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Professional wrestling strikes

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Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling , that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw . There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their finishers new names. Occasionally, these names become popular and are used regardless of the wrestler performing the technique.

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92-408: Professional wrestling contains a variety of punches and kicks found in martial arts and other fighting sports; the moves listed below are more specific to wrestling itself. Many of the moves below can also be performed from a raised platform (the top rope, the ring apron, etc.); these are called aerial variations . Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. A maneuver that involves

184-420: A bearhug , crushing the opponent into the turnbuckle . This is normally used by bigger, heavier wrestlers. A variation innovated by, popularized by, and named after Sting . It involves the wrestler trapping the opponent in a corner. Then the wrestler charges at the opponent, usually from the opposite corner, launching themselves and sandwiching the opponent between them and the turnbuckle while grabbing hold of

276-411: A " Woooo! " noise in honor of Ric Flair , who popularized the move. A double variation of the aforementioned chop, the wrestler lunges forward or jumps forward in a pressing fashion while crossing arms forming an "X", hitting both sides of the opponent's neck. This variation sets the wrestler spinning 180 or full 360° striking the opponent's chest with a backhand chop. A downward diagonal attack to

368-455: A WWF road agent and worked in the company's front office. Strongbow was not a popular backstage figure, derided by The Honky Tonk Man and Bret Hart amongst others whilst Randy Savage stated that Strongbow "killed more young wrestlers’ careers than drugs." He also participated in a 1994 storyline in which he mentored Tatanka (an actual Native American of the Lumbee tribe). Strongbow

460-535: A clenched fist is illegal in most wrestling matches. A high impact version is used by Wade Barrett as his finishing move known as the Bull Hammer , also used by Karrion Kross known as the Kross Hammer . In this move, invented by Mitsuharu Misawa , the wrestler facing away from the opponent, spins 180° from the stood direction striking with an elbow. Another variation sees the wrestler first facing

552-474: A conventional wrestling uppercut , the wrestler strikes the opponent's throat upward with the tips of all five stiffed fingers of a supine hand. Abdullah the Butcher and Sgt. Slaughter were professional wrestlers known for its use as signature move. A simple maneuver derived from the thumb chokehold having a wrestler drawing back a hand and striking the windpipe with only the thumb, sometimes while holding

644-440: A cornered opponent and climbs the second or top rope beside the opponent with a leg on each side . The wrestler then jumps down off the ropes, delivering a bionic elbow to the opponent's head, neck (if the opponent's neck is bent-down or sideways) or the shoulder. The wrestler makes a punching motion, but tucks their hand toward the chest so the elbow and forearm make contact. These can be used in place of punches, for striking with

736-536: A hand back and hits the opponent vertically, atop the head. This move is primarily used by very tall wrestlers such as The Great Khali and Andre the Giant . It is also known as the tomahawk chop when used as part of a Native American gimmick, ostensibly due to it resembling a tomahawking motion. It was used as a finisher by Wahoo McDaniel , Chief Jay Strongbow and Tatanka , neither of whom were particularly tall. Also known as throat strike or sword stab. Similar to

828-429: A handstand to drive their knee to the opponent's midsection. A whole number of attacks in which a wrestler will jump/fall and land the back of their leg across an opponent's chest, throat, or face. The running variation is used by Hulk Hogan as his finisher. Nia Jax also uses the running variation as one of her signature moves. An elbow attack sees the wrestler using front or back elbow to connect it in any part of

920-595: A higher level of recognized achievement, such as a different belt color or title. The type of testing used varies from system to system but may include forms or sparring . Various forms and sparring are commonly used in martial art exhibitions and tournaments. Some competitions pit practitioners of different disciplines against each other using a common set of rules, these are referred to as mixed martial arts competitions. Rules for sparring vary between art and organization but can generally be divided into light-contact , medium-contact , and full-contact variants, reflecting

1012-671: A memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent , which culminated in a "shark cage match" in 1976. Strongbow and Kent fought inside of a small shark cage, with the first man to escape being declared the winner. With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin , Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious. After wrestling in the WWF for 9 years, Strongbow went to work for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling . In Detroit he feuded with Don Kent once again. Then he feuded with Baron Von Raschke in Georgia. He won

