Cloudy in Beijing Blogging about my time in China

Art of War

Several beat downs erupted in Beijing this past weekend.

My classmates and I caught a Mixed Martial Arts competition on Saturday. The event was held by Art of War, China's own MMA company, which has been holding matches since 2005.

I don't really follow MMA. But it seems like this type of competition would fit well in China, considering the country's long history of kung-fu. The stadium, however, was far from full when the event finally began.  For most of the fights, the crowd seemed a bit subdued, with a weak applause accompanying each fighter as they entered the ring.

There were close to a dozen matches in total. Most of the fighters were Chinese, but a good number were also foreigners, coming from Korea, Thailand and Europe. And almost everyone offered a good show, serving up bloody noses, cut foreheads, along with the loud smack of a knee hitting someone's skull. Yet drawing the most attention was the main event, a bout between an undefeated Chinese fighter and his Japanese opponent.

Due to World War II and other past history, many Chinese people still hold some animosity toward Japan. This was quite audible as the main event started. "Kill him!" fans shouted. "Beat the devil!" a few others said. "Fight Japanese Imperialism," one man screamed.

The fighters fought two hard rounds, but both failed to give a decisive blow. It was then up to the judges to determine the winner. But even before then, we all knew who would be the victor.

My classmates would later complain the judging was bias, adding that the Japanese fighter fought well. I wonder what would have happened if the Chinese fighter lost; perhaps a riot would have ensued.