Sanshou and Karate

(I am new to both, this is just my opinion)

Technically speaking, Sanshou is more powerful. There were contests between Sanshou and all the other martial arts, Sanshou is always the winner. Karate? No. Not even those champions, not even Putin's bodyguards. (If you want to watch one of these contests, I may show you the video). However, Karate is far more popular in the world. Why is it so?

Like a good present without a proper wrapping, Sanshou is illy-commercialized. Taking it as a profession doesn't seems to be promising. The peripheral businesses are not well developed, which means sponsors are limited. In the world today, what can run without money? Virtually nothing.

Sanshou does not have its own culture. Yeah, you may say it is purely Chinese, but where is the culture? The clothing is exactly the same as boxing. Opponents do not have to bow to each other, a touch on the glove will do. Sanshou does not require the students to follow any moral guidelines, rules. Should you bow to your 'sensei' and be obedient to him? Nonsense. They are more frequently called coach. For some amateurs, the culture/history of the sport is an important factor, not only skill levels. Sanshou has lost culturally to TKD and Karate.

No much effort is made to promote this sport. No personnels are promoting it to schools, organizations etc etc. Over the years S. Korea has been sending coaches aboard, making the learning less costly, as a result promoting TKD internationally has been made easier. We have not seen such efforts by Sanshou, or by China. If a tree wants to grow tall, its roots must be deep. TKD is popular in its homeland so that it can be popular in the rest of the world. Sanshou is not even popular in its homeland, how will it go far?

So, summarize all these reasons above and start thinking, what can Sanshou do? Renaming it "Sanshoudao"? Introducing rules, guidelines, uniforms, grading systems etc etc?? Setting up a headquarter in Beijing or wherever and branches out all over the world? Making it a compulsory P.E. subject like what Judo does in Japan? Getting big companies to sponsor the games? (Many question marks). All these sound applicable, but this will not be Sanshou already. "San" means free style, free of restrictions. Shall it be transformed into those highly disciplined martial arts in order to be well promoted? Or shall it insist on its own style and look for other solutions? This must be ambivalent for some Sanshou lovers. Either way, I am still lovin it.