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1104-415: A similar method of compliant training that is equivalent to light or medium contact. In some styles (such as fencing and some styles of taekwondo sparring), competitors score points based on the landing of a single technique or strike as judged by the referee, whereupon the referee will briefly stop the match, award a point, then restart the match. Alternatively, sparring may continue with the point noted by

1196-613: A team. On the March 8, 1983 episode of Championship Wrestling , the Strongbows lost the titles to The Wild Samoans ( Afa and Sika ). After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. Strongbow went into jobbing. Strongbow retired in 1986, but would still step back into the ring from time to time, most notably for a legends battle royal in East Rutherford, New Jersey in 1987. In retirement, Strongbow became

1288-1037: A traditional system of athletics originally used to train warriors in Iran ( Persia ), and first appearing under this name and form in the Safavid era, with similarities to systems in adjacent lands under other names. Human warfare dates back to the Epipalaeolithic to early Neolithic era. The oldest works of art depicting scenes of battle are cave paintings from eastern Spain ( Spanish Levante ) dated between 10,000 and 6,000 BCE that show organized groups fighting with bows and arrows. Similar evidence of warfare has been found in Epipalaeolithic to early Neolithic era mass burials , excavated in Germany and at Jebel Sahaba in Northern Sudan . Wrestling

1380-486: A wide spectrum of melee weapons, including bladed weapons and polearms . Such traditions include eskrima , silat , kalaripayat , kobudo , and historical European martial arts , especially those of the Italian Renaissance . Many Chinese martial arts also feature weapons as part of their curriculum. Sometimes, training with one specific weapon may be considered a style in its own right, especially in

1472-403: A wrestler attacking with the core of the body. It is executed from an upright, running position using momentum and weight to run over the opponent. The wrestler takes a short charge into an opponent in the corner of the ring without leaving the feet as they open both arms just before reaching the opponent, resulting in hitting with the chest and abdominal area while throwing both arms inward as in

1564-424: Is a snapping variation called karate fist drop that can be performed in a series, setting the wrestler besides a fallen opponent in a front stance known as Zenkutsu dachi . Then the wrestler drops to their rear leg's knee delivering the fist at the opponent's stomach, to rise up back again. A move similar to a sliding forearm smash in which a wrestler jumps down on an opponent driving their forearm into anywhere on

1656-535: Is a strike that is brought from a high position and travels vertically toward the floor, dropping the point of the elbow directly on the target. Often this will set an attacking wrestler bending an opponent over to deliver the elbow at the back of the opponent. This type of " 12-6 elbow " is illegal in the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts . This move was made famous by WWE Legend and Hall of Famer "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes . The wrestler approaches to

1748-464: Is activated. Beyond contributing to physical fitness, martial arts training also has benefits for mental health , contributing to self-esteem , self-control , emotional and spiritual well-being. For this reason, a number of martial arts schools have focused purely on therapeutic aspects, de-emphasizing the historical aspect of self-defense or combat completely. Chief Jay Strongbow Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 – April 3, 2012)

1840-488: Is done in reverse; the attacking wrestler performs the Thesz press on a charging wrestler from a standing position, then instead of pinning them, they attack them with mounted punches . Also known as vertical splash body press, this variation is made by a charging wrestler (usually standing on the second or top rope) against a standing opponent, landing on their chest and shoulders while remaining upright. The wrestler employs

1932-532: Is likely facilitated by cultural exchanges of early Chinese and Indian martial arts . During the Warring States period of Chinese history (480–221 BC) extensive development in martial philosophy and strategy emerged, as described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War ( c.  350 BC ). Legendary accounts link the origin of Shaolinquan to the spread of Buddhism from ancient India during

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2024-452: Is still actively performed in tournaments across the world. Practitioners in some arts such as kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu often train for sport matches, whereas those in other arts such as aikido generally spurn such competitions. Some schools believe that competition breeds better and more efficient practitioners, and gives a sense of good sportsmanship. Others believe that the rules under which competition takes place have diminished

