COMBAT SPORTS

WRESTLING
INTRODUCTION
One of the oldest formats of combat sports that involve the grappling clinch fighting, takedowns,
joint locks and throws. It's a physical competition between two sparring partners in the quest to
dominate the opponent. At present, there are numerous variants of this combat sport with a wide
range of rules and techniques implemented with time.
Although wrestling was seen as competitive combat sport but not today as it has been developed
as a vast mean of entertainment all around the world which is known as professional wrestling
where wrestlers are paid to fight with each other and audience purchase tickets to watch and
experience the thrill of the game.
TYPES OF AMATEUR WRESTLING
There are two types of wrestling –Greco-Roman style and Freestyle.
In Greco-Roman style, the participants are not allowed to move legs frequently and to hold the
opponent below the waist whereas, in freestyle wrestling, participants are free to hold the
opponent from the leg.
The player has to throw down his/ her opponent in such a way that the shoulders of the opponent
should touch the floor completing a span recalled by the referee "a fall" (a maximum time that
signifies full control of a wrestler over the opponent).
The origin of wrestling is believed to be approximately 15,000 years old. The ancient Indian Vedas
also have some literary references to the sport.
The sport emerged out as one of the popular ones in a span between the fifth to the fifteenth
century. In 1988, the first organised wrestling tournament took place in New York City. Since 1904,
wrestling has been counted as a part of every Olympic Games.
Regarding the history of professional wrestling, it has emerged as the mode of entertainment in
Europe in the 19th century. Steadily, it has been adopted by North America and started
showcasing in the travelling carnivals and vaudeville halls.
Greco Roman
The wrestling in which holding the opponent below the belt is forbidden, and the participant often
has to use legs to hook or grab the opponent's leg to put him down on the mat. The international
governing body of wrestling sport considers Greco Roman style as one of the six major forms of
amateur wrestling.
According to UWW, a Napoleonic soldier Jean Exbrayat developed this style and named it as the
"flat hand wrestling" to differentiate it from other variants. Later on, he established a rule in the
sport not to hold the opponent below the waist. The style was termed as "Greco Roman" for the
first time by Basilio Bartoletti, an Italian wrestler. In the 19th century, almost all the European
capital cities hosted Greco Roman tournaments, and it soon became one of the most popular
sports in the continent. By the end of the century, punching, gouging with nails and slamming arms
violently around the stomach of the opponent was forbidden.
Freestyle Wrestling
Counted amongst the two wrestling styles of Olympic standards, freestyle wrestling differs from
the Greco Roman style as it allows the participants to hold them below the waist and also use their
legs in the offence as well as defence. It is seen as a combination of traditional wrestling, judo and
sambo techniques.
According to UWW, freestyle wrestling is said to have originated in Great Britain and the United
States and was initially termed as "catch-as-catch-can". This style has been performed by at least
half a dozen of the United States Presidents including Andrew Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt,
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Zachary Taylor.
Freestyle wrestling emerged as the Olympic sport for the first time in 1904 in which 40 American
wrestlers participated. The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) set the
"Rules of the Game" in 1921 that was later adopted by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for its
freestyle matches. The 20th century brought time limits for the bouts as there was no time
restriction on bouts. At present, wrestlers from Iran, U.S., Bulgaria, Turkey, Cuba and Japan
predominantly participate in freestyle wrestling.
Just like Greco Roman style, two participants of equal weight class have a face off with each other
at the wrestling mat, and the bouts are followed in two three-minute sessions.
Unlike Greco Roman, the participants can throw their opponents on the mat and regain the hold
on them afterwards.
Amateur Pankration
An empty hand submission sport, introduced back around 648 BC, having fewer rules as
compared to another format of wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts. The word Pankration is basically
a Greek word which means "all of power". The participants mostly rely on grabbing and striking
techniques. Punch, straight kicks, hand and leg strikes are the most common striking techniques
used by participants. Choking techniques such as Tracheal grip choke, Tracheal dig and choke
from behind helps the individual to dominate the opponent.
Beach Wrestling
Standing wrestling performed on beaches inside a sand-filled circle of 7 meters of diameter. It has
been regarded as the oldest version of international competitive wrestling. In this, style, wrestlers
wear shorts or swimsuits, athletic shorts or spandex. Originally, beach wrestling incorporated the
rules of wrestling before the implementation of mats. UWW modified the respective rules of the
