Kickboxing- combining martial-arts-style kicks and boxing-style punches to defeat your opponent, similar to boxing. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground. There are many different styles of Kickboxing including the similarities of Muay Thai, Savate, and Shoot Boxing, as well as the well-known Martial Arts promotion, K-1. The International style of Kickboxing includes 3 different types of bouts: Semi-contact, Light and Medium contact, and Full contact. There are TWO major Kickboxing Organizations in Canada, the Council of Amateur Sport Kickboxing; which can be found at http://www.kickboxingcanada.org, and the Quebec Amateur Kickboxing Corporation; which can be found at http://www.kickboxingamateur.org.
Boxing- a standing sport in which one would only use their fists with the use of high-padded leather gloves(8-10oz for Amateur bouts, 6-12oz for Professional bouts). Boxing today is regulated with 4 to 12 rounds with 1 to 3 minutes of duration per round. Victory is achieved if the opponent is knocked down and unable to get to his or her feet before the referee counts to ten seconds (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured or not protecting his or herself enough to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO), further known as a 10 count. If there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu(BJJ)- a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint-locks and chokeholds to force an opponent to submit(tap out). The art was based on early 20th century Kodokan Judo , which was itself then a recently-developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese Jujutsu. A very notable, and often practiced by some, if not most of the worlds greatest BJJ competitors, modification of BJJ is the art of Gracie Jiu-jitsu, founded by the legendary Gracie Family.
Wrestling- the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of their opponent. Physical techniques which embody the style of wrestling are clinching, holding, locking, and leverage. To gain a victory, you must pin your opponents shoulders on the mat for 3 seconds, while obtaining the opponents head and/or arm, then the referee will tap the mat. Many styles of wrestling are known all over the world and have long histories, and sport wrestling (particularly amateur wrestling) has been an Olympic sport for over one hundred years. Other styles of Wrestling include Greco-roman, Freestyle, Submission, and Sambo Fighting. Another type of Wrestling is Collegiate Wrestling, which is commonly practiced in College and University levels throughout Canada and the United States. Although differing from Entertainment Wrestling (Professional Wrestling, i.e. WWE, TNA, etc.), many competitors from that aspect began in Collegiate Wrestling. A notable Collegiate Wrestling organization would be the NCAA.
Karate- a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese kenpō. It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes. Open-handed techniques, grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles. A karate practitioner is called a karateka. In full contact Karate fighting(or Kyokushin), punches and elbow strikes to the head or face are illegal. Karate spread rapidly in the West through popular culture. In 1950s popular fiction, karate was at times described to readers in near-mythical terms, and it was credible to show Western experts of unarmed combat as unaware of Eastern martial arts of this kind. By the 1970s, martial arts films had formed a mainstream genre that propelled karate into mass popularity.
(1984) is a film relating the fictional story of an American adolescent's introduction into karate.
Muay Thai- also known as Thai Boxing. The Thai military uses a modified form of Muay Thai called Lerdrit. Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Traditional Muay Thai practiced today varies significantly from the ancient art Muay Boran and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Boxing and Kickboxing. Muay Thai is referred to as "The Science of Eight Limbs", as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in the art. A master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight "points of contact," as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Boxing and "four points" (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts.
Judo- meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by applying a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet) - as well as weapons defences - are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori). Ultimately, the philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for almost all modern Japanese martial arts that developed from "traditional" schools (koryū). Practitioners of judo are called jūdōka.
Tae Kwon Do- a Korean martial art and Chinese combat sport. Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea. It is also regarded as the world's most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners, and sparring, or kyeorugi, is an official Olympic sporting event. In Korean hanja, tae means to trample with the foot; kwon means fist; and do means way, taekwondo is loosely translated as to the foot and hand way. Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the varied evolution of the martial art into several domains: as with many other arts, it combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy. There are two main systems of Taekwondo: Kukkiwon system, whos sparring system named "Shihap Kyorugi" is an event at the summer Olympics and is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF); and International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), which was founded by General Choi Hong Hi, the father of Taekwondo. Although there are great doctrinal and technical differences among the two taekwondo styles and organizations, the art in general emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, employing the leg's greater reach and power (compared to the arm). Circular motions that generate power are of central importance. Also important to the generation of power is the movement of the hips while performing a punch or a block. Taekwondo training generally includes a system of blocks, punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various take-downs or sweeps, throws, and joint locks.
Kung Fu- consists of different fighting styles that have developed over time. Kung Fu is a popular term that has become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. Kung fu (or gung fu) alludes to any individual accomplishment or cultivated skill obtained by long and hard work. Focuses primarily on kicking, throwing, and defending.