2116-564: Is the oldest combat sport , with origins in hand-to-hand combat . Belt wrestling was depicted in works of art from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt c.  3000 BC , and later in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh . The earliest known depiction of boxing comes from a Sumerian relief in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) from the 3rd millennium BC. The foundation of modern East Asian martial arts and South Asian martial arts

2208-412: Is the pointed elbow drop, that sees a wrestler raise both elbows up and drop directly forward dropping one, or both elbows onto the opponent. This variation sees the wrestler raise one elbow before falling and simultaneously twisting around as falls to one side, striking the opponent with the elbow anywhere on the body. Sometimes, the wrestler will swing one leg around before the fall, gaining momentum for

2300-482: Is the value of "inner peace" in a practitioner, which is stressed to be only achievable through individual meditation and training. The Koreans believe that the use of physical force is only justifiable for self defense. Pahlevani and zourkhaneh rituals is the name of a Persian Martial arts inscribed by UNESCO for varzesh-e pahlavāni ( Persian : آیین پهلوانی و زورخانه‌ای , "heroic sport") or varzesh-e bāstāni ( ورزش باستانی ; varzeš-e bāstānī , "ancient sport"),

2392-570: The Ancient Olympic Games . The Romans produced gladiatorial combat as a public spectacle. A number of historical combat manuals have survived from the European Middle Ages . This includes such styles as sword and shield , two-handed swordfighting and other types of melee weapons besides unarmed combat. Amongst these are transcriptions of Johannes Liechtenauer 's mnemonic poem on the longsword dating back to

2484-475: The Eye of The Hurricane . Another variation of this move sees the executor use the whole arm as a lariat instead of just the elbow, a side headlock from a jumping position variant can also be executed and twisted around into a sitout lariat. An inverted variation of this move sees the wrestler applying a front facelock before executing an elbow or a lariat to the back of the opponent's head causing them to land on

2576-668: The Joseon era and texts such as Muyejebo (1598). European swordsmanship always had a sportive component, but the duel was always a possibility until World War I . Modern sport fencing began developing during the 19th century as the French and Italian military academies began codifying instruction. The Olympic games led to standard international rules, with the Féderation Internationale d'Escrime founded in 1913. Modern boxing originates with Jack Broughton 's rules in

2668-635: The Kuomintang government. Western interest in Asian martial arts arises towards the end of the 19th century, due to the increase in trade between the United States with China and Japan. Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, considering it to be mere performance. Edward William Barton-Wright , a railway engineer who had studied jujutsu while working in Japan between 1894 and 1897,

2760-642: The Lonsdale Belt , introduced in 1909. The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921. As Western influence grew in Asia a greater number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan and South Korea during World War II and the Korean War and were exposed to local fighting styles. Jujutsu, judo and karate first became popular among

2852-687: The Meiji Restoration In 1882, Kano Jigoro established the Kodokan School of judo which began the sport of judo. Kano Jigoro had gathered the old knowledge of jujutsu before establishing his school of judo. Modern Muay Thai rules date to the 1920s. In China, the modern history of martial arts begins in the Nanjing decade (1930s) following the foundation of the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928 under

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2944-486: The Nigerian Nail . A move in which one wrestler runs toward another extending their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, hitting the opponent in the neck or chest, knocking them over. This move is often confused with a lariat . Popularized by Mick Foley and named after his "Cactus Jack" gimmick . The attacking wrestler charges at an opponent against the ring ropes and clotheslines them,

3036-647: The UFC 1 , there was no scoring, though most now use some form of judging as a backup. Due to these factors, full-contact matches tend to be more aggressive in character, but rule sets may still mandate the use of protective equipment, or limit the techniques allowed. Nearly all mixed martial arts organizations such as UFC , Pancrase , Shooto use a form of full-contact rules as do professional boxing organizations and K-1 . Kyokushin karate requires advanced practitioners to engage in bare-knuckled, full-contact sparring allowing kicks, knees and punching although punching to