game in 2015 along with the allowing wrestlers to gain points through takedowns, pushing the
opponents out of the circle, or bringing them down to their back. Beach wrestling events have
been widely conducted as part of the Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games, Down Under Games,
and Mediterranean Games. World Beach Wrestling Championships are also held annually.
Professional Wrestling
Also known as Pro wrestling, it is the professional style of wrestling in which the participants are
paid for each bout, and the winner gets the prize money. It's a combination of wrestling art and
entertainment. This form of wrestling involves strength based hold, striking attacks and acrobatic
manoeuvres and heavy throws.
Most often, the results have predetermined the leverage the entertainment and fun in the bouts
and participants boast of their power, trying to dominate their opponents. The actions are carefully
performed to lessen the chances of getting injured. Professional wrestling is has a large bunch of
fans in the North as well as Central America, Europe, Japan and of course the UK. At present,
professional wrestling has become a billion dollar industry, providing large scales of prize money
to professional wrestlers along with fame and endorsement opportunities. High revenues have
been gained through ticket sales, TV broadcasting, pay-per-view broadcasting and internet
programming. WrestleMania, Wrestle Kingdom, Starrcade and Bound for Glory are amongst the
top-notch professional wrestling annual shows, having the highest-selling pay-per-view
programming.
Sports Entertainment (WWE)
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the biggest professional wrestling company based in
the United States. Until the late 20th century, it has bought all smaller regional professional
wrestling companies and even its primary competitors World Championship Wrestling (WCW)
and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).
Oil Wrestling
Oil wrestling (or Grease Wrestling) is the national sport of Turkey. It is a combat sport in which
wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. The wrestlers called "pehlivan" (meaning champion or
hero) wear leather trousers which are hand-stitched and are known as kisbet made from water
buffalo hide and most recently has been made of calfskin. Initially, the sport had no set duration,
but later in 1975, the duration was restricted to 40 minutes for baspehlivan & 30 minutes for the
pehlivan category. The sport’s annual "Kırkpınar" tournament is taking place since 1362 in Edirne
in Turkish Thrace and is the oldest continuously running competition in the world. Oil wrestling
festivals are also held in northern Greece and West Thrace. In recent years, the sport is also
becoming popular in other countries such as the Netherlands and Japan.
Sorro Wrestling
Sorro Wrestling is a traditional sport of Niger (a country in Western Africa), originated and is
currently practiced only in that country. The sport is a traditional style of wrestling in which all of
the moves take place with both wrestlers on their feet. The objective of a match is to force any part
of the opponent's body onto the ground, except the feet. Techniques such as tripping and holding
the opponent by their legs are allowed in the sport.
Bouts take place in a large circular field with no boundaries and has a loose desert sand surface.
There are no time limits, and no out-of-bounds rules are there in the sport, and the fight ends only
by an outright winner. The sport has no major scheduled events and bouts are usually conducted
as a part of major festivals and occasions.
EQUIPMENT
Wrestling - Mouth Guard
Mouth guard covers teeth and gums and is used by players to protect their teeth, arches, lips and
gums from injuries.
Knee Guards
These are used to support the joints and prevent grazing.
Wrestling - Elbow Pads
Padded elbow guards are worn to protect the elbow from injuries during a fall or a strike.
Wrestling - Head Gear
Headgears are optional and are used by wrestlers to protect against the risk of damage to ear
lobes.
Wrestling - Shoes
Wrestlers wear rubber-soled, soft and flexible boots that usually cover the ankles to prevent twists
and sprains and provide a better grip.
Wrestling - Singlet
Wrestlers wear a one-piece stretchy uniform commonly made of spandex that is either red or blue
in color.
WRESTLING RULES
 The length of Bout- In international level, there are three bouts of 2-minutes with a 30-
seconds break between each of the bout. For collegiate wrestling, bouts take a total of 7
minutes (3-2-2), and for high school level, bouts are of 6 minutes (2-2-2).
 The Referee calls both of the participants in the central area and checks their nails which
should be cut short, their singlet and hands if they carry any sharp weapon. Using different
techniques, participants try to pin down their opponent and hence win the bout. The one
who scores maximum at the end wins the game.
 The participants’ body should not be greasy or perspired. Both of them shake hands or
greet and the bout begins with referee’s whistle.
 Wrestlers are forbidden to twist the wrist more than 90°, hold the throat, stretching
opponent’s spinal section, using two arms to grab opponent’s head or shoulder, Holding the
opponent upside down (with head down), etc. The participants are warned if they do so.
