List of Combat Sports A-Z
Combat sports are sporting events that involve fighting or some form of physical combat, either hand-to-hand or with weaponry. Combat sports may be the oldest sports in human history, as they originate directly from the art of warfare and fighting. As a result of this, there are many combat sports that are unique to various cultures from across the world. Every type of combat sport is different and has its own rules, techniques, and equipment. Below is a comprehensive list of combat sports worldwide.
Combat Sports List A to Z
- Aeronautical Pentathlon
- Aiki-Jūjutsu
- Aikido
- Amateur Wrestling
- Arnis
- Baguazhang
- Bare-Knuckle Boxing
- Bartitsu
- Battōjutsu
- Beach Wrestling
- Belt Wrestling
- Boffer Combat
- Bokator
- Boli Khela
- Boxing
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Bujinkan
- Calcio Fiorentino
- Canne De Combat
- Capoeira
- Catch Wrestling
- Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling
- Chess Boxing
- Choi Kwang-Do
- Cirit
- Collar-And-Elbow
- Cornish Wrestling
- Cumberland Wrestling
- Drunken Boxing
- Dumog
- Egyptian Stick Fencing
- Episkyros
- Eskrima
- Fencing
- Fisticuffs
- Folk Wrestling
- Freestyle Wrestling
- Fujian White Crane
- Gatka
- Glima
- Gouren
- Grappling
- Greco-Roman Wrestling
- Greek Wrestling
- Hapkido
- Hojōjutsu
- Hwa Rang Do
- Iaidō
- Iaijutsu
- Jeet Kune Do
- Jereed
- Jittejutsu
- Jiu-Jitsu / Jujutsu
- Jōdō
- Jogo Do Pau
- Jousting
- Judo
- Jūkendō
- Kajukenbo
- Kalaripayattu
- Karate
- Kendo
- Kenjutsu
- Kenpō
- Kickboxing
- Krabi-Krabong
- Krav Maga
- Kuk Sool Won
- Kumdo
- Kung Fu
- Kurash
- Kyūjutsu
- Lancashire Wrestling
- Lethwei
- Malla-Yuddha
- Mêlée
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Modern Arnis
- Modern Pentathlon
- Mongolian Wrestling
- Muay Thai
- Naginatajutsu
- Nguni Stick-Combat
- Ninjutsu
- Okinawan Kobudō
- Pankration
- Pehlwani
- Pencak Silat
- Pradal Serey
- Prizefighting
- Robot Combat
- Sambo
- Sanshou
- Savate
- Schwingen
- Shaolin Kung Fu
- Shidōkan Karate
- Shoot Boxing
- Shoot Combat
- Shōrin-Ryū Shidōkan
- Shorinji Kempo
- Shuai Jiao
- Shurikenjutsu
- Sikaran
- Silambam
- Silat
- Singlestick
- Skirmish
- Sōjutsu
- Sorro Wrestling
- Ssireum
- Stick-Combat
- Subak
- Sumo Wrestling
- Sword Combat
- Systema
- Taekkyeon
- Taekwondo
- Tai Chi Chuan
- Taidō
- Tang Soo Do
- Tournament Of Knights
- Vajra-Mushti
- Vale Tudo
- Vovinam
- Wheelchair Fencing
- Wing Chun
- Wrestling
- Wushu
- Xing Yi Quan
- Yağlı Güreş
- Zoorkhaneh
- Zui Quan
FAQ
What are combat sports?
Combat sports are competitions that involve physical fighting, either with the body or with weapons. Combat sports have a long history, beginning with the practice of war. Most combat sports are cultural arts, such as various East Asian martial arts, including karate, kung fu, jiu-jitsu, and taekwondo. These sports all have unique techniques and forms that athletes practice in order to win fights. Some combat sports, such as fencing, also make use of weapons such as swords.
What are the most popular combat sports?
Some of the most popular combat sports are boxing, karate, and mixed martial arts (MMA). Boxing is a sport where fighters wearing gloves throw punches at each other in a boxing ring for a set period of time. Karate is a Japanese martial art that utilizes various strikes with both hands and feet to defeat an opponent. Mixed martial arts (MMA) takes place in a ring but allows for various strikes with the hands and feet, as well as takedowns and other forms of hybrid combat.
Which combat sports are the best for self-defense?
Some of the best combat sports for self-defense include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and krav maga. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, unlike many other popular combat sports, teaches techniques that can help a fighter who has been thrown to the ground. Muay Thai, from Thailand, uses shins, knees, elbows, and fists as striking weapons, and requires a hardened body. Krav maga, developed by the Israeli military, is influenced by various martial arts and prioritizes quick and brutal counter-attacks to ensure the neutralization of a threat.
What combat sports are in the Olympics?
There are six types of combat sports in the modern Olympic Games: boxing, fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, and wrestling. Wrestling is the oldest Olympic combat sport, introduced to the Ancient Greek Olympics in 708 BCE, followed twenty years later by boxing. Various other combat sports, including savate (a French form of Kickboxing) and karate (a Japanese Martial Art), were included in some modern Olympics but were later removed. Taekwondo is the most recently added Olympic Combat Sport, first appearing at the 2000 Sydney Games.