Combat sport

A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In
many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting
the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (knockout, KO), or attacking the opponent in a
specific or designated technique. Combat sports share a long history with the martial arts.

Classification of unarmed combat sports

Some combat sports (and their national origin) include boxing (Greek-British), Brazilian jiu-jitsu
(Japanese-Brazilian), catch wrestling (British-American), jujutsu (Japanese), judo (Japanese),
freestyle wrestling (British-American), Greco-Roman wrestling (French), karate (Chinese-
Okinawan-Japanese), kickboxing (numerous origins, mainly Southeast Asian), Lethwei
(Burmese), mixed martial arts (numerous origins), Muay Thai (Thai), sambo (Soviet/Russian),
sanda (Chinese), savate (French), taekwondo (Korean), Vale Tudo (Brazilian), pankration (Ancient
Greek), luta livre (Brazilian), and folk wrestling (various).
History

The Pancrastinae statue demonstrates the

pancratium, which being similar to modern MMA
featured a strong grappling element. This statue is
a Roman copy of a lost Greek original, circa 3rd
century BCE.

Two martial artists sparring in ancient Cambodia as

depicted at the Bayon temple

Traditional styles of wrestling exist in most cultures; wrestling can be considered a cultural
universal. Boxing contests date back to ancient Sumer in the 3rd millennium BCE and ancient
Egypt circa 1350 BCE.[1] The ancient Olympic Games included several combat-related sports:
armored foot races, boxing, wrestling, and pankration, which was introduced in the Olympic
Games of 648 BCE.

In ancient China, combat sport appeared in the form of lei tai. It was a no-holds barred combat
sport that combined boxing and wrestling. There is evidence of similar combat sports in ancient
Egypt, India and Japan.[2]
Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the tournament was popular. Tournaments were
competitions that featured several mock combat events, with jousting as a main event. While the
tournament was popular among aristocrats, combat sports were practiced by all levels of
society. The German school of late medieval martial arts distinguished sportive combat
(schimpf) from serious combat (ernst). In the German Renaissance, sportive combat
competitions were known as Fechtschulen, corresponding to the Prize Playing in Tudor England.
Out of these Prize Playing events developed the English boxing (or prizefighting) of the 18th
century, which evolved into modern boxing with the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry
rules in 1867.

Amateur boxing has been part of the modern Olympic Games since their introduction in 1904.
Professional boxing became popular in the United States in the 1920s and experienced a "golden
age" after World War II. Professional wrestling was once competitive catch wrestling, a legitimate
combat sport in the late 19th and early 20th century, however it has since evolved into athletic
theater.

The creation of Brazilian jiu-Jitsu is attributed to the Gracie family of Brazil in 1925 after Asian
martial arts were introduced to Brazil. Vale-tudo, wrestling, Muay Thai kickboxing and luta livre
gained popularity. Modern Muay Thai was developed in the 1920s to 1930s. Sambo was
introduced in the Soviet Union. Modern Taekwondo also emerged after the Japanese occupation
of Korea and became an Olympic sport in 2000. Sanshou as part of modern wushu was
developed in the People's Republic of China since the 1950s. Kickboxing and full contact karate
were developed in the 1960s and became popular in Japan and the West during the 1980s and
1990s. Modern MMA developed out of the interconnected subcultures of Vale Tudo and shoot
wrestling. It was introduced in Japan in the form of Shooto in 1985, and in the United States as
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were
introduced in 2000, and the sport experienced peak popularity in the 2000s. During this period,
multiple brands and promotions were established. The most well-known promotion for MMA is
UFC.

