A man in Bejing is going viral in China for learning a 2,000-year-old combat style to compete in a Slap Fighting tournament.
Slap Fighting, a new combat sport where competitors take turns slapping each other, has taken the internet by storm, partly thanks to Dana White and Power Slap.
The sport went super mainstream in 2022 when YouTube star Logan Paul teamed up with the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger to host the Slap Fighting Championship, and now, one man is practicing an ancient martial art to become a better warrior.
36-year-old Zhao Honggang, a martial artist and Chinese influencer, is gearing up for a Slap Fighting tournament in Japan – and he’s been using ‘tongbeiquan’ to get an advantage over his opponents.
Man hones his skills in 2,000 year old martial art for Slap Fighting
According to the South China Morning Post, Honggang is a ninth-generation inheritor of the Qi family style, a branch of tongbeiquan.
Tongbeiquan draws inspiration from the movement of apes and involves generating power from the back and shoulders to deliver powerful strikes with one’s hands.
Zhao Honggang is even lifting dumbbells with his head to train.
Honggang believes that mastery of this technique will give him an edge and allow him to add another achievement to his growing list of martial arts feats.
He emerged victorious at the 2024 inaugural Zhangjiakou National Martial Arts Exchange Conference and earned the MMA championship at the Henan “King of Kung Fu” tournament.
To prepare for slap fighting, Honggang is also lifting dumbbells with his head to strengthen his neck and facial muscles.
“If I knock out my opponent with a single slap, I win. I mainly want to spar with international competitors and let them know the unique power of tongbeiquan,” the 36-year-old said. “I also hope to bring Chinese martial arts to the world stage.”
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