Sanda (sport)

Sanda / Sanshou
(散打 / 散手)

A Sanda match in Brazil
Also known as	Sanshou, Chinese boxing, Chinese kickboxing, free combat
Focus	Hybrid[1]
Hardness	Full-contact
Country of origin	China
Parenthood	Changquan, bajiquan, Northern Shaolin, shuai jiao, Chin Na, wushu, Choy Li Fut, Tai Chi, piguaquan, Kickboxing

Sanda (Chinese: 散打; pinyin: Sǎndǎ), formerly Sanshou (Chinese: 散手; pinyin: Sǎnshǒu), is the official Chinese boxing full-contact combat sport.^[2] In Chinese Language, "Sanda" originally referred to independent and separate training and combat techniques in contrast to "Taolu" (pre-arranged forms or routines).

Sanda is a fighting system which was originally developed by the Chinese military based upon the study and practices of traditional Chinese martial arts and modern combat fighting techniques; it combines boxing and full-contact kickboxing, which includes close range and rapid successive punches and kicks, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes.^[3][4]

As part of the development of sport wushu by the Chinese government, a standard curriculum for Sanda was developed. It is to this standard curriculum that the term Wushu Sanda is usually applied. Sanda may also involve techniques from any other fighting style depending on the teacher's mode of instruction.^[5]