Conor McGregor, José Aldo, and Dana White at a

press conference for the fight between McGregor
and Aldo. This shows the two fighters posing for
media, increasing revenue and interest in the fight.
Popularity by gender

Iranian Kickboxer, Hamid Amni, during the Asian

Kickboxing championships 2017

Combat sports are generally more popular among men as athletes and spectators. For many
years, participation in combat sports was practically exclusive to men; USA Boxing had a ban on
women's boxing until 1993.[3] A study conducted by Greenwell, Hancock, Simmons, and Thorn in
2015 revealed that combat sports had a largely male audience.[4]
List

Unarmed

Striking

Boxing and Kickboxing Semi Contact Kickboxing

Amateur Boxing
Full Contact Kickboxing
Bare-knuckle Boxing
Dutch Kickboxing
Greek Boxing
Freestyle Kickboxing
Roman Boxing
European Kickboxing
English Boxing
Kick Light Kickboxing
American Boxing
Savate Kickboxing
Russian Boxing
Unified Rules Kickboxing
Chivarreto Boxing
Adimurai Kickboxing
Dambe Boxing
Enfusion Kickboxing
Musangwe Boxing
Glory Kickboxing
Filipino Boxing
Bando Kickboxing
Cuban Boxing
New Zealand Kickboxing
Puerto Rican Boxing

Japanese Boxing

Mexican Boxing

Australian Boxing

Irish Boxing

Armenian Boxing

K-1 Kickboxing

Japanese Kickboxing

Korean Kickboxing

American Kickboxing

Light Contact Kickboxing

Karate Bōgutsuki
Kyokushin
Fudokan
Shotokan
Budokan
Yoshukai
Seido Juku
Bōgutsuki
Sankukai
Goju-ryu
Meibukan
Shito-ryu
Gohakukai
Chito-ryu
Koei Kan
Isshin-ryū

Uechi-ryu

Shorin-ryu

Ryūei-ryū

Shōrei-ryū

Shohei-ryu

Tōon-ryū

Kenyu-ryu

Tokitsu-Ryu

Kuma-ryu

Washin-ryu

Shōrinji-ryū

Yoseikan-ryu

Shidōkan-ryu

Matsubayashi

Seidokaikan

Shōrinkan

Kyudōkan

Genseiryu

Shukokai

Shudokan
Wushu Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do
Lung Ying Traditional Taekwondo

Hóu Quán World Taekwondo

Zhōujiāquán ITF taekwondo

Bàoquán STF Taekwondo

Shéquán ATA Taekwondo

Zuiquan Rhee Taekwondo

Bajiquan Kukkiwon Taekwondo

Zi Ran Men Extreme Taekwondo

Bak Mei Tang Soo Do

Emeiquan Kong Soo Do

Mizongyi Chung Do Kwan

Mian Quan Soo Bahk Do

Ditangquan Moo Duk Kwan

Chuōjiǎo Chang Moo Kwan

Heihuquan Jidokwan

Changquan Suntukan

Nanquan Sikaran

Yiquan Capoeira

Hung Fut Engolo

Duan Quan Taido

Choy Gar

Li Gar

Mok Gar

Fut Gar

Chow Gar

Hung Ga
Grappling

Folk wrestling Pelivan

Sumo
Bokh
Cornish wrestling
Buriad bokh
Cumberland Wrestling
Bukh noololdoon
Westmorland wrestling
Gorës
Lancashire wrestling
Gushtingiri
Devon wrestling
Gouren
Collar-and-elbow wrestling
Barróg
Iranian wrestling
Glima
Khmer traditional wrestling
Naban
Canarian wrestling
Dumog
Leonese wrestling
Alysh
Kazakh wrestling
Khridoli
Backhold wrestling
Chidaoba
Buno
Kurash
Bultong
Khuresh
Lutte Traditionnelle
Tegumi
Jobbarer Boli Khela
Kene
Narodno rvanje
Malakhra
Gatta Gusthi
Mukna
Karakucak
Vajra-mushti
Schwingen
Huka-huka
Pehlwani
Coreeda
Ristynės
Sa Strumpa
Ssireum
Norfolk wrestling
Ringen
Kragkast
Galhofa
Calegon wrestling
Calegon
 Pakištynės Jujutsu and Judo
Japanese jiu-jitsu
Trântă
Sport jujutsu
Tigel
International jiu-jitsu
Southern Mongolian wrestling
Gracie ju-jitsu
Mariwariwosu
Machado ju-jitsu
Vật cổ truyền
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Boumwane
10th Planet jiu-jitsu
Hokoko
Guerrilla jiu-jitsu
Rongomamau
American Jiu-Jitsu
Moana wrestling
Hakko-ryu jiu-jitsu
Epoo Korio
Gyokushin-ryū Jujutsu
Fagatua
Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu
Popoko
Kodokan Judo
Veibo
Kosen Judo
Taupiga
Freestyle Judo
Uma wrestling
Azerbaijani Judo
Modern wrestling
Amateur Wrestling Israeli Judo

