cross_trainer
07-28-2007, 11:11 AM
Found this little tidbit...Interestingly, the first champion was a wrestler from Shuai Jiao. Note that they had a couple deaths in the first one, and that the participation was extremely wide throughout China--one of the deepest talent pools for any combat sport anywhere.
National Boxing Competitions
In order to screen the best practitioners for teaching positions at the newly founded Central Kuoshu Institute ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (中南國術館), and in the provincial schools, Generals Zhang Zhi Jiang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (张之江) (1882-1966), Li Lie Jun ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (李烈鈞) (1882-1946) and Li Jing Lin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (李景林) (1884-1931) held the first modern full contact, national competition in October 1928. Many traditional masters did not compete because they believed their skills could only be proven in serious duels and not "sporting" contests. However, the event attracted hundreds of the best Chinese martial artists who participated in boxing, weapons ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and wrestling ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in a lei tai ring format. But after the first several days, the fighting competitions had to be halted because two masters were killed and many more seriously injured. The final 12 contestants were not permitted to continue for fear of killing off some of the greatest masters of the time. The overall winner was voted on by a jury of his peers. Many of the "Top 15" finishers (some being Xingyi ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) boxers) went on to teach at the institute.[26] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)
([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)
In 1929, the governor of Guangdong Province ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) invited some of the institutes's masters (including some of those that had competed in the 1928 lei tai) to come south to establish a "Southern Kuoshu Institute". General Li Jinglin chose five masters to represent northern China. These men were known as the Wu hu xia jiangnan (五虎下江南 - "Five tigers ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) heading south of Jiangnan ([Only registered and activated users can see links])"):
Gu Ru Zhang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (顾汝章) (1893-1952) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style. He was famously known as "Iron Palm ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) Gu Ruzhang". He placed in the "Top 15" of the 1928 lei tai;[27] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-15)
Wan Lai Sheng ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1903-1995) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Internal ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles (including Natural Boxing ([Only registered and activated users can see links]));
Fu Zhen Song ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (傅振嵩) (1881-1953) of Baguazhang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style;
Wang Shao Zhou ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (王绍周) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Cha ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles and
Li Xian Wu ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Internal ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles.[25] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-blood)In 1933, the institute again hosted the national competition. The rules said, "...if death occurs as a result of boxing injuries and fights, the coffin with a body of the deceased will be sent home."[28] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-mantis) Some of the top winners of this contest include:
Chang Tung Sheng ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1908-1986) of Shuai Jiao ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style. He won the heavy weight division and earned the martial nickname “Flying Butterfly”;[29] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-16)
Wang Yu Shan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (王玉山) (1892-1976) of Taichi Praying Mantis ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style and
Li Kun Shan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1894-1976) of Plum Blossom Praying Mantis ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_Blossom_Praying_Mantis_Boxing_.E6.A2.85.E8.8A.B1.E8.9E.B3.E8.9E.82.E6.8 B.B3) style.[26] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)[25] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-blood)
[edit ([Only registered and activated users can see links])] Kuoshu (Lei Tai Full-Contact Fighting)
Differing mainly in regulations, such as Kuoshu's allowing competitors to strike the same place twice, kuoshu and sanshou are examples of how popular the overall concept of full-contact kung fu has become. Though a few see a stringent dividing line between the sports, some such as Anthony Goh ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), president of the United States of America Wushu-Kung Fu Federation, see less contrast. "The rules will always be slightly different," says Goh, but "the various names all mean the same thing."
Others see the distinction as primarily historical. Huang Chien Liang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), president of the United States Kuoshu Federation and The World Kuoshu Federation, notes that "Kuoshu has another meaning as 'national art.' In 1928, the Central Kuoshu Academy was formed, and they sponsored a full-contact tournament, but when the Communists took over China, the original Chinese government moved to Taiwan, where, in 1955, they held a full-contact tournament, calling it lei tai. At that time, they used the original rules; no protection, and no weight class - whatever number you picked up, you fought together. In 1975, Taiwan sponsored the first World Kuoshu Championship Tournament, and started to have weight class division. So by 1992, Taiwan had already sponsored seven kuoshu lei tai fighting events," he says.
Meanwhile in China, "kuoshu had been oppressed during the Cultural Revolution ([Only registered and activated users can see links])," notes president Huang, "and martial arts was then allowed only for performance until 1979, when wushu was allowed to include self-defense, so practitioners began writing the rules for the sanshou wushu tournaments, and the Communist government held a tournament called sanshou."
