Which sport is practiced with gloves in a ring?
Answer : Boxing
Padded gloves protect a boxer's hands, and bouts take place in a square ring surrounded by ropes; tennis, golf and volleyball are played with a ball.
Questions and answers: Combat Sports
Revise Combat Sports: here is a selection of questions of every level, with the answer and an explanation. To test yourself without seeing the answers, play the quizzes.
Play the Combat Sports quizzesVery easy
In which country was judo born?
Answer : Japan
Judo was born in Japan in 1882, when Jigoro Kano founded the Kodokan in Tokyo; Brazil is linked instead to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which grew out of judo.
Taekwondo is a martial art originating from which country?
Answer : South Korea
Taekwondo, whose name means the way of the foot and the fist, emerged in South Korea in the 20th century and has been an official Olympic sport since Sydney 2000.
Which boxer called himself "The Greatest"?
Answer : Muhammad Ali
Ali declared himself the greatest in the early 1960s and became as famous for his talk as for his boxing; Tyson, by contrast, was nicknamed Iron Mike.
What color is a beginner's belt in judo?
Answer : White
Judo students start with a white belt and move up through the colors; the black belt, by contrast, marks an advanced level of mastery.
What is Bruce Lee famous for?
Answer : His martial arts films
Bruce Lee brought martial arts to the whole world through films such as Enter the Dragon, released in 1973 shortly after his death at age 32.
Which of these is a fencing weapon?
Answer : The sabre
Foil, épée and sabre are the three weapons of sport fencing; the axe, the spear and the club are old weapons of war that never appear on a fencing strip.
What do boxers wear on their hands during a fight?
Answer : Gloves
Padded gloves protect the boxer's hands and reduce the risk of injury to the opponent; in professional boxing they usually weigh 8 or 10 ounces.
Easy
Which boxer was nicknamed "Iron Mike"?
Answer : Mike Tyson
The nickname reflects the hardness of Mike Tyson's punches; he was world heavyweight champion by 1986, while Muhammad Ali was known as The Greatest.
What does the acronym UFC stand for?
Answer : Ultimate Fighting Championship
Founded in the United States in 1993, the UFC began as a tournament with no weight classes that pitted very different fighting styles against each other.
What is the training hall of Japanese martial arts called?
Answer : Dojo
Dojo literally means the place where the way is studied; judo, karate, aikido and kendo are all practiced there, and students bow when entering.
What shape is the UFC fighting cage?
Answer : An octagon
Nicknamed the Octagon, the UFC cage has eight sides, unlike a boxing ring, which is square and surrounded by ropes.
Which belt color symbolizes mastery (first dan) in judo and karate?
Answer : Black
In both judo and karate, the black belt corresponds to first dan and often marks the start of advanced learning rather than the end of the journey.
Which country is boxer Manny Pacquiao from?
Answer : Philippines
Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer to have won world titles in eight different weight divisions; he also became a senator in the Philippines in 2016.
Which country does Muay Thai come from?
Answer : Thailand
Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport and is nicknamed the art of eight limbs because it uses fists, elbows, knees and shins.
Which country does capoeira come from?
Answer : Brazil
Capoeira was created in Brazil by enslaved Africans, blending fighting, dance and music; it has been on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list since 2014.
Medium
Which heavyweight champion retired undefeated in 1956?
Answer : Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano ended his career with 49 wins and no losses, 43 of them by knockout, and retired in 1956; Joe Louis and Ali both lost fights during their careers.
What was Muhammad Ali's birth name?
Answer : Cassius Clay
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., he took the name Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam and joining the Nation of Islam.
In which country did the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" take place?
Answer : Zaire (today DR Congo)
On October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Ali knocked out George Foreman in the 8th round using his rope-a-dope tactic; Zaire is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Who founded judo?
Answer : Jigoro Kano
Jigoro Kano founded judo in 1882 by synthesizing jiu-jitsu techniques; he was also the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee.