Freestyle Wrestling Mongolian Judo

Greco-Roman wrestling French Judo

Collegiate wrestling Georgian Judo

Scholastic wrestling Russian Judo

Catch wrestling Korean Judo

Submission wrestling Brazilian Judo

Greek wrestling

Combat Wrestling

Hayastan Wrestling
 Kung Fu Sambo
Chin Na Sport Sambo

Shuai Jiao Freestyle Sambo

Die Jiao Luta Livre Esportiva

Gi Ge Aikido

Qielixi

Ndrual Dluad

Beiga

Hybrid

Mixed martial arts

Karate Boxing and Kickboxing
Kenko Kempo Karate Ancient Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Shidokan Karate Yaw-Yan Kickboxing

Tenshinkan Karate Shoot Boxing

Tsuroka Karate Pradal Serey Kickboxing

Ashihara kaikan Lethwei Boxing

Enshin kaikan Musti-yuddha Kickboxing

Byakuren Kaikan Moraingy Boxing

Kendokai Kendokan Draka Kickboxing

Shōrinjiryū Kenkōkan Xtreme Gladiator

Okinawa Seidokan Muay Thai

Shindo Jinen-ryu Muay Lao

Shōbayashi Shōrin-ryū Muay Boran

Wado-ryu Muay Korat

Shuri-ryu Muay Lopburi

Gosoku-ryu Muay Thasao

Sankukai Muay Chaiya

Sanshinkai

Zendokai

Nanbudo

Kokondo

Kansuiryu

Seigokan
Jujutsu and Judo Modern Wrestling
Japanese jujutsu Combat Submission Wrestling

Combat jiu-jitsu Shoot Wrestling

German Ju-Jitsu Shooto

Atemi Ju-Jitsu Shootfighting

Danzan-ryu Ju-Jitsu Wushu

Sanda Sanshou
Hokutoryu Ju-Jutsu
Nan Pai Tanglang
Small Circle JuJitsu
Tánglángquán
Budoshin Ju-Jitsu
Pe̍h-ho̍h-kûn
Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu
Huaquan
Kyushin-ryū Ju-Jitsu
Yuejiaquan
Kito-ryu Ju-Jitsu
Wing Chun
Fudo-ryu Ju-Jitsu
Fu Jow Pai
Kick Jiu Jitsu
Choy Li Fut
Taijutsu
Eagle Claw
Atemi Judo
Taekwondo and Taekkyon
Aikido
Taekkyon
Real Aikido
GTF Taekwondo
Shodokan Aikido
Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo
Yoshinkan
American Tang Soo Do
Renshinkai
Choi Kwang Do
Aikikai
Hup Kwon Do
Ki Aikido
Han Moo Do
Hapkido
Han Mu Do
Combat Hapkido
Teuk Gong Moo Sool
Sin Moo Hapkido
Yongmudo
Hankido

