Turning to the past for a bright future
Old-style traditional Chinese martial arts winning new fans
Asia-focused martial arts promotion One Championship is keen on elevating Chinese combat sports to the global stage.
Kung fu always shines in choreographed action movies, but when it comes to real-life competition, the likes of boxing, taekwondo and even Muay Thai — all developed overseas — have punched their way to greater public recognition, media exposure and commercial success.
Singapore-based One Championship is therefore turning to China to help reshape the landscape by promoting fighters and styles from the birthplace of martial arts.
The organization’s eighth card on the Chinese mainland proved a rousing boost to that ambition, with some ferocious punches, kicks and takedowns by Chinese fighters against foreign opponents triggering thunderous applause from 6,000 spectators at the soldout The One: Beyond the Horizon at Baoshan Arena in north Shanghai on Saturday.
In the main event on the nine-bout card, homegrown Xiong Jingnan, dubbed “The Panda”, defended her strawweight world title against Brazilian challenger Samara Santos via a third-round TKO.
“I just want to show that Chinese martial arts can be devastating in modern combat sports, so I try to integrate some kung fu moves into my striking skills,” said Xiong, who took the title by stopping Singapore’s Tiffany Teo in January in Jakarta and made her first defense in a five-round decision over Argentina’s Laura Bain in Macao in June.
“Chinese kung fu has attracted fans around the world for its deep and diverse culture,” added the 30-yearold, who started to practice martial arts at age 8 under the watchful eye of her father.
“Now it’s up to us to promote the aggressive side of it in a more direct way on the MMA stage.”
Xiong dominated the bout with relentless ground and pound, swarming Santos with a barrage of punch-kick combinations in the second round.
Midway through the third, the Shandong native sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas with a heavy punch that forced her to tap out.
Seeing a Chinese champion in a market where martial arts roots run so deep will definitely help grow the fan base, said Teh Hua Fung, chairman of One’s China division.
“Xiong’s effect on growing the fan base and MMA opportunities in China is very visible,” said the Singaporean businessman, whose grandparents hailed from Fujian province.
“She is from the traditional Chinese sports system, which sent a strong statement that with the right training they can achieve the same level of success.”
Since its China debut in 2014 in Beijing, One Championship has staged 11 cards nationwide, including Macao, and has signed about 100 homegrown athletes to multifight contracts through a scouting system facilitated by local combat sports clubs and sports bureaus.
A scholarship program has been launched to support Chinese fighters that One has identified as potential candidates for pro careers to train at the best gyms in Asia, while an overall package of cash bonuses and monthly subsidies has made top local athletes like Xiong among the highest-paid in China, said Teh.
Saturday’s card also featured Chen Lei, who was submitted by Malaysian Muhammad Aiman via rearnaked choke in the second round of their bantamweight clash, and young Muay Thai fighter Han Zihao, who dispatched Greek fighter Stergos Mikkios via unanimous decision in an action-packed three-rounder.
As another pillar of its localization in China, Teh said One is considering adding sanda, a fighting style that originated in China and combines punching, kicking and wrestling, to its multi-discipline Super Series, a sub-league to the main MMA shows.
With Chinese martial arts’ efforts to join the Olympics falling short after repeated attempts, the cross-border stage that One offers has emerged as an appealing alternative for greater international exposure.
On the 24-event calendar for 2019 that was announced last month, One will bring four live shows to China — in Beijing, Macao, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
“Once you build the brand and core product which is the live events and the athletes, you can do a lot of things. We want to grow on all the fronts in China,” said Teh.