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Nicolas Atkin

Xu Xiaodong’s nickname may be “Mad Dog”, but the Chinese MMA fighter looked even angrier than usual dealing out his latest beat down of a kung fu fraud.
The 41-year-old pulverised balding pressure point wing chun “master” Lu Gang in Karamay, China, last weekend breaking his hapless opponent’s nose and beating him in 47 seconds.
But exposing yet another fake martial artist didn’t seem to satisfy Xu, who still looked spitting mad as he paced around the ring while a doctor tended to his most recent victim.
That’s because the humiliation and punishment he is having to deal with from Chinese authorities is increasing.


If you are in China, you might not have even heard of the fight, because many Chinese search engines have stopped listing him – you have to subscribe to people on WeChat that talk about him if you want to get the latest.
Xu was not allowed to use his real name or even show his face for this event because authorities won’t let him promote himself. He was given a demeaning nickname – Winter Melon – poking fun at his size (he was 100lbs heavier than his scrawny opponent) and was wearing clown make-up, under threat that the event would not be livestreamed unless he agreed.

The ring announcers in Karamay seemed far more interested in promoting the balding wing chun master, too. They gave Lu a lengthy and gushing introduction, bigging up his abilities, on his way down to the ring, which he comically tripped up trying to enter.
Lu tried to run away after being knocked down three times, and was thankfully saved by the referee stepping in – not before his nose had been flattened.
He had laughably refused to wear a cup or mouthguard, saying it would hinder his wing chun abilities, until the referee made him go backstage and get them, which meant Xu had to stand around in his corner waiting like a chump for several minutes.




Xu also had to travel 36 hours on a slow train just to get to the fight – because he is banned from riding high-speed public transport as part of his new D-level social credit score.
That was handed to him by the Chinese courts as part of his punishment for insulting the tai chi “grandmaster” Chen Xiaowang – whom he must also apologise to on Chinese social media for seven consecutive days, and pay around 400,000 yuan in damages.
The punishment places other alarming restrictions on Xu, including on buying or renting property, and would also put education restrictions on his children if he had any.

And all of this simply because the all-powerful Chinese Wushu Association has taken umbrage at Xu’s actions and words.
Xu is no angel – he has good intentions, but deliberately provokes people to create a stir, and that is never going to fly in China, as unfair as that is.
The Chinese government have been actively censoring him since he first caused a stir when a video of him knocking out tai chi master Wei Lei in 10 seconds went viral in 2017.




He’s had police break up his fights before they’ve started, and is barred from running his own tournaments or events now at his Beijing gym, while having to deal with angry groups – claiming to defend the honour of traditional martial arts – confronting him in the streets.
“They’re trying to silence me,” Xu said, crying, in an emotional social media video post two years ago where he railed against the Chinese Wushu Association.
“I was born in Nancheng, in Xuanwu Hospital. I grew up in Beijing. I speak like a Beijing person. I do all the things that Beijing people do. I don’t steal, I don’t rob. I fight, but that’s what men do. It’s not wrong.


“I’m just an average citizen … I say I’m the first Chinese MMA person, am I wrong? I repeat, I’m Chinese. I represented Chinese people in MMA, and now they’re all attacking me.
“When I competed, nobody gave me money. Who cared about me then? I’ve had 10,000 students since 2003. Is this someone who doesn’t love his country? It was my dream for anyone who wanted to do amateur MMA to be able to do it.
“Investigate the Chinese Wushu Association and see what they’ve done for people in China. Have they developed martial arts to anything? Give Chinese people an opportunity to become healthier and stronger. Chinese people go up six flights of stairs and get so tired. Is that what we want the average Chinese person to be?”


Xu has another fight coming up next month, but it is likely to be harder and harder for him to get his message out there in China.
Those of us who can should enjoy the Mad Dog now, while China still lets him fight.


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Martial arts

China’s censorship of Xu Xiaodong for exposing fake martial arts masters is alarming

Xu Xiaodong angrily stalks the ring after winning his latest fight in less than a minute. Photos: YouTube

The referee speaks to Xu Xiaodong and Lu Gang before their fight.

The referee raises Xu Xiaodong's hand

China orders Xu Xiaodong to publicly apologise and pay damages for insulting tai chi ‘grandmaster’ Chen Xiaowang

Xu Xiaodong (left) will publicly apologise to Chen Xiaowang (right) and pay him damages. Photo: Tom Wang/chenxiaowang.com

Chen Xiaowang is a 'grandmaster' in taijiquan. Photo: chenxiaowang.com

The court document detailing Xu Xiaodong's punishments. Photo: Fight Commenary Breakdowns

Kung fu ‘master’ Tian Ye returns from Xu Xiaodong beating to face Chinese taekwondo black belt – and results aren’t pretty

Kung fu ‘master’ Tian Ye looks to strike Chinese taekwondo black belt Zhang Long. Photos: YouTube

Zhang Long laughs at the weak offence of Tian Ye

Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong breaks balding wing chun master’s nose in brutal beat down

The referee speaks to Xu Xiaodong and Lv Gang before the fight. Photos: YouTube

Lu Gang turns his back and runs from Xu Xiaodong

Xu Xiaodong's hand is raised

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts

Kung Fu

Outspoken MMA fighter has to hide his face with clown make-up and use demeaning fake name for latest fight
‘Mad Dog’ is disappearing from Chinese search engine listings – and being forced to apologise on social media


‘Mad Dog’ has to hide his face with clown make-up and use demeaning fake name for latest fight, all as he disappears from Chinese search engine listings.


Xu Xiaodong

Tai Chi

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Sensei Says

Sensei Says | China’s censorship of Xu Xiaodong for exposing fake martial arts masters is alarming

Outspoken MMA fighter has to hide his face with clown make-up and use demeaning fake name for latest fight ‘Mad Dog’ is disappearing from Chinese search engine listings – and being forced to apologise on social media

Outspoken MMA fighter has to hide his face with clown make-up and use demeaning fake name for latest fight

‘Mad Dog’ is disappearing from Chinese search engine listings – and being forced to apologise on social media