COMBAT SPORT

A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-
one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the
opponent or by disabling the opponent. Common combat sports include mixed martial arts,
boxing, wrestling, fencing, savate, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Sanda, Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira,
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, HMB, Sambo, Kyokushin, and Kūdō, sometimes even Ninjutsu.
HISTORY
The history of combat sports, such as grappling, wrestling, and boxing, seem to reach back even
before the beginning of recorded history. Egyptian depictions of wrestlers at Beni Hasan, shown
below, date back to at least 2000 BC. Other sources, such as the the ancient literary work the
Epic of Gilgamesh, provide even earlier testimonies of the existence of combat sports. Pitting
one man’s strength and skill against that of another has been an apparent form of conflict
resolution for millennia. From wild wrestling in ancient Mesopotamia to structured grappling in
medieval Ireland, the history of combat sports seems to spread across nearly every continent
throughout history.
MESOPOTAMIAN REGION
References to combat sports in literature, even fictional, serve as excellent historical anchors in
the history of combat sports. The Epic of Giglamesh (c. 2100 BC), one of mankind’s earliest
surviving pieces of literature, tells the tale of the godlike king of Uruk after whom the poem is
titled. One of the highlights of this story lies at the end of its first chapter, when Enkidu, a wild
man made by the gods to match Gilgamesh in strength and power, challenges the king. The
story relates that the two of them grapple fiercely, smashing doorposts and shaking the walls,
until Gilgamesh finally throws his opponent. This tells us the people of ancient Mesopotamia did
grapple to some degree, with at least one form’s goal involving overturning the opponent
(though use of pins and holds or lack thereof is unknown). Within Mesopotamian culture,
Gilgamesh appears to have been held as a godlike example of masculinity and power, indicating
that grappling may have been a popular sport during that period, whether for entertainment or
conflict resolution.
MEDITERRANEAN REGION
There are many more extant sources regarding the history of combat sports in ancient Greece
than in ancient Mesopotamia, providing a much clearer picture of what they were like. Though
the Olympic Games initially only featured running contests, combat sports were eventually
added in the following years; wrestling (called palé) in 708 BC, boxing (called pygmachia) in 688
BC, and pankration (a violent sport with few rules) in 648 BC.
Wrestling held a sizable place in Greek culture, and was featured in the Panhellenic games both
independently and as part of the pentathlon. To begin a match, the two opponents would lean
into each other with their foreheads touching, standing in the middle of a wrestling pit called a
skamma. They were given no time limit for the fight. While kicks and punches were not
permitted (unlike aforementioned pankration and, of course, boxing), most chokes and holds on
the upper body were allowed, as well as sweeps to the legs. The goal was to throw the
opponent, landing them on their back and/or shoulders, in order to score a fall. Submissions
and holds deemed by the judges to be inescapable were also counted as a fall. As there appears
to have been no break between rounds, the felled opponent would have had to immediately
right themselves and continue fighting after a scored fall. The first one to score three falls won
the match.
Contrasting common opinion of wrestlers in modern times, successful athletes were regarded as
somewhat intellectually gifted. Good technique and cunningness were regarded more highly
than brute strength alone. As there were no weight classes, smaller contestants had to rely on
skill over strength to overcome their larger piers, though the latter nevertheless dominated the
sport.
MIDDLE EAST
Much like the Mesopotamian region, combat sports seem to have been immensely popular in
the ancient Middle East. A form of grappling called malla-yuddha (which translated from
Sanskrit means “wrestling combat”) was practiced in India as early as 500 BC, and is still in
practice in parts of South India today, making it one of the longest-running entries in the history
of combat sports. This combat sport involved grappling, striking, certain holds, and sometimes
even biting. It was separated into four forms, each progressively more violent, with its final form
consisting of ferocious, full contact striking and sometimes limb-breaking holds. In contrast to
wrestling in ancient Greek, malla-yuddha placed special emphasis on the strength of the
participants rather than their technique. For example, the goal of its second form, one of the
most common still practiced today, was to lift the opponent off the ground for a full three
seconds.
*Malla-yuddha was likely practiced much earlier than 500 BC, but its earliest literary reference
comes form the Hindu epic Ramayana, which dates around that period.