 In a case of Freestyle wrestling, if neither of the participants scored a point, then overtime
bout is conducted. The referee tosses the disc, and the one who wins the toss is rewarded
with a choice of grabbing any of the legs of the opponent who is forbidden to attack for 30
seconds. If the attacker pins the opponent down, he wins and if not the defensive player
wins.
 In the case of the tie, the participant who scores multiple points or the last who scores wins
the bout. The judge makes the conclusion.
 The participants are rewarded with points according to the technique attempted ranging
from 1-5.
 If a participant attacks violating the rules of the game, he will be given a warning or may
lose points as a penalty. For major misconducts, he/she may be disqualified.
 The participants can forfeit the game in case of injury.
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
Although there is no governing body to look over the rules and regulations for this variant of
wrestling; yet the sport has its standard developed with the course time. The general rules are as
follows-
 Matches can be begun from two or more corners of the wrestling ring in between two
individual wrestlers or a team of two or more.
 The standard scoring method is followed according to the 'falls'. The falls are counted
when-
 One wrestler pinned the other for at least 3 seconds
 Forces the opponent to submit
 The opponent takes too long outside the ring
 The opponent is disqualified
 The opponent is incapacitated or knocked out
 In case, the match consists of a definite set of falls within the time limit; the match is
declared as a draw. In modern matches, the time limit is generally of 10 to 30 minutes, but
title matches can exceed up to one hour.
 The Iron Man matches last for 20, 30 or 60 minutes and the entrant with the most number
of falls in the time limit, is declared as the winner.
  UWW
United World Wrestling
Founded 1912
Headquarter Corsier-sur-Vevey, outside of Lausanne, Switzerland
Website https://unitedworldwrestling.org/
 WFI
Wrestling Federation of India
India
Address 21, Ashoka Road, New Delhi, India
Website http://www.wrestlingfederationofindia.com/
 KARATE
INTRODUCTION
Karate is a form of full contact martial art that dates back to the 17th Century. It was developed in
the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan.
The sport is evolved from the native martial arts of the Ryukyu Islands under the leadership of
Chinese martial arts, especially Fujian White Crane. In its initial stages, karate was an original
form of closed-fist fighting; Kara means ‘empty,' and te means ’hand’. Karate not only grooms the
body but the mind of the practitioner as well where people as young as four years of age can learn
and participate in karate competitions in different age, weight, and experience categories.
The sport is widely practiced by people of all ages all around the world. The global governing body
of the sport is World Karate Federation that organizes various World Championships and will also
be a recognized Summer Olympics Sport from 2020 onwards.
In Kumite competitions the core objective is to score ippon (1 point), nihon (2 points), or sanbon (3
points) by performing various techniques according to the said criteria. The participant with the
higher no. of scores wins.
HISTORY OF KARATE
Karate, the Japanese word for "bare hands," was conceived in the Okinawan Islands as a type of
fighting style purposed for self-protection, when weapons were restricted by invading Japanese
forces. It started as te (hand), a battling technique utilised by the locals of the Ryukyu Islands, and
was later impacted by Chinese kenpō, introduced through the Chinese families that settled on
Okinawa after exchange and trades among China and the islands were built up.
From three Okinawan urban areas, Shuri, Naha, and Tomari, three separate styles rose:
 Shuri-te
 Naha-te
 Tomari-te
Aggregately, these styles were called Okinawa-te or tode (Chinese hand), and after some time,
the styles combined somewhat to turn out to be only two: Shōrin-ryū, developed close to Shuri and
Tomari, and Shōrei-ryū, near Naha.
Because of expanding Japanese impact, the name of te was in the long run stretched to karate-
jutsu (Chinese hand art). It at that point changed to karate-do after an Okinawan master adjusted
the significance of the word kara (likewise articulated tode) to signify "empty" as opposed to
"Chinese hand." karate-do converts into "the method of the empty hand."
THE COMMON BELIEFS OF WHERE KARATE STARTED
Next to no is known about the definite roots of karate before it showed up in Okinawa. However,
one famous hypothesis expresses that it originated from India over a thousand years back,
conveyed to China by a Buddhist priest called Bodhidharma ("Daruma" in Japanese). As legend
depicts it, Bodhidharma came in Shaolinsi and started encouraging Zen Buddhism too, a style of
temple boxing dependent on activities intended to reinforce the brain and body. The chronicled
exactness of this legend is as yet a hot issue of discussion today.
EVENTS
KATA
Both men and women participate seperately either as individuals or/and in a team
KUMITE
Both men and women participate seperately in individual weight category.
PARTICIPANTS
KUMITE
Under Kumite competition, the World Karate Championships are held under the weight class
system that is different for both men and women. The classes are given as under:-

