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In Ancient China, combat sport appeared in the form of Lei tai, a no-holds-barred mixed combat sport that combined Chinese martial arts, boxing and wrestling. Lei tai in its present form appeared during the Song dynasty when it was used for boxing and Shuai Jiao exhibition matches and private duels. According to the Chinese Kuoshu Institute (UK), an ancestor of the lei tai was used during the Qin dynasty to hold Jiao Li wrestling competitions between imperial soldiers. The winner would be chosen to act as a bodyguard to the emperor or a martial arts instructor for the Imperial Military. The lei tai is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal weapons and bare-knuckle martial arts tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides. Fighters would lose if they surrendered, were incapacitated, were thrown or otherwise forced from the stage. The winner would remain on the stage (as its "owner") unless ousted by a stronger opponent. If there were no more challengers, they would become the champion. Private duels on the stage had no rules and were sometimes fought to the death.

The lei tai first appeared in Ancient China, and in its present form during the Song dynasty. However, ancient variations of it can be traced back to at least the Qin dynasty. Today it is used in Sanshou and Kuoshu competitions throughout the world.