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Combat sports is an umbrella term referring to any sport based around physical violence, either practically or traditionally. While not every sport practiced at the Games is a practical matter of self-defence, many of them are used today by law enforcement, the military, and private citizens.

History
The human race has been fighting for as long as we have existed, and several sports featured in the Olympic Games have rich cultural histories dating back to ancient times. Of course, there is no “victory or death” mantra any longer, and athletes would hardly be expected to break their own necks rather than lose a fight. They also wear protective gear and abide by tournament regulations, which ensures a safe experience for the competitors.

All combat sports are separated into weight classes among competitors. The definitions may vary slightly from sport to sport, but every one has a series of weight classes to ensure fair fights.

Wrestling (freestyle & Greco-Roman)
Wrestling is broadly divided into two major categories. Greco-Roman wrestling emulates the ancient techniques practiced since 708 B.C., and combatants may only use their arms and upper bodies to attack their opponents’ arms and upper bodies. The rules for what constitues a pin are also slightly different from freestyle wrestling, which allows leg holds and various other pinning possibilities.

Victory is awarded if one wrestler pins his opponent, but in the event of a standstill judges will decide the victor based on technique and time spent in advantageous positions.

Boxing
Boxing is a sport known for its simplicity, and Olympic boxing is no exception. Two boxers, fists only, above the belt. After a specific number of rounds, the judges rule if there has not been a knockout or forefeit.

Boxing is a sport focused on mobility (“floating” by hopping on the tips of one’s toes and making movement unpredictable) and a handful of punch techniques. The jab, straight, hook, and uppercut are the four foundational punches of any good boxer.

Fencing
Combat using body armour and specialized swords. Olympic fencing is entirely point-based, with points awarded based on the hit’s type and location. There are three types of swords:
– Foils: very light swords used for thrusting; fencers may only strike the torso and double touches are not allowed
– Épées: a heavier thrusting sword; fencers may strike any body part and double touches are allowed
– Sabres: a sword which can both cut and slash; fencers may strike anything above the waist except for the back of the head and hands, and double touches are not allowed

Above all else, fencing is a precision sport. Small mistakes in movement or space control can mean the difference between scoring a point and being defeated with the flick of the opponent’s wrist.

Judo
Judo is a Japanese martial art focused on throws and takedowns. Competitors are awarded points based on the type of takedown used, with more commanding takedowns being worth more points. The difference in score can be quite severe: the first man to score a single point (Ippon) or two half-points (Waza-ari) wins the match. “Almost half-points” (Yuko) are tracked, but are only relevant if the match results in a tie. A point is awarded by knocking down the opponent and maintaining a positional advantage.

Karate
Karate is a strike-based Japanese martial art debuting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It will feature a traditional kumite competition as well as a kata (form) competition, and be open to both men and women.

Taekwondo
A Korean martial art that incoporates the entire body, but which is most famous for its focus on kicks. Taekwondo disciples often use spinning and jumping kicks that would be considered impractical in other forms of martial arts. It has been an Olympic sport since 1988 when the Games took place in Seoul, South Korea (as a demonstration sport) and an official sport since 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

Because Taekwondo is a striking martial art (compared to judo, which focuses on throws), scoring is much more granular. Kicks are permitted to target the entire upper body, and punches may target the torso. Competitors are tracked electronically, and their pads use electronic sensors to ensure strikes are delivered with sufficient force.
– Body punches score one point.
– Body kicks score one point, but can be worth three if the attacker uses a spinning technique.
– Head kicks are always worth three points, but a spinning technique will add an additional point. Head kicks always score, regardless of the force used.
– Knocking down an opponent will always result in one point, even if the attacker used a kick.

Fighters may not remain inactive, and the fight is automatically ended if one fighter accumulates a 12-point lead on his opponent. In the event of a tie, competitors enter sudden death where the next figher to score is the victor.