Section Xi Wrestling

Imagine, if you will, a sport that combines the gentle art of sumo wrestling with the high-octane drama of a professional wrestling match, except everyone is wearing tiny, colorful shorts and yelling in Chinese. Welcome to Section Xi Wrestling, the most unexpectedly hilarious martial art you’ve never heard of. It’s like if a laundry basket full of gymnasts decided to fight over the last dumpling.

What in the World is Section Xi?

Officially called Section Xi (or "Xiangqi" in Mandarin, but don’t let that confuse you), it’s a traditional folk wrestling style from Taiwan that’s basically a chaos engine. The goal is simple: grab your opponent’s sash—a thick, colorful belt—and fling them to the ground. But here’s the kicker: you can only use the sash for grips, no grabbing limbs or heads.

So you get grown adults spinning each other around like tops, trying to break each other’s balance while looking like they’re about to break into a polka. Surprising fact: The uniform includes a chest flap that makes everyone look like a superhero who forgot to change out of their pajamas.

Why It’s Weirder Than You Think

Unlike judo, where you can grab anything, Section Xi is a sash-only affair. This leads to moments where two people are just shuffling around, locked in a tense, sweaty hug, waiting for the other to sneeze. The strategy is mind-boggling: you can lift your opponent by their belt, swing them like a pendulum, or even try to trip them by getting your foot entangled in their fabric.

One pro move is the "flying squirrel" where you leap sideways, hoping to land on your opponent’s sash like a cat attacking a laser pointer. It doesn’t always work—but when it does, the crowd loses it. Playful exaggeration: I’m 90% sure the sport was invented by a tailor who wanted to sell more belts.

Photo 1 in the Section XI Division II Championships Finals and Podiums

The Secret Sauce: Speed and Grip Strength

Matches last about two minutes, which is just enough time to pop a popcorn kernel before the action explodes. Wrestlers train for years just to perfect the "Rope-a-Dope with Sash" technique. The competition is divided by weight class, but the lighter guys are terrifying—they move so fast they look like they’re on fast-forward.

Surprising fact: Some Section Xi champions have grip strength that can dent a steel pipe. I made that up, but it’s probably true given how hard they yank those sashes. The sport also has a rule that if you lose your sash mid-match, you’re disqualified—imagine trying to fight while your pants are falling down.

3rd/4th & 5th/6th Place Matches and random consolations- 2026 Section

Why You Should Care

Section Xi is like the underrated cousin of Olympic wrestling—it’s weird, it’s fun, and it involves people acting like aggressive glow sticks. It’s been around for centuries in Taiwan, but only recently started popping up in international competitions. Think of it as the funk that martial arts were missing.

If you ever see a Section Xi match, prepare for a low-budget masterpiece. The judges wear bowties and sometimes the athletes wear capes. Playful exaggeration: I swear the referee once gave a point deduction for "excessive sass in the pre-fight bow." So next time you think you’ve seen it all, remember: somewhere, two people are trying to yank each other’s laundry off while pretending to be ninjas. And that’s beautiful.