FAR EAST
Though Asia plays a less central role in the history of combat sports, it has hosted many isolated
forms of throughout its history. As early as the 3rd millennium BC, Chinese marital artists
engaged in a sport called jiao di (lit. horn butting) to some degree, though records of it are
scant. In one of several possible variations of the sport, the two opponents would don horned
headgear and attempt to butt the other off a raised platform called the lei tai.
Throughout the ages the sport adopted throwing techniques, bringing it closer in line with what
we would call wrestling or grappling. By the end of the 2nd millennium BC it had given way to a
new sport called jiao li, which historical records seem to indicate was a form of wrestling with
some marital-arts-flavored striking and blocking. This was quite a popular spectator sport during
the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC). Competitors would wrestle on the lei tai, on which the winner of
each round would remain to face the next challenger until there were no more left, king-of-the-
ring style. When no more fighters were left, the final man standing would be named champion.
The sport was practiced among soldiers in China throughout the centuries, and even today
several styles are still practiced under the name shuaijiao (or shuai jiao, translated “to throw to
the ground through wrestling with legs”).
EUROPEAN REGION
The history of combat sports surges in Medieval Europe, where a wide variety of such sports
were enjoyed among many regions and classes. In the 16th century, all social classes engaged in
a wide variety of regional forms of wrestling and grappling. Germans widely participated in
geselliges ringen, a relatively safe form of grappling in which joint locks and other dangerous
maneuvers were prohibited, with the ultimate goal of a throw or submission.
In the same period the Irish participated in a sport called coraíocht (which may even have ties
back to the Tailteann Games as early as 632 BC), better known today as “Collar-and-Elbow,” in
which the goal was to maintain a pin of both shoulders and hips for five full seconds. To begin,
the opponents would face each other, grab the other’s collar with their right hand and the
elbow with their left hand. From this standing position they would circle each other while trying
to gain the proper leverage and positioning to take down the opponent via a throw or a sweep.
Once on the ground, they would employ various grappling techniques and holds in an attempt
to pin the opponent. Participants of coraíocht valued a balance of speed and strength to be able
to quickly move into leverageable positions for swift takedowns. In America’s early history, this
style was heavily influential and very widely practiced among all classes, making it perhaps one
of the most widespread styles of wrestling in the modern history of combat sports.
TAEKWONDO
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport that was developed in post World War 2
Korea by various martial artists but is usually attributed to military general and martial artist
Choi Hong Hi. Taekwondo is based on the native Korean martial arts of Taekkyeon, Subak and
Gwonbeop but also has significant elements of other martial arts such as Japanese Karate and
to a lesser extent Chinese Kung Fu.
As a martial art, it is known as a style that focuses particularly on kicking, and experienced
practitioners can be seen performing various spectacular head height and jumping kicks. There
are various Taekwondo administration bodies but the main two are the ITF (International
Taekwondo Federation) and the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) but it is the latter that is
the best known as it the WTF form of Taekwondo that has been a major part of the Olympic
Games since 1988.
OBJECT OF TAEKWONDO
In Taekwondo competition, the object is to land kicks and punches upon the scoring zones of
your opponent. These are the the torso and the head and both kicks and punches must be
accurate and powerful, as light tapping kicks are not counted by scorers (or electronic scoring
systems in major competitions). At the end of the three rounds of the match, the player with
the most points is declared the winner, but the match can end early by one player knocking the
other player out.
All Taekwondo practitioners, whether competitors or not are at all times expected to uphold the
five tenets of Taekwondo. These are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and
indomitable spirit.
PLAYERS & EQUIPMENT
In Taekwondo competition, fighters compete against other fighters of the same sex. They are
also placed into weight categories to ensure that fights are as evenly matched as possible. In
junior competitions, there may also be age categories too.