3128-617: The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship defeating Luke Graham on October 11, 1980, in Puerto Rico. Then dropped the title on December 20 to Danny Condrey . In 1981 he went to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Kevin Sullivan . In 1982, Strongbow formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Jules Strongbow . On June 28, the Strongbows won the tag team championship from

3220-560: The WWWF World Heavyweight Championship . A memorable match against "Iron Mike" McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold. But Lou Albano , McCord's manager, interfered by smashing a cast on the Chief's forehead. It was alleged that Strongbow had previously jumped Albano in the locker room, breaking his arm. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. Strongbow settled

3312-574: The 18th century, and reaches its present form with the Marquess of Queensberry Rules of 1867. Certain traditional combat sports and fighting styles exist all over the world, rooted in local culture and folklore. The most common of these are styles of folk wrestling , some of which have been practiced since antiquity and are found in the most remote areas. Other examples include forms of stick fighting and boxing. While these arts are based on historical traditions of folklore, they are not "historical" in

3404-632: The 1950s and 1960s, winning several championships and becoming a fan favorite . He won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team titles with Chief Little Eagle in Georgia Championship wrestling in 1965. During his time in Georgia he was also the Inaugural NWA National Television Championship when he won an 8-man tournament by beating Assassin #2 in the finals. By the time he went over to WWWF, he

3496-694: The 1970s, and the term Chinese boxing was also used to refer to Chinese martial arts until then. Some authors have argued that fighting arts or fighting systems would be more appropriate terms on the basis that many martial arts were never "martial" in the sense of being used or created by professional warriors . Martial arts may be categorized using a variety of criteria, including: Unarmed martial arts can be broadly grouped into those focusing on strikes , those focusing on grappling , and those that cover both fields, often described as hybrid martial arts . Strikes Grappling The traditional martial arts that cover armed combat often encompass

3588-509: The 1970s, especially Bruce Lee films , popularized martial arts in global popular culture . A number of mainstream films produced during the 1980s also contributed significantly to the perception of martial arts in Western popular culture. These include The Karate Kid (1984) and Bloodsport (1988). This era produced some Hollywood action stars with martial arts background, such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris . Also during

3680-647: The 20th century, a number of martial arts were adapted for self-defense purposes for military hand-to-hand combat . World War II combatives , KAPAP (1930s) and Krav Maga (1950s) in Israel, Systema in Soviet-era Russia, and Sanshou in the People's Republic of China are examples of such systems. The US military de-emphasized hand-to-hand combat training during the Cold War period , but revived it with

3772-644: The Czech dance odzemek , and the Norwegian Halling . The mid to late 19th century marks the beginning of the history of martial arts as modern sports developed out of earlier traditional fighting systems. In Europe, this concerns the developments of boxing , wrestling and fencing as sports. In Japan, the same period marks the formation of the modern forms of judo , jujutsu , karate , and kendo (among others) based on revivals of old schools of Edo period martial arts which had been suppressed during

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3864-525: The USA inspired by the Brazilian Vale tudo tradition and along with other minimal rule competitions, most notably those from Japan such as Shooto and Pancrase , have evolved into the combat sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Some martial artists compete in non-sparring competitions such as breaking or choreographed routines of techniques such as poomse , kata and aka , or modern variations of

3956-500: The WWWF after an absence and teamed with Strongbow. Arion turned on Strongbow, destroying his headdress on Philadelphia television after he had tied Strongbow in the ropes, and rubbed the feathers in his face. Arion was now a heel , and pinned Strongbow in eastern arenas as he went on to challenge champion Bruno Sammartino . Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972, with partner Sonny King . They defeated

4048-410: The air at the exact moment the clothesline connected. As the opponent runs to the ropes on one side of the ring and rebounds against them, the attacker also runs to the same ropes and rebounds ensuring to be behind them and performs the clothesline as the opponent turns to face them. This snapping variation is set up by a short-arm , then the wrestler pulls the opponent back and clotheslines them with

