Sanda

The full-contact sport form of Chinese martial arts — kicks, punches and throws on a raised platform.

👥1 per team🌤indoor

What is Sanda?

Sanda (also sanshou) is the modern, full-contact sport form of Chinese martial arts. Fighters use punches, kicks, throws and sweeps on a raised lei tai platform. Points come from clean strikes and takedowns; falling from the platform is heavily penalised. It is a headline event of world wushu championships.

Quick facts

Category

Combat Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇨🇳 China

Estimated origin

1920s People's Republic of China — modern sport form of Chinese kickboxing

Olympic

No

Popularity

major

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-20.verified