Boxing, judo, and Muay Thai are all real examples of combat sports. Combat sports almost always have a self-defense aspect to them while being adaptable for competitive settings. Combat sports like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are practiced by people all around the world for different reasons. Some people want to compete as a professional fighter while others may be studying combat sports for the health benefits. Before we go in-depth as to what combat sports are, let’s cover what self-defense is in a hand-to-hand combat context.
It’s important to know the difference in case you’re thinking about learning self-defense and don’t want to go to gym that is only has a competition-focused curriculum. While there’s still benefits you can reap from training at a school that only teaches for competition, it’s vital you understand your personal goals and what you want get from training.
What is self-defense?
For the purpose of this article and brand, we’re focusing on self-defense in a hand-to-hand combat situation with no weapons. Situations that require self-defense skills can include but are not limited to punches and kicks thrown at you by someone else in a non-sports setting. This could happen anywhere like the grocery store, park, or even in your home. Self-defense situations are scenarios in which you have to defend yourself against someone who intends to cause physical harm to you and possibly others around you.
Now that we’ve touched on a broad view of what self-defense is, let’s go over combat sports.
What makes a martial art a combat sport?
There are several key elements to making martial art a combat sport. These elements include but are not limited to:
- An agreed set of rules and regulations such as a points system and approved gear
- A referee and possibly judges
- There is a clear distinction of who is competing against who (clearly identified opponents)
Without a competitive element, a martial art can’t be considered a combat sport since many fighting styles have non-competitive aspects to them such as karate kata and wrestling warmups.
Examples of real combat sports found around the world
Below are a list of combat sports you may have heard. While this is a long list, it doesn’t include all of the combat sports that exist in the world today:
- American Kenpo
- Boxing
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Judo
- Kajukenbo
- Muay Thai
Each of the combat sports listed above have their own fighting styles and personalities. They each of their own respective benefits as well as pros and cons. For example, someone who practices judo regularly may be great at avoiding takedowns but not avoiding punches in the same way an experienced boxer might be able to.
Which of the combat sports above have you heard of? Are there any combat sports that you currently train in? Let us know in the comments below!
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