Lei Tai
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The ''lei tai'' is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal
weapons A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
and bare-knuckle
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides. Participants would lose if they surrendered, were incapacitated, or were thrown or otherwise forced from the stage. The winner would remain on the stage (as its "owner") unless ousted by a stronger opponent. If there were no more challengers, they would become the champion. Private duels on the stage had no rules and were sometimes fought to the death. The lei tai first appeared in
ancient China The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
, and in its present form during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
.
However, ancient variations of it can be traced back to at least the
Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...
. Today it is used in
Sanshou Sanda (), formerly Sanshou (), is the official China, Chinese kickboxing full-contact combat sport. In Chinese language, Chinese Language, "Sanda" originally referred to independent and separate training and combat techniques in contrast to "Ta ...
and Kuoshu competitions throughout the world.


Etymology

According to ''Kung Fu Magazine'', the Chinese character '' (in Mandarin ''lèi'' or ''léi'') combines the word for "thunder" (léi 雷) with the radical for "hand" (shǒu 手). It can mean, "to give an open challenge."
But taken literally, it means to "beat (a drum)". ''Tái'' means "stage" or "platform." It is also commonly referred to as a ''Dǎ lèi tái '' ( Traditional Chinese, Traditional: 打擂臺 Simplified: 打擂台 – "Fight Beat (a drum) Platform"). The character for ''Dǎ'' combines the word for "robust or vigorous" (dīng 丁) with the radical for "hand" (shǒu 手). This can mean, "to strike, hit, beat, or fight". In
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
, using the Wade-Giles superscript number system, Lei tai is pronounced Leui4 Toi4. A common English rendering of this is "Lui Toi or Loey Toy". Da lei tai is pronounced Da1 leui4 toi4 or Da2 leui4 toi4. The Chinese military once used a ''Zhong Jun Lei Gu Tai'' (中军擂鼓台 – "Central Military Drum Beating Platform") to drum out commands on the battlefield and to tell time in the capital city. (see Gulou and Zhonglou)
Three kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...
general
Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (; died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide (益德), was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period ...
used a "drum beating platform" to teach his soldiers troop movements. It is possible that the lei tai received its name from this type of platform, since a superior fighter might "beat" his opponent like a drum.


Dimensions

The fighting area is square, but its exact size varies from source to source. *The ''Swiss Open Kusohu Tournament'' states the classical lei tai fights took place on a stage at least 2.5 meters high and had a four-sided area of 100 square meters. *The '' Tien Shan Pai Association'' states it was either 24 x or 30 x and 2– high. *The '' International Wushu Federation'' and ''Chinese Wushu Association'' commissions a lei tai which is 24 x and high. The surrounding mats are long and thick. It is called the "Nine Suns Mountain Sanda Lei tai". It was used in the 8th ''World Wushu Championships'' held in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
in December 2005. *The ''International Chinese Kuoshu Federation'' uses a stage 24 x and high. *According to the book ''Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting: The Art of San Shou Kuai Jiao Throws, Takedowns, & Ground-Fighting'', it was 24 x and high.Liang, Shou Yu and Tai D. Ngo. ''Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting: The Art of San Shou Kuai Jiao Throws, Takedowns, & Ground-Fighting''. YMAA Publication Center, 1997 () *The ''World Sports Encyclopedia'' says it is "an 8x8m platform...elevated approx. 6 m and surrounded by rubber walls."


History (prior to 1928)