4140-406: The amount of force that should be used on an opponent. These types of sparring restrict the amount of force that may be used to hit an opponent, in the case of light sparring this is usually to 'touch' contact, e.g. a punch should be 'pulled' as soon as or before contact is made. In medium-contact (sometimes referred to as semi-contact) the punch would not be 'pulled' but not hit with full force. As

4232-522: The amount of force used is restricted, the aim of these types of sparring is not to knock out an opponent; a point system is used in competitions. A referee acts to monitor for fouls and to control the match, while judges mark down scores, as in boxing. Particular targets may be prohibited, certain techniques may be forbidden (such as headbutting or groin hits), and fighters may be required to wear protective equipment on their head, hands, chest, groin, shins or feet. Some grappling arts, such as aikido, use

4324-504: The art in secret, or by telling the colonial authorities that it was a form of dance. While many regional Indian martial arts forms are fading into obscurity, martial arts such as Gatka and Kalaripayattu are experiencing a gradual resurgence. Testing or evaluation is important to martial artists of many disciplines who wish to determine their progression or own level of skill in specific contexts. Students often undergo periodic testing and grading by their own teacher in order to advance to

4416-441: The attacking wrestler running toward an opponent, then leaping into the air before connecting with a clothesline. This variant's use is commonly associated with The Undertaker , The Rock , and Roman Reigns . Another version sees an attacking wrestler leap up into the air and connecting with a clothesline onto an opponent leaning against the corner turnbuckle. The Rock also used a lesser variant of this move which saw him jump into

4508-547: The back of the head before walking off back to the dressing room leaving Strongbow to be assaulted by the Yukon Lumberjacks. In 1979, he feuded with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine , who broke Strongbow's leg. The two wrestled all over the WWF circuit, including an "Indian Strap match" at Madison Square Garden on July 30, 1979. Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. He had

4600-515: The case of Japanese martial arts , with disciplines such as kenjutsu and kendo (sword), bojutsu (staff), and kyūdō (archery). Similarly, modern martial arts and sports include modern fencing , stick-fighting systems like canne de combat , modern competitive archery and practical shooting . Traditional Korean martial arts place emphasis on the development of the practitioner's spiritual and philosophical being. A common theme in most Korean styles, such as Taekkyon , taekwondo , and Hapkido

4692-436: The charge's force and momentum knocks both the wrestler and the opponent over the top rope outside the ring. An attack used by a wrestler where instead of knocking down a standing opponent, aims to squash them against the turnbuckle. Any variant where instead of aiming at just one opponent, the attacking wrestler knocks down two opponents at once. Also known as a jumping clothesline or a flying clothesline, this move involves

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4784-610: The colonial authorities during the period of British rule in India , which led to a decline in their popularity. Some, such as Kalaripayattu , were able to resist this decline by practicing in secret. Other Indian martial art, such as Silambam , while not widely practiced in India, continue to be practiced in other countries in the Indian cultural sphere such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Many other Indian martial arts such as Mardhani Khel and Paika Akhada survived by practitioners practicing

4876-478: The combat effectiveness of martial arts or encourage a kind of practice which focuses on winning trophies rather than a focus such as cultivating a particular moral character. The question of "which is the best martial art" has led to inter style competitions fought with very few rules allowing a variety of fighting styles to enter with few limitations. This was the origin of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning ) in

4968-417: The corkscrew twist, first invented by "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel in 1984. This is any elbow drop which is performed after applying a headlock, the most widely known variation is the inverted facelock elbow drop, in which a wrestler puts the opponent into an inverted facelock , and then turns 180°, dropping the elbow across the opponent's chest, driving them down to the mat. This was used by The Hurricane as

5060-597: The early 5th century CE , with the figure of Bodhidharma , to China. Written evidence of martial arts in Southern India dates back to the Sangam literature of about the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century AD. The combat techniques of the Sangam period were the earliest precursors to Kalaripayattu In Europe, the earliest sources of martial arts traditions date to Ancient Greece . Boxing ( pygme , pyx ), wrestling ( pale ) and pankration were represented in

