How to wrap your hands for san shou/sanda
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Standard Clinch Sanda Throw·Mantis Mechanics·Added by Admin
How to wrap your hands for san shou/sanda. Over the years, I have learned many techniques for wrapping your hands. The…
Standard Clinch Sanda Throw
Genus散打クリンチ投げ(Sanda Kurinchi Nage)
ChineseTranslation: standard Sanda clinch throw
Overview
Standard Clinch Sanda Throw is the fundamental clinch-based throw in sanda in which the fighter secures a collar tie, underhook, or body lock, disrupts the opponent's balance through pushing and pulling, and executes a hip throw, body-lock trip, or lateral drop while maintaining their own standing base to maximise scoring. [1],[2] The emphasis on remaining upright after the throw distinguishes sanda clinch throws from judo sacrifice techniques. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
Clinch sanda throws are effective in sanda competition because the ruleset awards points for clean throws while the fighter remains standing, incentivising controlled clinch-to-throw sequences. [1] The integration of throwing with striking gives sanda fighters the ability to chain punches and kicks into clinch throws, creating multi-threat attacks. [2]
Lineage
Sanda throwing techniques were formalised as part of the Chinese Wushu Association's competitive sanda curriculum in the 1980s, drawing on traditional Chinese wrestling (shuai jiao) and modern wrestling methods. [1] The clinch throws in sanda are distinctly Chinese in character, emphasising remaining upright after the throw rather than following to the ground. [2]
Competition Record
Throwing techniques are a major scoring element in IWuF (International Wushu Federation) Sanda World Championships and Chinese national sanda competitions. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Loading the opponent onto the hip and rotating them over it — the hip acts as the fulcrum
Joints Involved — Attacker's hip (fulcrum point), knees (deep bend for loading), core (rotation), opponent's centre of gravity (elevated)
Force Vector — Rotational — pulling and turning motion loads the opponent, then hip extension and rotation drives them over
Kuzushi (Off-balancing) — Forward and upward — breaking opponent's posture forward lifts their centre of gravity onto the attacker's hip
Position & Entry
From judo grip — Break the opponent's balance forward (kuzushi), turn in with hip below their centre of gravity, and rotate to throw
From clinch (overhook or underhook) — Secure inside position, turn the hips across the opponent's body, load and throw
Variants
Standard hip throw — full turn-in with hip below the opponent's centre of gravity
No-gi hip throw — adapted without gi grips, using overhook and collar tie
Drop hip throw — dropping to one knee to lower the fulcrum point
Combination hip throw — chaining from a failed foot technique or hand technique
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
6
High6/10
Sanda/Sanshou throws emphasize speed and catching strikes into throws
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— IJF — Legal throwing technique
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— UWW — Legal in both freestyle and Greco-Roman
UWW International Wrestling Rules, January 2026PDF— Unified MMA — Legal throwing technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Enter the clinch from a punch combination — jab-cross-clinch is the classic entry
✓Secure an underhook or collar tie with your gloved hands — press your forearms into the opponent's body for control
✓Choose the throw based on the opponent's stance: inside trip against a square stance, outside trip against a staggered stance
✓Execute the trip or throw immediately — within 1-2 seconds of establishing the clinch
✓Drive through the throw — in sanda, you want to throw the opponent forcefully for clean scoring
✓Disengage after the throw — sanda doesn't reward ground control, so return to striking stance
✓Drill the jab-cross-clinch-throw sequence as one continuous combination
Common Mistakes
!Clinching without a striking setup — the opponent sees you coming and defends
!Using finger grips inside the gloves — the referee will separate you and may penalise
!Holding the clinch without throwing — you'll be broken up and lose the tactical moment
!Executing the trip too slowly — the opponent adjusts their base and blocks
!Not driving through the throw — weak throws don't score in sanda
!Staying on the ground after throwing — return to your feet immediately
!Not training with boxing gloves — the clinch mechanics are fundamentally different from bare-hand or gi gripping
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Lower Centre of Gravity — bend knees and drop hips to make the throw harder to executeBlock the Hip — post hand on the thrower's hip to prevent loadingStep Around — circle away from the throw direction to avoid being loadedGrip Break — deny the thrower their preferred gripping configurationStiff-Arm — maintain distance with straight arms to prevent the entry
Setup Chain
1Grip Setup (Kumi-kata) — establish the controlling grips needed for the throw
2Off-Balance (Kuzushi) — break the opponent's balance in the throwing direction
3Entry (Tsukuri) — position the body for the throw by turning, stepping, or loading
4Execution (Kake) — complete the throwing action with full commitment and follow-through
5Fall (Sutemi) — commit body weight to the ground to generate throwing force
Sources & References
Primary Source
Japanese Sanda/Sanshou terminology
1OtherJapanese Martial Arts Community Terminology
Japanese Sanda/Sanshou terminology
2OtherChinese Martial Arts Terminology (中国武術用語)
Original Chinese martial arts term used in Japanese context
3CitationJapanese Sanda/Sanshou terminology
Katakana transliteration used in Japanese Sanda (散打)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip rotation speed, core strength, lower back stability
Favours
strong hips and core, good flexibility for turning entry
Key muscles
hip rotators, core, quadriceps, latissimus dorsi
Frequently Asked Questions
How tight should my hand wraps be for sanda training?