In
ancient China The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
,
combat sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knock ...
appeared in the form of Leitai, a no-holds-barred mixed combat sport that combined
Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...
, boxing and wrestling. Lei tai in its present form appeared during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
when it was used for boxing and
Shuai Jiao ''Shuai jiao'' () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling Wushu (sport), wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excel ...
exhibition matches and private duels. According to the ''Chinese Kuoshu Institute'' ( UK), an ancestor of the lei tai was used during the
Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...
to hold Jiao Li wrestling competitions between imperial soldiers. The winner would be chosen to act as a bodyguard to the emperor or a martial arts instructor for the Imperial Military. According to Cung Le, a famous mixed martial arts fighter, "In the old days, if you wanted to announce yourself as a boxer in a new village, you built a lei tai, stood on it, and invited all comers to try and knock you off." Some fighters issued their challenge in the form of a hand written letter to the person they wished to face. This form of challenge was illustrated in the movie '' Fearless'', when
Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean Martial arts, martial artist and actor. With a Jet Li filmography, film career spanning more than forty years, Li is re ...
's character challenges another warrior to a fight. The book ''Ultimate Sparring: Principles & Practices'' comments, "martial artists conducted 'Challenge matches' n the lei taito test each other's skills, because of a personal dispute, or to prove one martial system's superiority over another system."Maberry, Jonathan. ''Ultimate Sparring: Principles & Practices''. Strider Nolan Publishing; 1st ed. Pb edition, 2002 () Either fighter lost the match and his credibility if he fell, was forced off or was knocked to the floor of the stage. As a result, no one would want to learn boxing from him. The winner of the bout became the "owner of the platform" and remained on stage unless he was forced off himself. If there were no more challengers, he became the champion and or established the dominance of his style in that area. Another way was to defeat an already established master on the lei tai and then take over his school. In order to become a champion, a fighter had to defeat countless opponents. For instance, Lama Pai Grandmaster Wong Yan-Lam set up his own lei tai platform in front of ''Hai Tung'' Monastery in
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
after having worked as a famous bodyguard in
Northern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions that display certain differences in terms of their geography, demographics, economy, and culture. Extent The Qinling, Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone ...
. For 18 days, he fought over 150 other martial artists and was never defeated. According to Hop Gar Grandmaster David Chin, "Either the challenger was maimed or killed. Wong never let one challenger leave his school without injury. He was a master of using the technique of cruelty." Shortly afterwards, he was elected as the leader of the
Ten Tigers of Canton Ten Tigers of Canton or Ten Tigers of GuangdongKim, Sun-Jin. Tuttle Dictionary of the Martial Arts of Korea, China & Japan. 996(1996). Tuttle publishing. Korea. . refers to a group of ten Chinese martial artists from Guangdong Province lived ar ...
, who were the top ten kung fu men in Guangdong. Eighteenth generation
Chen-style tai chi The Chen-style tai chi ( zh, s=陳氏太极拳, p=Chén shì tàijíquán) is a Northern Wushu (sport), Chinese martial art and the original form of tai chi. Chen (surname), Chen-style is characterized by silk reeling, alternating fast and slow m ...
Grandmaster Chen Zhaopi, third nephew of
Chen Fake Chen Fake ( zh, c=陳發科, w=Ch'en Fa-k'e; 1887–1957), courtesy name Chen Fusheng ( zh, c=福生, labels=no), was a Chinese martial arts, Chinese martial artist who taught Chen-style tai chi. He was born and raised in Chen Family Village (Che ...
, set up a platform by
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
's "''Xuan Wu Men''" city gate after an unauthorized article claiming the superiority of Chen-style tai chi appeared in the ''Beijing Times'', causing many martial artists to challenge his skills. Over the course of 17 days, he defeated over 200 people and made many friends. If these examples are followed, it took a fighter anywhere from 17 to 18 days and 150–200 plus consecutive wins to establish their style's dominance in that area. All weapons and boxing matches were conducted without protective gear like the '' Jissen Kumite'' (full-contact fighting) of
Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 ...
Karate. On top of being forced from or thrown to the floor of the stage, the fights sometimes continued until either boxer conceded defeat, was severely injured and could no longer fight, or was even killed. One example of a death on stage was described by Hung Gar Grandmaster ''Chiu Kow'' (1895–1995), father of Grandmaster Chiu Chi Ling. The fight took place between Hung Gar Master ''Leng Cai Yuk'' and a triad boss named ''Ha Saan fu'', who was also a master of Internal martial arts. Because Ha dealt in prostitution, gambling, and drugs, Leng challenged Ha to a lei tai bout to halt the expansion of his criminal territory. Ha accepted the challenge and agreed to leave the area if he lost. Ha had previously heard of Master Leng's ability to tear at the flesh of his opponents with his bare hands, so he wrapped his torso with a leather strap prior to the fight. Both men met on the lei tai some time later and signed a contract that stated the fight could end in death. The crowd watched as both initiated combat. After a few moments, Leng (apparently seeing the leather straps through his ripped clothing) bypassed Ha's armor by forcing his hand down from the top of the wrap and tore out the triad boss'
bowels The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. T ...
. When Ha fell dead to the stage, his men tried attacking Leng to exact revenge, but the local police quickly arrested Leng to protect him. He was eventually set free. However, the railless architecture of the lei tai allowed a fighter to escape serious injury if they faced a more powerful opponent. All they had to do was leap down from the stage. This constituted a loss, but the boxer lived to fight another day. Despite this option, the
Nationalist government The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...
banned the old traditions of private duels on the lei tai in 1928 because too many people were dying.


