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Combat Sports

Sports in which two athletes compete directly against each other through striking, grappling or throwing under a formal rule set, covering boxing, judo, martial arts, taekwondo and wrestling. Belongs here: any codified one-on-one combat discipline. Does not belong here: sports where opponents do not physically contact each other to score, whatever the intensity.

Facts
Comparison
Era of Origin
2500 BCE 1
Defining Characteristic
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. 1
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Combat sport
Wikipedia
  • Combat sport, History section, boxing sentence
    Boxing contests date back to ancient Sumer in the 3rd millennium BCE and ancient Egypt circa 1350 BCE.
  • Combat sport, lead section
    A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What determines whether a sport belongs in the Combat Sports category?

Any codified one-on-one striking, grappling or throwing discipline belongs here; sports without direct physical contact to score do not.

Combat Sports covers sports in which two athletes compete directly against each other through striking, grappling or throwing under a formal rule set, such as boxing, judo, martial arts, taekwondo and wrestling. Any codified one-on-one combat discipline belongs here, while sports where opponents do not physically contact each other to score are excluded no matter how intense the competition.