| Shuai Jiao is probably the world's oldest | | | | Shuai Jiao has another use, too. It helps |
| martial art. In modern Chinese, its name is | | | | you control and throw your opponent by being |
| used to refer to any wrestling sport. | | | | close fitting and having short sleeves. You |
| Outside of China, though, it means the | | | | generally wear Chinese martial arts pants |
| ancient Chinese and Mongolian wrestling | | | | when learning how to do Shuai Jiao. You can |
| styles. Legend has it that Shuai Jiao is | | | | practice barefoot, but a lot of people wear |
| descended from a sport called Jiao Di, where | | | | wrestling boots. Although Shuai Jiao is the |
| the contestants wore helmets with horns on | | | | oldest martial art, it's split up into a |
| them and tried to head butt each other. I | | | | bunch of different styles. In different |
| don't know about you, but I bet getting hit | | | | regions of China, they practice Shuai Jiao |
| by one of those hurt! In 2687 BC, the Yellow | | | | with a little bit of a different flavor. So |
| Emperor's army even used Jiao Di to gore | | | | Beijing has its own style. Other major kinds |
| rebel soldiers. Jiao Di didn't keep its | | | | of Shuai Jiao are Tian Jin, Mongolian or |
| horns, though. In the Qin Dynasty, it | | | | Boke, and Bao Ding, as well as a lot of minor |
| combined with the grappling sport called Jiao | | | | variations in different provinces. You've |
| Li turned into a public sport for amusing the | | | | got to expect that a martial art that's been |
| Imperial Court, and recruiting the best | | | | around for thousands of years would have a |
| fighters for the Emperor's bodyguards in the | | | | few different ways of doing things. Since |
| process. I bet you didn't know that some | | | | Shuai Jiao developed from combat techniques |
| contests could last a while week and have | | | | on the battlefield, it doesn't beat around |
| over a thousand wrestlers involved. | | | | the bush. The grappling techniques it uses |
| Wrestling in some form or another was taught | | | | are no nonsense and practical, and they get |
| to soldiers for all of China's history, but | | | | your opponent on the ground as fast as |
| it wasn't called Shuai Jiao until 1928 when | | | | possible. However, almost every martial art |
| the rules got standardized for competition. | | | | has some philosophy thrown in, and Shuai Jiao |
| Now it's popular among the Mongols, and is | | | | isn't an exception. The advanced fighter |
| taught to police and soldiers in China and | | | | uses the principles of Yin and Yang to |
| Taiwan. Now, when the Emperors were using | | | | balance and complement each other. Shuai |
| Shuai Jiao to pick out the best bodyguards, | | | | Jiao has been around for a long time as a |
| fighters did their competitions bare-chested. | | | | fighting discipline, and it looks like it's |
| Now training is done in a heavy cotton | | | | here to stay. |
| jacket for better protection. However, it's | | | | |
| important to know that in Shuai Jiao, you | | | | Yoshi I Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. |
| don't try to get a hold on your opponent's | | | | He covers the mixed martial arts industry. |
| clothes. Instead, you grab his muscles | | | | For a free report on Shuai Jiao visit his |
| through the clothing and use that to throw | | | | blog. |
| him. The jacket you wear if you're learning | | | | |