Big hits, clutch performances and epic comebacks with one swift kick. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? But I’m not talking about football, or any other traditional contact sport for that matter. I am talking about kickboxing; specifically, the San Shou World Championships of Kickboxing, which were recently held in Macau, China. San Shou is the full-contact form of kung-fu. It began as a championship for all the martial arts masters who would fight each other on a platform with no equipment. Too many of the masters were dying, however, and adjustments were made to the sport. Although Russians and Chinese have been competing in San Shou since the ’80s, the first world championships were held in 1993. Today, the tournament brings the best fighters from all over the world to compete, showcasing talents from 32 countries in 10 weight classes. Before you laugh it off with some dispassionate Jean-Claude Van Damme or Sasha Mitchell reference, listen to the words of Mike Norman. A junior African-American studies and philosophy major at Northeastern, Norman is a three-time San Shou National Kickboxing Champion, and holds the record for the fastest American round in San Shou history – a 3.2 second round against Julot Luc in the second round of a bout. “I caught him with a spinning back kick to the jaw,” Norman remembers. He recently competed in the tourney, which ran from Nov. 2 to Nov. 8, advancing to the second round. “I wasn’t the only guy that got robbed,” he said, referring to his second round loss to an Egyptian competitor. “Overall, the level of competition has stepped up so much from previous years. Some of those guys are so good, especially the Chinese team.” Norman, who holds an 18-2 career record with six knockouts, is relatively new to the sport. He began kickboxing at 18 years old, but had practiced karate since the age of 10 (he earned a black belt in Ishinryu karate and brown in kumi-uchi jujitsu). He says competition, or the lack thereof, was the primary reason for the switch. “I got into kickboxing because of the competitive aspect,” he said. “You can’t compete with the real techniques of karate, and in jujitsu, you’re going to hurt someone too much. It gave me an avenue to still participate in martial arts but compete, which is something I still enjoy.” After hearing about a kickboxing facility, City Gym, in the Boston area, Norman went to check the place out. After watching the heavyweight professional champion, Marvin Perry, work out, he was hooked. “The great thing about San Shou is that it incorporates all types of fighting,” he said. “I was able to implement hip throws from jujitsu, as well as some Greco Roman wrestling techniques and the kicking from karate. “It took me a little while to adapt to the different styles, but it helped having the best coach in the nation, Jason Yee,” he added. “He’s the best in San Shou kickboxing, and he can adapt my fighting style to my body perfectly.” For Norman, that means a combination of Russian style mixed with western boxing and a little bit of kicking. “I like to punch first. My boxing skills will be a little better, but I won’t be kicking as fast as they will. I’ll use my range, stay outside and try to score points,” he said, noting that he prefers the jab and lead leg kicks (which are almost like a leg jab). Before that, however, Norman had to adapt his body to a strict workout regimen. Five to six weeks before the tournament, Norman began double sessions four to five times a week. He would wake up before class, do three rounds of rope, some shadow boxing, stretching or kicking with a bag in addition to a lifting regimen. If on co-op, he does the normal two-hour kickboxing at night, complete with combo drills and sparring. The last week before the tourney was especially trying. “I have to make weight, so I cut out all carbohydrates and cut out non-essential weight,” he said. “I won’t be able to work out as hard, because my muscles won’t have the fuel to recover.” In a society that thrives on action and, more specifically, big hits, it is a surprise that it hasn’t caught on in America. According to Norman, however, that is exactly the problem. “I think people see kickboxing as being too violent,” he said. “Mike Tyson has given all contact/fighting sports a bad name. [Spectators] look at it as two people trying to get their anger out. I’m not a violent person; I just love martial arts and love to compete.” He adds that, as is the case with most sports, money and notoriety are also debilitating concerns. Still, San Shou fighters should not be confused with the likes of Bob Sapp, who competes in K-1 competition. “K-1 is much less about scoring points and more about big guys knocking each other out,” Norman said. “You are not allowed to catch kicks. In San Shou, you can sweep people off their feet; it adds another level of skill. “I think San Shou (which in the professional circuit is called San Sa) is more exciting than K-1. There are more sweeps, body slams and throws. All types of wrestling and techniques that you don’t see in the K-1,” he said. And Bob Sapp? “Bob Sapp is terrible,” he deadpans, noting Sapp’s unsportsmanlike conduct from about a month back. Norman said there are health benefits in participating, as well as the flexibility involved with the sport. “San Shou keeps you in great shape and works all the muscles in your body,” he said. “It’s for anyone who wants to compete, whether you practiced Tae Kwon Doe or were a high school wrestler.” However, it is not an intensely cerebral practice. According to Norman, meditation helps (he says it helps him focus before fights), but it is a competition. “It is a sport and it’s marketed that way in China and around the world,” he said. “There are no belts awarded or anything like that. There is no sensei, no secret techniques. You just have to go out there and prove yourself. “There is no BS.” His ginger gait tells as much. Norman had surgery on his right hip in July after the U.S. team trials. The bones rub against each other, so he compensates for a weak rear leg by using his boxing aggressively. Though it was stiff after his victory against a Grecian boxer, it posed no serious problems in Macau. “[The tournament] was supposed to be my last fight. I’m supposed to quit if I don’t want a full hip replacement by the time I’m 40,” he lamented. City Gym is located in Kenmore Square. For more information, go to www.boston-kickboxing.com.

– Evans Erilus may be reached at [email protected]. He can be heard every Friday from 3-6 p.m. on WRBB 104.9 FM’s “Dog Pound Sports Sound.”