Confirming the common direction of Kuoshu and Sanshou toward safety, however, president Huang approves of the rules changes in full-contact kung fu. "In 1986, at the fifth world tournament in Taiwan, they had a separate weight class, but still no protection. So many people suffered a broken nose and other injuries." As a result, the International Kuoshu Federation decided to change the rules. "So since 1988, the new rules apply."[30] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-17)
Source: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
National Boxing Competitions
In order to screen the best practitioners for teaching positions at the newly founded Central Kuoshu Institute ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (中南國術館), and in the provincial schools, Generals Zhang Zhi Jiang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (张之江) (1882-1966), Li Lie Jun ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (李烈鈞) (1882-1946) and Li Jing Lin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (李景林) (1884-1931) held the first modern full contact, national competition in October 1928. Many traditional masters did not compete because they believed their skills could only be proven in serious duels and not "sporting" contests. However, the event attracted hundreds of the best Chinese martial artists who participated in boxing, weapons ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and wrestling ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) in a lei tai ring format. But after the first several days, the fighting competitions had to be halted because two masters were killed and many more seriously injured. The final 12 contestants were not permitted to continue for fear of killing off some of the greatest masters of the time. The overall winner was voted on by a jury of his peers. Many of the "Top 15" finishers (some being Xingyi ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) boxers) went on to teach at the institute.[26] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)
([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)
In 1929, the governor of Guangdong Province ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) invited some of the institutes's masters (including some of those that had competed in the 1928 lei tai) to come south to establish a "Southern Kuoshu Institute". General Li Jinglin chose five masters to represent northern China. These men were known as the Wu hu xia jiangnan (五虎下江南 - "Five tigers ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) heading south of Jiangnan ([Only registered and activated users can see links])"):
Gu Ru Zhang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (顾汝章) (1893-1952) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style. He was famously known as "Iron Palm ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) Gu Ruzhang". He placed in the "Top 15" of the 1928 lei tai;[27] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-15)
Wan Lai Sheng ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1903-1995) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Internal ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles (including Natural Boxing ([Only registered and activated users can see links]));
Fu Zhen Song ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (傅振嵩) (1881-1953) of Baguazhang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style;
Wang Shao Zhou ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (王绍周) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Cha ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles and
Li Xian Wu ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) of Northern Shaolin ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) and Internal ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) styles.[25] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-blood)In 1933, the institute again hosted the national competition. The rules said, "...if death occurs as a result of boxing injuries and fights, the coffin with a body of the deceased will be sent home."[28] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-mantis) Some of the top winners of this contest include:
Chang Tung Sheng ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1908-1986) of Shuai Jiao ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style. He won the heavy weight division and earned the martial nickname “Flying Butterfly”;[29] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-16)
Wang Yu Shan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (王玉山) (1892-1976) of Taichi Praying Mantis ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) style and
Li Kun Shan ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1894-1976) of Plum Blossom Praying Mantis ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_Blossom_Praying_Mantis_Boxing_.E6.A2.85.E8.8A.B1.E8.9E.B3.E8.9E.82.E6.8 B.B3) style.[26] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-jeff)[25] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-blood)
[edit ([Only registered and activated users can see links])] Kuoshu (Lei Tai Full-Contact Fighting)
Differing mainly in regulations, such as Kuoshu's allowing competitors to strike the same place twice, kuoshu and sanshou are examples of how popular the overall concept of full-contact kung fu has become. Though a few see a stringent dividing line between the sports, some such as Anthony Goh ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), president of the United States of America Wushu-Kung Fu Federation, see less contrast. "The rules will always be slightly different," says Goh, but "the various names all mean the same thing."
Others see the distinction as primarily historical. Huang Chien Liang ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), president of the United States Kuoshu Federation and The World Kuoshu Federation, notes that "Kuoshu has another meaning as 'national art.' In 1928, the Central Kuoshu Academy was formed, and they sponsored a full-contact tournament, but when the Communists took over China, the original Chinese government moved to Taiwan, where, in 1955, they held a full-contact tournament, calling it lei tai. At that time, they used the original rules; no protection, and no weight class - whatever number you picked up, you fought together. In 1975, Taiwan sponsored the first World Kuoshu Championship Tournament, and started to have weight class division. So by 1992, Taiwan had already sponsored seven kuoshu lei tai fighting events," he says.
Meanwhile in China, "kuoshu had been oppressed during the Cultural Revolution ([Only registered and activated users can see links])," notes president Huang, "and martial arts was then allowed only for performance until 1979, when wushu was allowed to include self-defense, so practitioners began writing the rules for the sanshou wushu tournaments, and the Communist government held a tournament called sanshou."
Confirming the common direction of Kuoshu and Sanshou toward safety, however, president Huang approves of the rules changes in full-contact kung fu. "In 1986, at the fifth world tournament in Taiwan, they had a separate weight class, but still no protection. So many people suffered a broken nose and other injuries." As a result, the International Kuoshu Federation decided to change the rules. "So since 1988, the new rules apply."[30] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]_note-17)
Source: [Only registered and activated users can see links]