Combative sport is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement, typically with the aim of simulating parts of real hand to hand combat. Boxing, amateur wrestling, puroresu, mixed martial arts and fencing are examples of combat sports.
The techniques used can be categorized into three domains: striking, grappling, and weapon usage. Some rule-sets specialize in one area, while others allow overlap.
Sports related to combat skills have been a part of human culture for thousands of years. The Ancient Olympic Games were largely composed of sports that tested skills related to combat, such as armored foot races, Boxing, wrestling, pankration, chariot racing amongst others. This tradition of Combat sports was taken even further by the Romans with gladiators who would fight with weapons, often to the death.
Through the Middle ages and Renaissance the Tournament became popular, with the Joust as a main event. While the tournament was popular amongst Aristocrats, combative sports where practiced by all levels of society. Folk wrestling exists in many forms and in most cultures.
Today athletes usually fight one-on-one, but may still use various skill sets such as strikes in boxing that only allows punching, taekwondo where kicks are the focus or muay thai and burmese boxing that also allow the use of elbows and knees. There are also grappling based sports that may concentrate on obtaining a superior position as in freestyle or Collegiat wrestling using throws such as in judo and greco-roman wrestling the use of submissions as in brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Modern mixed martial arts competitions are similar to the historic Greek Olympic sport of pankration and allow a wide range of both striking and grappling techniques. Puroresu is a popular combat sport in Japan and is described as "bridging the gap" between mixed martial arts and professional wrestling. The term "puroresu" is a romanization of the English term "pro wrestling." Puroresu was inspired in part by a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki a former star of New Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1970s.
Combat sports may also be armed and the athletes compete using weapons, such as types of sword in western fencing (the foil, épée and saber) or kendo (shinai). In escrima sticks are used, sometimes representing knives.
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