Kuk Sool Won

Hapki yusul
 Kempo Sambo
Kosho Shorei-Ryū Kenpo Combat sambo

Nippon Kempo Full Contact Fighting Sambo

American Kenpo Army Hand-To-Hand Combat

Shorinji Kempo Pankration

Modern Pankration
Okinawan Kempo
Ancient Pankration
Kara-Ho Kempo
Gaidojutsu
Shaolin Kempo
GongKwon Yusul
Ryūkyū Kempo
Kajukenbo
Ryū-te
Vale tudo
Folk wrestling
Pi'i tauva Luta Livre

Inbuan Kudo

Malla-yuddha Combat Hopak

Senegalese wrestling Angampora

Armed

Bladed weapons Stick-fighting

Academic fencing Bâton français

Fechtschule Quarterstaff

Fencing Singlestick

Historical European martial arts Hastilude

Arnis
Historical medieval battles
Competitive jousting
Kendo
Shooting sports
Airsoft

Paintball

Techniques

The techniques used can be categorized into three domains: striking, grappling, and weapon
usage, with some hybrid rule-sets combining striking and grappling. In combat sports the use of
these various techniques are highly regulated to minimize permanent or severe physical damage
to each participant though means of organized officiating by a single or multiple referees that
can distribute penalties or interrupt the actions of the competitors during the competition. In
weapon based sports, the weapons used are made to be non-lethal by means of modifying the
striking portions of the weapon and requiring participants to wear protective clothing/armor.

Olympics

Amateur boxing (1904–2020): Boxing has been staged at every summer Olympic games since
1904 except Stockholm in 1912 due to Swedish law.[5]

Judo (1964, 1972–2020): Judo was not included in the 1968 Mexico City summer Olympics.
Women's judo was added to the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona.[6]

Taekwondo (1988 Seoul Games as demonstration sport, 2000–2020): Became an official

medal sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.[7]

Wrestling Greco-Roman (1908–2020): The first form of wrestling to be held at the Olympic
Games.[8]

Wrestling Freestyle (1920–2020): Was modified at the 2000 Sydney Games and reduced the
amount of weight categories provided.[9]

Pankration and singlestick are two other forms of combat sports that have been included in
the Olympics. These combat sports were introduced to the Olympic Games in the early 1900s
however singlestick was only represented at the 1904 Olympic games and pankration whilst
lasting four centuries in Ancient Greek Olympia's, was not included at all after 1900.

Fencing (1896–2020): Competitive fencing is one of the five activities which have been
featured in every modern Olympic Games, the other four being athletics, cycling, swimming,
and gymnastics.

Olympic dueling (1906–1908): Demonstration sport at the 1906 Olympics and 1908 Olympics.

Karate (2020): Karate made its Olympic debut for Tokyo 2020 under new IOC rules.

Protective gear and clothing

In combat sports, victory is obtained from blows, punches or attacks to the head to a point of
physical injury that the opponent is unable to continue.[10] Different forms of combat sport have
different rules and regulations into the equipment competitors have to wear. In Amateur boxing
seen at the Olympics, competitors are permitted to wear head guards and correctly weighted
padded gloves, mouth guards are optional and the canvas floor protection from a hard fall.[11] In
sports such as Taekwondo, competitors are permitted to wear a trunk protector, head guard,
gloves, groin guard and shin and forearm pads.[12] Professional boxing and MMA are two of the
most dangerous combat sports in the world due to the lack of protective gear worn (compared to
the protected fists). Competitors in these two sports have the option to wear a mouthguard and
must wear suitable gloves. The lack of protective clothing makes competitors vulnerable to
concussions and further traumatic head injuries. A scientific experiment, conducted last year by
Dr Andrew McIntosh of ACRISP at the Federation University of Australia, tested the impact of
seven different head guards in combat sport. The results of the experiment revealed the benefits
of the combination of a glove and headguard in maximising the impact energy attenuation.[13] A
study conducted by Lystad showed that combat sports with little to no protective gear such as
MMA or boxing has an injury incidence rate range of 85.1–280.7 per 1000 athletes in comparison
to another striking combat sport like Taekwondo which has a large amount of protective gear
such as pads, headgear, mouth guard and gloves, has an injury incidence rate range of 19.1–
138.8 per 1000 athletes. This means that injury rates are drastically lowered when protective
gear is used.[14]

