A Chinese MMA fighter engaged and brutally defeated an opponent of Wing Chun “kung fu” in order to denounce the latter martial art as a “scam.”
39-year-old Xu Xiaodong, an MMA fighter and coach, knocked down 20-year-old Wing Chun practitioner Ding Hao six times in a three-round bout.
Ding, who claims to be a descendant of Wing Chun kung fu master Ip Man, was brutally battered, being hit in the face multiple times before the match ended.
While the match was declared a draw, it drove forward a serious conversation about the effectiveness of traditional martial arts in close combat.
Several Wing Chun authorities, including Chinese sports writer Yang Hua, claimed Ding could not represent Wing Chun, as he is not part of an official club. The writer then insinuated that the entire event was a farce set up by Xu.
Xu is a controversial fighter in China, who is nicknamed the “madman.”
According to the Daily Mail, a follow-on fight between Xu and Tai Chi master Ma Baoguo was called off by the Shanghai police, who claimed the venue of the game was unlicensed and the game had been unlawful assembly.