Modern day (1928 to present)


National boxing competitions

In order to screen the best practitioners for teaching positions at the newly founded
Central Guoshu Institute The Central Guoshu Institute ( zh, t=中央國術館 , s= 中央国术馆, p=Zhōngyāng Guóshù Guǎn, l=Central Martial Arts Academy) was established in Nanjing by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China in March 1928 for the propaga ...
, and in the provincial schools, Generals Zhang Zhi Jiang (张之江) (1882–1966), Li Liejun (1882–1946) and
Li Jinglin Li Jinglin, also known as Li Fangchen (1885–1931) was a deputy inspector-general and later army general for the Fengtian clique during the Chinese warlord era. He hailed from Zaoqiang County, Hebei province, China. After his military career ...
(1885–1931) 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,
weapon A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
s and
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
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 boxers) went on to teach at the institute.Yang, Jwing Ming and Jefferey A. Bolt. ''Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu''. Unique Publications, Inc., 1982 () In 1929, the governor of
Guangdong Province ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
invited some of the institute'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 heading south of
Jiangnan Jiangnan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of its delta. The region encompasses the city of Shanghai, the southern part of Jiangsu ...
"): * Gu Ruzhang (1893–1952) of Northern Shaolin style. He was famously known as " Iron Palm Gu Ruzhang". He placed in the "Top 15" of the 1928 lei tai; *
Wan Laisheng Wan Laisheng (; 1903–1992) was a Chinese martial arts, martial artist and author. Early life Wan was born into an affluent scholar's family in Hubei in 1903. He studied at the China Agricultural University and after graduation became a member ...
(1903–1995) of Northern Shaolin and
Internal Internal may refer to: *Internality as a concept in behavioural economics *Neijia, internal styles of Chinese martial arts *Neigong or "internal skills", a type of exercise in meditation associated with Daoism * ''Internal'' (album) by Safia, 2016 ...
styles (including Natural Boxing); * Fu Zhensong (1881–1953) of
Baguazhang ''Baguazhang'' () is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the '' Wudang'' school, the other two being tai chi and '' xingyiquan''. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or ''neijia''). ''Baguazhang'' literally means "eigh ...
style; *Wang Shaozhou (王绍周) of Northern Shaolin and Cha styles and *Li Xianwu of Northern Shaolin and
Internal Internal may refer to: *Internality as a concept in behavioural economics *Neijia, internal styles of Chinese martial arts *Neigong or "internal skills", a type of exercise in meditation associated with Daoism * ''Internal'' (album) by Safia, 2016 ...
styles. 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." Winners of this contest include: * Chang Dongsheng (1908–1986) of
Shuai Jiao ''Shuai jiao'' () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling Wushu (sport), wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excel ...
style. He won the heavy weight division and earned the martial nickname "Flying Butterfly"; * Wang Yushan (王玉山) (1892–1976) of Taichi Praying Mantis style and * Li Kunshan (1894–1976) of Plum Blossom Praying Mantis style.


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, president of the United States of America Wushu Kungfu 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, 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 Chinese Communist Party took over China, the Nationalist 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. The second tournament also took place in Taiwan and was won by Peter Ralston, the first non-Asian to do so. The current president of the United States Kuo Shou Federation Huang Chien-Liang brought six of his students as a team to the 3rd World Kuoshu Championship tournament in Hawaii in 1980. This world tournament, sponsored and organized by an international Kuoshu federation in Taiwan, featured top Chinese stylists from around the world. Although they were nervous about the competition, Huang's students performed surprisingly well. They captured top placing in several divisions, including forms and full contact fighting. In total, they took home six trophies. In 1986, Huang assembled another team to participate in the 5th World Kuoshu Championship. Huang served as Head Coach of the U.S. team. The 6th Championship took place in 1989 So by 1992, Taiwan had already sponsored seven Kuoshu lei tai fighting events. Meanwhile, in China, "Kuoshu had been oppressed during the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
," 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."