Gear includes:

Gloves

Headgear

Mouthguard

Shin guards

Arm guards

Groin guard

Trunk guard

Wraps (material wrapped around the hand and wrist (and/or foot and ankle) that provides
added alignment, support and protection)

Fighting area

Mat

circular layout or rectangular layout

Ring

with ropes around the fighting area

boxing ring

without ropes around the fighting area

pit: A circle 27 feet in diameter, of which the inner 24 feet is colored blue. The next 3 feet is
yellow, which is the caution area. When the fighter gets to the yellow area, he know they
are getting close to stepping out-of-bounds. The last edge of the ring is the red zone,
 which features a 30-degree upward angle. When a fighter steps on the red area, they are
stepping up slightly, letting them know they are out-of-bounds.

sumo ring (dohyō), sand ring

Fenced area (generically referred to as a "cage")

Can be round or have at least six sides. The fenced area is generally called a cage or more
precisely, depending on the shape, a hexagon (if it has 6 sides) or an octagon (if it has 8
sides).

Some replace the metal fencing with a net.

See also

Blood sport

Hand-to-hand combat

Hoplology

List of boxing films

List of martial arts films

Mixed martial arts

References

1. "Boxing" (https://www.britannica.com/sports/boxing) . Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved

May 12, 2018.

2. Brownell, Susan Elaine (1990). The olympic movement on its way into Chinese culture (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=ita1AAAAIAAJ&q=ancient+leitai) . University of California,
Santa Barbara. pp. 29, 63. "In both ancient China and Greece, the most popular sports were
probably wrestling, boxing, and combinations thereof (Greek pankration, Chinese leitai). The
same might be argued for ancient Egypt, India and Japan. [...] In both ancient China and
Greece, the no-holds-barred combat sport (Greek pankration, Chinese leitai) was probably
the most popular one."

3. "History of Amateur Boxing" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120424232359/http://www.tea

musa.org/USA-Boxing/About-Us/History-of-Amateur-Boxing.aspx) . Team USA. Archived
from the original (https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing/About-Us/History-of-Amateur-Boxi
ng.aspx) on April 24, 2012. Retrieved 2018-03-21.

4. Greenwell, Hancock, Simmons, Thorn (2015). "The effects of gender and social roles on the
marketing of combat sport". Sport Marketing Quarterly. 24 (1): 19. ISSN 1061-6934 (https://s
earch.worldcat.org/issn/1061-6934) .
 5. "Boxing Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/boxing-equip
ment-and-history?tab=history) . Retrieved 2016-05-17.

6. "Judo Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/judo-equipment

-and-history?tab=history) . Retrieved 2016-05-17.

7. "Taekwondo Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/taekwon

do-equipment-and-history?tab=history) . Retrieved 2016-05-17.

8. "Wrestling Greco Roman Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.o

rg/wrestling-greco-roman-equipment-and-history?tab=history) . Retrieved 2016-05-17.

9. "Wrestling Freestyle Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/w

restling-freestyle-equipment-and-history?tab=history) . Retrieved 2016-05-17.

10. "Combat Sport - 2015" (https://ama.com.au/position-statement/combat-sport-2015) .

Australian Medical Association. 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2016-05-17.

11. "Boxing Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/boxing-equip

ment-and-history) . www.olympic.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.

12. "Taekwondo Equipment, History and Rules | Olympic.org" (http://www.olympic.org/taekwon

do-equipment-and-history) . www.olympic.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.

13. McIntosh, A. S.; Patton, D. A. (2015). "Sign In" (http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/17/1113.ful

l) . British Journal of Sports Medicine. 49 (17): 1113–7. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095093
(https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbjsports-2015-095093) . PMID 26192195 (https://pubmed.ncb
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Epidemiologist. 22.