 4^th year in a row, Chinese Sanda fighters have crushed the US Kickboxing team. Since 1998, there were annual challenge matches between China & US, & every year ends in defeat for the Americans. This year is worse, unfortunately. In another team challenge match between US Kickboxing & Chinese Sanda Kungfu at the Song Jiang Sports Stadium in Shanghai 2 days ago, the Sanda fighters have humiliated the Kickboxers with a stunning 4 to 0 victory. This year's US Team are all champions, mind you, not unknowns like in previous years. Thus, after 4 years of defeat we are left with no choice but to conclude that American Kickboxing is useless against Chinese Sanda.

The 1^st match is the 70 kg category fight between Lin Jianshen, "Flashing Sword of Nantian" from the Guangxi Sanda Team & Julio Trujillo, a WKF title-holder. Although Lin performed poorly in last week's King of Sanda tournament, he managed to gather himself & overcame Trujillo with strong techniques, opening the record with a clean Chinese victory.

Following soon afterwards is the 75 kg category contest between Zhang Zhen, "Jade Emperor Sword" from the Chongqing Team & Karl Noons, an 18 yr old US Kickboxing 2001 champion. Zhang mowed down the youngster with punches & heavy throws, securing another win for the Chinese side.

The 3^rd fight is the 85 kg category match between Xue Fengqiang, "Divine Shadow of Yandu" from the Beijing Sanda Team & Mike Alterman, a US Sanshou champion who also holds titles in the WKF & ISKA. Xue won the favour of the audience with his spectacular display of Sanda spin kicks, forcing Alterman to "give up the ghost" to the Divine Shadow. With this victory the Chinese have already won the war.

Finally comes the > 85 kg category match between Pan Hao, "Mountain Fort Bandit" also from the Chongqing Sanda Team & Tim Shelton, a US Kickboxing Open 98 champion. Spurred on by the thunderous cheering of the few thousand spectators there, the brave Pan gave a high level performance against Shelton, despite this being his debut fight. Although Shelton tried his best to throw fierce attacks against Pan, Pan could still knock Shelton out with a powerful side kick right in his face at the end of the 5^th & final round. This last decisive win made the destruction of the US team complete. Incidentally, these guys are the 1^st foreign team to totally lose to Chinese Sanda. Is there any hope left for them? I think the results speak for itself.

It is hard to imagine that the US, which is such a large & strong country, not being able to produce any Kickboxers good enough to give the Chinese a good fight. Expert observers of this challenge say that although the Americans are all better boxers than the Chinese, they lose out to the all round combos of punch, kick & throw that Chinese Sanda can deliver. Another significant reason is that the Americans do not know how to defend against the versatile Sanda side kick, a technique that Chinese fighters have mastered. Not even after 4 years, I guess. How could they bear the continuous shame? Have the Americans realized the Zen of defeat? I always read about so many famous fighters in the US like Sanshou's Cung Le, Muaythai's Alex Gong, K1 USA champions Maurice Smith, Rick Roufus or even veterans like Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Don Wilson etc.. but it seems that none of these guys ever thought of rising up to defend the honour of US Kickboxing. I'm sure none of the fighters sent to China are weak or 2^nd class, but they are still sorely lacking when it comes to dealing with a different ring sport like Sanda. After all that have been said & done, I think it is time for the Americans to quit these annual challenges against China, until a time they can truly redeem themselves. On the other hand, for the Chinese this is no doubt another great morale booster before the coming fight with the Thais on the 8^th of September. The Chinese have made so much progress in Sanda these 2 years that it's a little frightening. Even more frightening is their ambition to take over Muaythai as the ultimate ring sport. Despite its excellent track record I still do not believe Chinese Sanda can win the war against Muaythai. If the Chinese can get a draw it would already have far reaching implications. Just think, Muaythai have existed as a martial art for hunderds of years & as a professional ring sport for almost 80 years. Although Kungfu may have been around for thousands of years, professional Sanda has only started out in 1997! Whether the Chinese can ever bridge such a big gap in such a short space of time is anybody's guess. The latest news is that on the 8^th the Thais will not be allowed to use elbow strikes & knees to the head. I think the Chinese know very well the efficiency of elbows as a counter to throws. The Chinese will also take a handicap of not being able to use offensive throws, which is not much of a handicap actually, since Sanda throws are mostly defensive. The cowards. Well, we have 9 more days to find out the answer. The countdown has already begun..

* I have been receiving a lot of feedback in defence of American Kickboxing, citing the example of the July 10^th 1999 "Art of War" in Honolulu. I'm aware of the results of "the Art of War" in Honolulu. I'm also aware that there is Cung Le, as well as others very good Fairtex fighters who can beat the Chinese. But when I talked about American fighters being not up to standard, I was refering specifically to those sent to China to fight since 1998 onwards. None demonstrated the same tenacity as those in Honolulu, despite being Sanshou/Kickboxing "champions". Thus if the same fighters in Honolulu can be sent to China and to beat the Chinese on their home ground, then nobody will dare to say the US doesn't have any good fighters to stand up to China anymore. That is my humble opinion.

*The 2 VCDs of this China VS US challenge is available now at $10. Those interested pls email me here. 

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