Sanshou / Sanda

As previously stated, martial arts were only allowed for performance purposes until 1979. But in March of that year, the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Training Center, Beijing Physical Education University (former Beijing Physical Education Institute), and Wuhan Physical Education College were convened by the government-appointed ''China National Sport Committee'' (CNSC) to transform
Sanshou Sanda (), formerly Sanshou (), is the official China, Chinese kickboxing full-contact combat sport. In Chinese language, Chinese Language, "Sanda" originally referred to independent and separate training and combat techniques in contrast to "Ta ...
into a competitive sport. By October, the first three Sanshou teams were created from fighters chosen from the aforementioned wushu colleges. Even more teams were gathered in May 1980. The first official Sanshou rules were drafted in January 1982 when the CNSC convened the ''National Sanshou Competition Rules Conference'' in Beijing. Six teams consisting of the Shandong, Hebei and Guangdong provincial teams, the Beijing Physical Education University and City teams and the Wuhan Physical Education College team were summoned to the conference to help formulate the regulations and points system of the sport. Ten months later, the very first Sanshou competition was held in November 1982. The original fighting area was a nine-meter diameter open circle, but it was later changed to a traditional square lei tai. According to Shuai Jiao Grandmaster Liang Shou Yu, "In the past, San Shou competition was held on the Lei Tai, a 24 x platform high. Victory was decided when an opponent was thrown off the Lei Tai or knocked to the floor. Therefore, Shuai Jiao is an important part of San Shou fighting. A martial artist without any Shuai Jiao skills would not easily survive a San Shou match." Kung Fu Magazine states just throwing someone off the lei tai in a Sanshou match is 3 points, which is "the ointsequivalent of a spinning hook kick to the head, or a perfect foot sweep." (For Kuoshu and Sanshou competition rules, see "Rule Books" in
External links An internal link is a type of hyperlink on a web page to another page or resource, such as an image or document, on the same website or domain. It is the opposite of an external link, a link that directs a user to content that is outside its d ...
below.)


Water lei tai

The city of
Taizhou, Zhejiang Taizhou is a city located at the middle of the East China Sea coast of Zhejiang province. It is located south of Shanghai and southeast of Hangzhou, the provincial capital. It is bordered by Ningbo to the north, Wenzhou to the south, and Shao ...
hosted the first "On Water Contest of the 'Liqun Cup' International Traditional Wushu and Unique Feats Tournament" from May 22–26, 1999. It was here that 24 countries and 28 Chinese national teams, over a thousand competitors in all, gathered to test their skills against each other. The water lei tai was held on the afternoon of the second day of competition (May 23). There were five divisions and it was the most attended event of the tournament. The event was made more difficult when it rained just prior to the matches, making the fighting surface very slippery. Also fighters were restricted to minimal safety equipment, only gloves and shorts. The defeated, who fell or was forced off the stage, landed in water. To improve safety, the lei tai was a meter shorter than a standard one, which lessened the impact and allowed assistants to quickly jump in the pool to rescue any fighter who might have been unconscious. No serious injuries were recorded during this event. There have been more water lei tai's held since this event. In March 2004, the 9th International Chinese Kuoshu Federation (ICKF) World Championship hosted the 3rd water lei tai. The tournament venue was Aquatic Training Centre, Tainan Canal,
Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. This was the first International event hosted by the ICKF to be held entirely on water.


Strategy

''Kung Fu Magazine'' states the lei tai's railless architecture does not allow a fighter to trap an opponent in the turnbuckle, so the fighting strategy shifts away from power boxing to more evasive "circling" maneuvers. Nor can a fighter just rush their adversary. A quick redirection will send a charging opponent off the stage. And falling off can hurt, so fighters must deal with an added psychological factor when they approach the edge. Like Japanese
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...
, a fighter must stand their ground. Falling out-of-bounds constitutes a loss.


Sparring benefits

According to the Swiss Open Kusohu Tournament, lei tai permits the kung fu student to show their understanding of the techniques, moves, rooting, breathing and control of character (i.e. anger). Kung fu together with lei tai trains the instincts and timing. It cultivates concentration and relaxation at the same time. It teaches practical combat applications of the disconnected moves learned from sets or taolu ("Forms"). With lei tai a student receives personal feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.


See also

* List of famous lei tai fighters * Dojoyaburi * History of physical training and fitness * Media about lei tai *
Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
*
Pankration Pankration (; ) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it s ...


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lei Tai Chinese martial arts terminology Ring (martial arts)