For Men For Women

-60 kg -50 kg

-67 kg -55 kg

-75 kg -61 kg

-84 kg -68 kg

+84 kg +68 kg

KATA
These competitions are judged on the basis of power and speed of the athletes’ techniques. One
contender is assigned with a blue belt and the other one a red belt and are allowed to showcase
ther kata at their ake their respective turns. The result of competition is displayed by a flag system,
where five judges each of whom has a red and a blue flag, raise either of the flag to show which
competitor has won according to them. The more the no. of flags of the same color are raised, the
athlete wearing the same color belt wins.
EQUIPMENT
Karate-Obi
Karatekas wear a colored belt that indicates the level of proficiency they have reached.
KARATE-GI
The Karate-gi refers to the traditional Japanese uniform used while practising and during
competition.
PLAYING AREA
The competition area is a matted square with a length of 8 meters on each side. The area may be
raised up to 1 metre above the floor. If elevated it should measure 12 meters each side, while the
outer 2 meters being the safety area.
Two parallel lines each measuring 1 metre in length are positioned at a distance of 1.5meters from
the center area. The contestants are positioned on these lines. A warning line is drawn at a
distance of 1 meter from the inside edges an all sides of the mat.
TECHNIQUES
ARM TECHNIQUES
 Tsuki/Punch- A punch is striking a bow with a tight fist.
 Uchi/Strike- A strike is defined as a directed physical attack with any part of the body or with
an inanimate object with a clear intention to cause blunt trauma or penetrating trauma upon
the opponent
 Age Zuki/Rising Punch
 Kagi Zuki/Hook Punch
 FOOT MOVEMENTS
 Suri Ashi/ Sliding Step
 Tsugi Ashi/ Shuffling Step
 Yori Ashi/ Dragging Step
 Ayumi Ashi/Natural Stepping
 Keri Ashi/Kicking Foot
OFFICIALS
The professional competition of karate comprises of the following officials to officiate a match:-
 Referee
 Judge
 Arbitrator
 Scorekeeper
 Timekeeper
 Caller
KARATE RULES
OFFICIAL DRESS
The contestants and the officials must wear the specified Karate uniform. Person not complying
with the same shall stand debarred.
ORGANIZATION OF KATA COMPETITION
The kata competition takes place in the Team and individual matches’ format. The participants
must perform different kata in each round. Once performed, the move will not be repeated.
DISQUALIFICATION
 A competitor or the team may be disqualified upon the following circumstances:-
 Performing or announcing a wrong kata.
 Failing to bow at the commencement or completion of each kata
 A pause or stop in the performance apart from the allowed ones
 Interfering with the function and judgment of the judging panel
 Falling off of the belt during the performance
 Exceeding with the time limit of six minutes for kata and Bunkai
 Failing to comply with the instructions of the Chief Judge or any other misconduct
FOULS
In the following cases a foul is said to have been occurred:-
 MINOR LOSS OF BALANCE
 Failing to perform complete movement or performing iot in an incorrect manner
 Asynchronous movement, such as delivering a technique before the completion of the body
transition
 Using audible cues
 Belt becoming so loose that it is coming off the hips while performing
 Wasting time
 Causing injury by lack of controlled technique during bunkai.