What moves are allowed in sanda?
I · Intermediate · Scoring · 2 of 5Sanda allows punches, kicks and throws. It bans attacks with the head, elbow or knee, pressure against a joint, throws that drop the opponent on their head, and any attack to the head of a fighter who is down. There is no fighting on the ground: once someone falls, the action stops.
How it works
- Permitted: "All wushu punching, kicking and throwing/wrestling techniques".
- No head, elbow or knee: as attacking weapons.
- No joint attacks: no pressure on a joint in the adverse direction.
- No head-first throws: no throw that forces the opponent to land on their head.
- No smashing: no deliberately driving the body down onto a fallen opponent.
- No hitting a downed fighter's head: by any means.
- Juniors and children: continuous punches to the head and leg techniques to the head are prohibited unless the event states otherwise.
- Using a prohibited method: a personal foul.
The glossary has sanda, the clinch, the scoring areas, the admonition and warning, the deliberate fall and the scoring in sanda.
Tricky cases
A fighter catches a kick and sweeps the standing leg. Legal?
Yes. Catching a leg and throwing is a throwing technique, and throws are permitted.
A fighter falls and the opponent kicks at their body before the judge calls stop. Legal?
It depends. If the fighter went down on purpose, the opponent may still attack within three seconds, but never the head. If the fighter was knocked or thrown down, the judge calls "Ting" and nothing may be struck.
Can a fighter knee the body in a clinch?
No. The knee is a prohibited technique anywhere.
In a junior bout a fighter lands a kick to the head. Is it scored?
No, unless the event's regulations say otherwise. For junior and children's competitions leg techniques to the head are prohibited.
Why the rule exists
Sanda was built as a sport version of Chinese fighting methods: striking at range, then throwing when the fighters close. The banned techniques are the ones most likely to injure and the ones that would turn it into a different sport, such as elbows and knees in the clinch and locks on the ground.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Senior bouts | Punches, kicks and throws, including kicks to the head | Sanda Rules, Art. 1 and 5 (slides 31 and 47) |
| Junior and children's bouts | No leg techniques to the head and no continuous punches to it, unless stated | Sanda Rules, Art. 2 (slide 32) |
| Deliberate fall | Three seconds in which the fight may go on | Sanda Rules (slides 38 and 59) |
| Muay Thai | Elbows and knees are allowed | C |
From the rule book
International Wushu Federation, Sanda Rules and Judging Methods (2017 rules, as set out in the federation's 2023 judges' training course slides), Permitted and Prohibited Techniques (Articles 1 and 2) and Fouls and Penalties (Article 6). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's Sanda Competition Rules and Judging Methods (not saved; a training copy was used).