On which Japanese island did karate develop?
Answer : Okinawa
Karate, whose name means empty hand, developed on Okinawa in the old Ryukyu Kingdom before spreading to mainland Japan.
Which Brazilian family is famous for Brazilian jiu-jitsu?
Answer : Gracie
Carlos and Helio Gracie adapted the Japanese jiu-jitsu taught by Mitsuyo Maeda and so launched Brazilian jiu-jitsu, now practiced worldwide.
Which sport uses the terms foil, épée and sabre?
Answer : Fencing
Foil, épée and sabre are the three weapons of fencing, each with its own rules for scoring a touch; archery, wrestling and boxing use none of them.
Which Japanese martial art is practiced with a bamboo sword called a shinai?
Answer : Kendo
The shinai, a sword made of bamboo slats, lets kendo students train safely; they also wear a mask (men) and armor (bogu).
Hard
In which year did judo first appear at the Olympic Games?
Answer : 1964
Judo entered the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964, in its home country, but was absent from the 1968 Games before returning in 1972.
Who founded aikido?
Answer : Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba, nicknamed O-Sensei (great teacher), created aikido in the 20th century, emphasizing harmony and the use of an opponent's own force.
Who is regarded as the father of modern Shotokan karate?
Answer : Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi brought karate from Okinawa to mainland Japan in 1922; the word Shotokan comes from his poetic pen name, Shoto.
Which heavyweight boxer was nicknamed "the Brown Bomber"?
Answer : Joe Louis
Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, was world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, almost twelve years, and became a national symbol in the United States.
Who was the first African American heavyweight world champion, in 1908?
Answer : Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson beat Tommy Burns in Sydney on December 26, 1908, despite the racial barriers of the era; Joe Louis would not become champion until 1937.
What are the codified forms of taekwondo called?
Answer : Poomsae
A poomsae is a codified sequence of taekwondo techniques; kata is the karate equivalent, and randori is the free practice sparring of judo.
Which weapon does iaido involve drawing?
Answer : A Japanese sword
Iaido trains the act of drawing the katana and cutting in a single motion, then sheathing it again; it is mostly practiced alone, without an opponent.
What is forbidden in Greco-Roman wrestling?
Answer : Holds below the waist
In Greco-Roman wrestling you may only grip the opponent above the waist, and attacking with the legs is not allowed; that is what separates it from freestyle.
Expert
Who founded Kyokushin karate?
Answer : Masutatsu Oyama
Masutatsu Oyama founded Kyokushin, a full-contact style of karate known for its toughness; he was born in Korea before settling in Japan.
Who beat Muhammad Ali in the 1971 "Fight of the Century"?
Answer : Joe Frazier
On March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier beat Ali on points and handed him his first professional defeat.
In which year were the Marquess of Queensberry rules published?
Answer : 1867
Published in 1867 under the patronage of the Marquess of Queensberry, these rules introduced gloves, three-minute rounds and the ten-count.
What is the sumo ring called?
Answer : Dohyo
The dohyo is a clay platform topped by a circle about 4.55 m across; the tatami is the judo mat and the dojo is the training hall.
Which judoka brought jiu-jitsu to Brazil in the early 20th century?
Answer : Mitsuyo Maeda
Mitsuyo Maeda, a student of Jigoro Kano, arrived in Brazil around 1914 and taught Carlos Gracie, which gave rise to Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
How many times did Joe Louis defend his heavyweight world title, a record?
Answer : 25
Joe Louis defended his heavyweight title 25 times between 1937 and 1948, a longevity record for the division.
Who held three world titles in three weight classes at the same time in 1938?
Answer : Henry Armstrong
In 1938, Henry Armstrong held the featherweight, welterweight and lightweight titles at the same time, the first boxer to hold three belts in different divisions.
What is the "kiai" in karate?
Answer : A shout that focuses energy
A kiai is a short shout released at the moment of a technique; it engages the breath, strengthens the strike and can unsettle the opponent.
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