Combat Sports: English Vocabulary List

a Japanese martial art that focuses on redirecting an opponent's energy rather than meeting force with force

"Aikido redirects energy."

"Aikido focused on using an opponent's energy and momentum to throw or pin them without striking."

a premier mixed martial arts organization known for its high-level competitions featuring fighters from various disciplines

"UFC is a big fight."

"The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world."

any type of sports that include fighting which are especially originated in the Far East, such as judo, kung fu, etc.

"Martial arts require discipline."

"She studies martial arts every week."

a Chinese martial art encompassing a wide range of fighting styles and techniques

"Kung fu has styles."

"Kung fu was a Chinese martial art with hundreds of different styles including animal based techniques."

a Korean martial art characterized by its emphasis on high kicks and jumping and spinning kicks

"Taekwondo is known for its high kicks."

"Taekwondo emphasizes high kicks and fast spinning techniques that require exceptional flexibility and balance."

a martial art and sport that emphasizes grappling and throwing techniques, originated in Japan

"He earned a black belt in judo."

"The judo black belt threw his opponent to the mat using leverage rather than brute strength."

a Japanese martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and grappling techniques

"Jiujitsu uses grappling."

"Jiujitsu emphasized ground fighting joint locks and choke holds to submit larger opponents."

a martial art that involves striking and blocking techniques, typically practiced for self-defense, sport, or physical fitness

"The karate class practiced their kicks."

"The karate student broke a board with her bare hand after months of focused practice and conditioning."

a Japanese martial art that focuses on swordsmanship with bamboo swords and protective armor

"Kendo uses swords."

"Kendo practitioners wore protective armor and used bamboo swords to strike legal target areas."

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

"Capoeira combines dance, acrobatics, music."

"Capoeira combined martial arts dance and music with fluid acrobatic movements and deceptive kicks."

a Chinese full-contact fighting system incorporating punches, kicks, throws, and sweeps

"Sanda uses punches, kicks, throws."

"Sanda was a Chinese full contact combat sport combining kickboxing with wrestling takedowns."

a combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting techniques

"She practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu every week."

"Brazilian jiu jitsu specialized in ground fighting and submission techniques to defeat larger opponents."

a traditional form of Thai martial arts characterized by its emphasis on practical fighting techniques

"Muay Boran is ancient Thai boxing."

"Muay Boran was the ancient predecessor of modern Muay Thai with more techniques including headbutts and joint strikes."

a Korean martial art that focuses on joint locks, throws, and strikes for self-defense

"Hapkido includes joint locks and strikes."

"Hapkido was a Korean martial art using joint locks throws and kicking techniques for self defense."

a sport in which fighters wear special gloves and use only their fists to hit each other

"He likes boxing."

"Boxing requires intense cardiovascular fitness because matches consist of multiple rounds during which fighters must constantly move dodge and throw punches without rest."

the adapted version of taekwondo for athletes with physical disabilities, allowing them to participate in the sport

"Para taekwondo has modified rules."

"Para taekwondo included competition categories for athletes with physical impairments in poomsae and kyorugi."

the practice of judo adapted for athletes with physical disabilities, emphasizing techniques suitable for their abilities and circumstances

"Para judo is for visually impaired athletes."

"Para judo was practiced by visually impaired athletes who started the match holding each other's judogi."

a martial art in which two people fight using long and thin swords

"Fencing sport elegant."

"Fencing is an elegant sport that requires speed"

a combar sport where individuals with physical disabilities engage in fencing while seated in a wheelchair

"Wheelchair fencing has fixed chairs."

"Wheelchair fencing athletes were secured to wheelchairs on a track allowing them to move forward and backward."

the skill or art of using a sword, typically in combat or as a sport

"Swordplay focuses on bladework and timing."

"Swordplay involved blunted steel blades for theatrical combat or historical European martial arts practice."

a defensive technique in fencing where a fighter deflects or blocks an opponent's attack with their weapon

"The parry deflects the opponent's blade."

"The fencer executed a perfect parry to deflect the opponent's blade before launching a riposte."

a form of mixed martial arts competition held within an enclosed, caged area

"Cage fighting takes place in an octagon."

"Cage fighting took place inside an octagonal or circular wire mesh enclosure to prevent fighters from falling out."

a sport in which two players hold each other while trying to throw or force the other one to the ground

"Wrestling is a tough sport."

"Wrestling is a physically demanding sport that requires strength agility and mental toughness."

a form of combat sport where opponents grapple and attempt to pin each other to the mat using various techniques, emphasizing takedowns and ground control

"Freestyle wrestling allows leg holds."

"Freestyle wrestling allowed holds on the entire body including legs unlike Greco Roman wrestling."

a style of wrestling where holds below the waist are prohibited, emphasizing throws and takedowns

"Graeco-Roman wrestling uses only upper body."

"Greco Roman wrestling prohibited holds below the waist and focused on upper body throws."

a maneuver used by a wrestler to break free from their opponent's hold or pinning attempt

"The escape returns both wrestlers to their feet."

"The wrestler gained one point for an escape that brought him from defensive to neutral position."

a situation in wrestling when a wrestler almost pins their opponent, achieving a count of two but not the full three required for a pin

"The near fall almost pins the opponent."

"Near fall points were awarded when the wrestler almost pinned his opponent's shoulder blades to the mat."

a technique in martial arts where a fighter thrusts their foot forward to create distance

"The push kick maintains distance."

"The Muay Thai fighter used a push kick to stop his opponent's forward momentum."

a combat sport that blends striking and grappling techniques from various disciplines, both standing and on the ground

"Mixed martial arts combines striking and grappling."

"Mixed martial arts allowed striking and grappling from various combat sports including boxing wrestling and jiu jitsu."

(combat sports) the imaginary line down the middle of a fighter's body

"The centerline is an imaginary vertical axis."

"The martial artist protected his centerline because attacks along this axis could disable him quickly."

a weight class in boxing or wrestling for competitors who weigh between 85 and 90.7 kg

"Cruiserweight is up to 225 pounds."

"The cruiserweight division was for fighters too heavy for light heavyweight but too light for heavyweight."

a Japanese combat sport where two wrestlers aim to force each other out of a ring or to the ground

"Sumo wrestlers try to force each other out of the ring."

"Sumo wrestlers tried to force each other out of a circular ring or make any body part touch the ground."

a form of martial arts known for its practical self-defense techniques

"Krav Maga is used by the Israeli military."

"Krav Maga was an Israeli self defense system focused on real world threats and efficient neutralization."

an ancient Greek martial art combining boxing and wrestling techniques

"Pankration was an ancient Greek combat sport."

"Pankration was an ancient Greek combat sport combining boxing and wrestling with very few rules."