The white taekwondo uniform that competitors wear is often called a gi, but technically that is
the Japanese name for a martial arts uniform and the proper Korean term is a dobok. A
coloured belt is tied round the middle of the dobok and the colour signifies the grade of the
practitioner. The belt system goes from white for beginners through to yellow, green, blue, red
and then black for more experienced practitioners. Black belts then receive their ‘dan’ grades as
they progress further in their experience and expertise. In a Taekwondo match, each competitor
wears several pieces of protective equipment and these are:

 Head guard
 Chest (trunk) protector
 Groin guard
 Forearm guards
 Hand protectors
 Shin guards
 Mouth guard
SCORING
Scoring in a Taekwondo match is simple. A player gets:

 One point for a basic attack to the opponent’s torso

 Two points for a spinning kick to the opponent’s torso
 Three points for a kick to the head
In major competitions, electronic scoring systems are used that are placed within each player’s
chest protector and are adjusted to take into account of the weight category of the fight. For
head kicks (and fights where electronic scoring is not used), a panel of 4 judges push a button
when they see a scoring point. When at least 3 judges agree, then a point is awarded.
WINNING THE MATCH
Once a Taekwondo match is over (at the end of the 3 x 2 minute rounds), the winner is the
fighter that has the most points. If both fighters have the same amount of points, then an extra
round is fought called the golden point round. In this round, the first fighter to score a point is
declared the winner. Taekwondo matches can be won earlier if one fighter knocks the other out
or if one fighter is disqualified for a rule breach.
RULES OF TAEKWONDO

 Taekwondo matches should be contested by competitors of the same sex and in the
same classified weight category.
 The competition area is a mat that measures 8 metres squared.
 Taekwondo matches are contested over 3 x 2 minute rounds with a rest of 1 minute
between rounds.
 Each fighter attempts to knockout their opponent or score points by landing blows on
their opponent’s torso or head. Kicks are allowed to both to the torso and head, whilst
punches are only allowed to the body. Below the waist is not a permitted target.
 If a fighter and their coach think that a point has been missed or that a mistake has been
made, they can make a protest. A video replay is then looked at by judges and a decision
is made.
 Fighters can lose points by the way of penalties. These can be incurred by actions such
as:
o Punching to the face
o Attacking with the knee
o Attacking below the waist
o Stepping out of the ring with both feet
o Turning your back on your opponent
o Pushing, holding or grabbing your opponent
o Feigning injury
 The match is won by the fighter who knocks their opponent out or who has the greater
number of points at the end of the three rounds.
 If the match is a draw, a golden point round is fought, with the fighter landing the first
scoring point being declared the winner.
BOXING
Boxing, often called "the manly art of self-defense," is a sport in which two competitors try to
hit each other with their glove-encased fists while trying to avoid each other's blows. The
competition is divided into a specified number of rounds, usually 3 minutes long, with 1-minute
rest periods between rounds. Although amateur boxing is widespread, professional boxing has
flourished on an even grander scale since the early 18th century.
Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves, throw punches
at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.
Amateur boxing is both an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is a common fixture
in most international games—it also has its own World Championships. Boxing is overseen by a
referee over a series of one- to three-minute intervals called rounds.
The result is decided when an opponent is deemed incapable to continue by a referee, is
disqualified for breaking a rule, or resigns by throwing in a towel. If a fight completes all of its
allocated rounds, the victor is determined by judges' scorecards at the end of the contest. In the
event that both fighters gain equal scores from the judges, professional bouts are considered a
draw. In Olympic boxing, because a winner must be declared, judges award the content to one
fighter on technical criteria.
While humans have fought in hand-to-hand combat since the dawn of human history, the
earliest evidence of fist-fighting sporting contests date back to the ancient Middle East in the
3rd and 2nd millennia BC. The earliest evidence of boxing rules date back to Ancient Greece,
where boxing was established as an Olympic game in 688 BC. Boxing evolved from 16th- and
18th-century prizefights, largely in Great Britain, to the forerunner of modern boxing in the mid-
19th century with the 1867 introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.
HISTORY
Boxing originated when a person first lifted a fist against another in play. Different eras of the
sport have been distinguished by the use or nonuse of fist coverings. The ancient Greeks
believed fist fighting was one of the games played by the gods on Olympus; thus it became part
of the Olympic Games in about 688 BC. Homer has a reference to boxing in the Iliad. During
Roman times the sport began to thrive on a wide scale. Boxers fought with leather bands
around their fists for protection and sometimes wore metal-filled, leather hand coverings called
cesti, resulting in bloody, often duel-to-death, battles. Boxing diminished after the fall of Rome.
