DUSHANBE, October 5, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The first republican Wushu Sanda competition will take place in Khujand, the capital of Sughd province on October 16.

Samijon Salohididnov, vice-president of Tajikistan’s Wushu Federation, says the tournament is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence and it will bring together athletes over the age of 13 from Dushanbe, Khujand, Tursunzoda and Gorno Badakhshan.

Sanda (literally “free fighting”) or Sanshou (literally “free hand”) or Sanda (literally "free fighting") or an “unsanctioned fight” is a Chinese hand-to-hand self-defense system and combat sport. Sanshou is a martial art which was originally developed by the Chinese military based upon the intense study and practices of traditional Kung Fu and modern combat fighting techniques; it combines full-contact kickboxing, which include punches and kicks, wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes.