Combat Athletes: English Vocabulary List

an athlete who competes in sumo, a traditional Japanese form of full-contact wrestling

"The sumo wrestler wears a mawashi belt."

"The sumo wrestler weighed over four hundred pounds but was surprisingly agile and quick."

an athlete who participates in wrestling

"The wrestler escapes from a headlock."

"The wrestler shot for a takedown and drove his opponent backward into the mat."

a person who practices karate

"The karateka breaks boards with a punch."

"The karateka performed a kata demonstrating precise stances blocks and strikes against imaginary opponents."

a person who practices or competes in judo

"The judoka throws his opponent with a hip toss."

"The judoka executed a flawless hip throw to earn an ippon and win the match."

a boxer who defensively reacts to opponents' attacks with precise punches

"The counterpuncher waits for mistakes."

"The counterpuncher relied on timing and reflexes to catch aggressive opponents coming forward."

a boxer who uses quick footwork and long-range punches to maintain distance from their opponent

"He is a great out-boxer."

"The out-boxer stayed away from his opponent during the fight."

a practitioner of Muay Thai, a traditional martial art from Thailand

"Nak Muay is a Thai boxer."

"The Nak Muay delivered devastating leg kicks that made his opponent limp after two rounds."

a boxer who blends technical skill with knockout power

"The boxer-puncher mixes power and speed."

"The boxer puncher could both box from the outside and punch with power on the inside."

an athlete who practices the sport of kickboxing, which involves striking with both hands and feet

"The kickboxer lands a roundhouse kick to the leg."

"The kickboxer set up his head kicks with punches to distract the opponent's defense."

an athlete who participates in the sport of fencing

"The fencer lunges for a touch."

"The fencer lunged and scored a touch on her opponent's chest with the foil."

a practitioner of kendo, a modern Japanese martial art using bamboo swords

"The kendoka strikes the men target."

"The kendoka shouted a kiai as he struck his opponent's men helmet for a point."

a practitioner of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music

"The capoeirista performs a ginga."

"The capoeirista moved in the ginga rhythm while sweeping his leg low to trip his partner."

a practitioner of jujitsu, specifically someone who trains and competes in the martial art of jujitsu

"The jujitsuka applies an armbar."

"The jujitsuka transitioned smoothly from a throw to an arm lock on the ground."

a practitioner of the martial art aikido

"The aikidoka blends with the attack."

"The aikidoka blended with the attacker's punch and led him into an off balance pin."

a boxer who aggressively attacks their opponent with rapid and continuous punches

"The swarmer pressures constantly inside."

"The swarmer fought in close range throwing hooks and uppercuts to the body and head."