According to Mantis Mechanics, you want enough pressure to be supportive and protective, but not so tight that you feel tingling or numbness. Too loose and they won't protect you; too tight and you risk cutting off circulation and injuring your hand.
When wrapping my hands for sanda, how do I know if I've covered my knuckles correctly?
Mantis Mechanics recommends folding the wrap long enough to cover all your knuckles without overlapping. If the fold is too short, your knuckles won't be fully protected; if too long, it will overlap unnecessarily.
Should I keep my fingers together or splayed when wrapping my hands?
Mantis Mechanics emphasizes keeping your fingers splayed apart during the wrapping process, not together, as this creates a tighter and more effective wrap when you pull the material through.
How does the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw work?
Standard Clinch Sanda Throw is the fundamental clinch-based throw in sanda in which the fighter secures a collar tie, underhook, or body lock, disrupts the opponent's balance through pushing and pulling, and executes a hip throw, body-lock trip, or lateral drop while maintaining their own standing base to maximise scoring. The emphasis on remaining upright after the throw distinguishes sanda clinch throws from judo sacrifice techniques.
Where does the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw come from?
The standard clinch sanda throw was formalised as part of the competitive sanda curriculum developed by the Chinese Wushu Association in the 1980s, drawing on both traditional Chinese wrestling and modern wrestling methodology.
Is the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw legal in competition?
IJF: legal — Legal throwing technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels; UWW: legal — Legal in both freestyle and Greco-Roman; Unified MMA: legal — Legal throwing technique; ADCC: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
Danger rating 6/10. High — Sanda/Sanshou throws emphasize speed and catching strikes into throws
How do I set up the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
The standard setup chain: Grip Setup (Kumi-kata) → Off-Balance (Kuzushi) → Entry (Tsukuri) → Execution (Kake) → Fall (Sutemi).
How do I defend against the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
Standard counters include: Lower Centre of Gravity — bend knees and drop hips to make the throw harder to execute / Block the Hip — post hand on the thrower's hip to prevent loading / Step Around — circle away from the throw direction to avoid being loaded / Grip Break — deny the thrower their preferred gripping configuration.
What are the variants of the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
Common variants: Standard hip throw (full turn-in with hip below the opponent's centre of gravity); No-gi hip throw (adapted without gi grips, using overhook and collar tie); Drop hip throw (dropping to one knee to lower the fulcrum point); Combination hip throw (chaining from a failed foot technique or hand technique).
How effective is the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw in competition?
Throwing techniques are a major scoring element in IWuF (International Wushu Federation) Sanda World Championships and Chinese national sanda competitions.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
Top errors to watch for: Clinching without a striking setup — the opponent sees you coming and defends / Using finger grips inside the gloves — the referee will separate you and may penalise / Holding the clinch without throwing — you'll be broken up and lose the tactical moment / Executing the trip too slowly — the opponent adjusts their base and blocks.
What are other names for the Standard Clinch Sanda Throw?
The Standard Clinch Sanda Throw is also known as Sanda Kurinchi Nage, Classical Sanda Clinch Throw, Standard Sanshou Clinch Throw.