It was revived in the 18th century in England and became especially popular during the
championship reign of James Figg, who held the heavyweight title from 1719 through 1730.
Boxing became a workingman's sport during the Industrial Revolution as prizefights attracted
participants and spectators from the working class. Organization was minimal at first, and the
bouts of those eras resembled street fights more than modern boxing.
The second heavyweight champion, Jack Broughton of England, drew his own set of rules for his
own fights, and these were recognized in 1743. They outlawed some of the gorier aspects that
the sport had acquired, such as hitting below the belt line. Instead of a ring of spectators--
hence, the name ring--Broughton insisted upon a squared-off area. His rules governed what is
known as the "bareknuckle era."
Modern Era
In 1866 the Marquess of Queensberry gave his support to a new set of rules, which were named
in his honor. These rules limited the number of 3-minute rounds, eliminated gouging and
wrestling, and made the use of gloves mandatory.
Bareknuckle bouts did not cease immediately but did begin to decline. A new era dawned in
1892, when James J. CORBETT defeated the last of the great bare-fisted fighters, John L.
SULLIVAN, under the new rules
With the growing popularity of boxing, especially in the United States, weight classes other than
the unlimited heavyweights emerged. These classes became popular as world championships
were held at the new weights. Currently, there are eight major professional divisions: flyweight
(up to 112 lb/50.8 kg); bantamweight (118 lb/53.5 kg); featherweight (126 lb/57.2 kg);
lightweight (135 lb/61.2 kg); welterweight (147 lb/66.7 kg); middleweight (160 lb/72.6 kg); light
heavyweight (175 lb/79.4 kg); and heavyweight (unlimited). In recent years there has been
some recognition of junior weights, or between-weights, such as junior lightweight and
cruiserweight.
Because of its violent nature and its identification with betting, boxing has had a controversial
history. There have been periodic efforts to outlaw the sport. The November 1982 death of
South Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim, for example, prompted two editorials in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (Jan. 14, 1983) calling for a ban on all boxing. The results of a
study by an AMA-sponsored scientific council appeared in that same issue, and the council,
expressing the official AMA position, called not for a ban but for improved controls and medical
facilities at ringside, centralized record keeping, and standardization of safety regulations.
Despite these periodic efforts, boxers remain internationally famous, particularly heavyweight
champions, most of whom, in this century, have come from the United States. Among the best
heavyweights have been Muhammad ALI, Jack DEMPSEY, Jack JOHNSON, Joe LOUIS, Rocky
MARCIANO, Gene TUNNEY, Corbett, and Sullivan. Outstanding champions in the lighter weights
have included Benny Leonard, Mickey WALKER, Barney Ross, Henry ARMSTRONG, and Sugar Ray
ROBINSON. Louis, Marciano, and Ali benefited greatly--both in popularity and financially--from
the promotion of televised fights.
Asia and Latin America have produced many champions in recent years in some of the lower
weight classes, which are less popular in the United States. The Communist bloc has done
exceedingly well in Olympic competition.
RULES
Amateur fights consist of 3 rounds, professional fights from 4 to 15 rounds. The recognized
length of championship fights is 12 rounds. In most countries, professional boxing is the more
popular version, but the rules vary because there is no true governing body. Even in the United
States, boxing regulations vary from state to state.
In all boxing, however, winners are determined either by a decision of the judges (who keep
points or round victors on a scorecard as the fight progresses), the referee, or both.\
The winner also may be decided by a knockout, in which one rival is sent to the floor by a punch
and cannot get up within 10 seconds. A doctor or referee can declare the boxer injured or
defenseless even if there is no knockdown. A tied or even match is ruled a draw.
The boxing ring is actually a square, 12 to 20 ft (3.7 to 6.1 m) on each side and enclosed on each
side by three or four ropes. Gloves have been worn by boxers as a general practice since 1892.
Gloves are made of leather, have no finger holes except for the thumb, and weigh from 8 oz
(227 g) for amateur bouts down to 6 oz (170 g) for professional and all title bouts.