5152-432: The floor, striking with a specific part of the body. The wrestler either falls forward, or jumps up and drops down, hitting a lying opponent with a kesagiri chop on the way down, usually landing in a kneeling position. Scotty 2 Hotty is best known for performing the chop drop which is always preceded by a routine that involves him hopping on one leg four times (as the crowd chants W-O-R-M), doing worm dance moves toward

5244-573: The forefront for promoting Chinese martial arts in the Western world since the late 20th and early 21st centuries. With the continual discovery of more medieval and Renaissance fighting manuals, the practice of Historical European Martial Arts and other Western Martial Arts have been growing in popularity across the United States and Europe. On 29 November 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyon onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. Many styles of Indian martial arts were banned by

5336-405: The forehead to the opponent's groin. A move in which a wrestler jumps/falls down on an opponent, driving their knee into anywhere on the opponent's body. It is often sold as more powerful if the wrestler bounces off the ropes first. Ric Flair , Randy Orton and Samoa Joe are examples of wrestlers who use this move. A variation sets the wrestler kneeling besides a fallen opponent, then performing

5428-419: The free arm. In this attack a wrestler uses a three-point stance , then runs and clotheslines the opponent. Famously used by performers with known football background, such as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan or "Mongo" McMichael . Also known as a double sledge or polish hammer after its most noted user, Ivan Putski . It sets an attacking wrestler clutching both hands together, swinging them downward hitting usually

5520-440: The head is disallowed while wearing only a karate gi , mouthguard , groin guard for males , or chest guard worn under the karate gi for females . Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo matches do not allow striking, but are full-contact in the sense that full force is applied in the permitted grappling and submission techniques. Competitions held by World Taekwondo requires the use of Headgear and padded vest, but are full contact in

5612-481: The introduction of LINE in 1989. In 1993, the first Pancrase event was held in Japan. The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate. During the 1990s, Brazilian jiu-jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE . Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee were prominent martial artists who became major movie figures. Their popularity and media presence has been at

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5704-463: The judges. Some critics of point sparring feel that this method of training teaches habits that result in lower combat effectiveness. Lighter-contact sparring may be used exclusively, for children or in other situations when heavy contact would be inappropriate (such as beginners), medium-contact sparring is often used as training for full contact. Full-contact sparring or competition, where strikes or techniques are not pulled but used with full force as

5796-577: The late fourteenth century. Likewise, Asian martial arts became well-documented during the medieval period, Japanese martial arts beginning with the establishment of the samurai nobility in the 12th century, Chinese martial arts with Ming era treatises such as Ji Xiao Xin Shu , Indian martial arts in medieval texts such as the Agni Purana and the Malla Purana , and Korean martial arts from

5888-490: The mainstream from the 1950s–1960s. Due in part to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies , most modern American martial arts are either Asian-derived or Asian influenced. The term kickboxing (キックボクシング) was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of muay Thai and karate that he created in the 1950s. American kickboxing was developed in the 1970s, as a combination of boxing and karate. Taekwondo

5980-498: The martial arts which include dance-influenced competitions such as tricking. Martial traditions have been influenced by governments to become more sport-like for political purposes; the central impetus for the attempt by the People's Republic of China in transforming Chinese martial arts into the committee-regulated sport of wushu was suppressing what they saw as the potentially subversive aspects of martial training, especially under

6072-488: The mat or into a facebreaker where the wrestler places their knee in front of the opponent whilst when executing the move. A wrestler performs a series of theatrics before jumping or falling down, driving a fist usually to the opponent's forehead. Utilized by wrestlers including Jerry Lawler , Ted DiBiase , The Honky Tonk Man and John Cena , the latter of whom calls it the Five Knuckle Shuffle . There

6164-570: The momentum to bring their opponent down to the mat into a seated senton . A chop is a strike to the opponent's neck, shoulders or chest with the edge of a hand. Also known as a knife edge chop, back-hand slice or gyaku suihei chop ( English : Reverse horizontal chop ) ( 逆水平チョップ , Gyaku suihei choppu ) , is the act of a wrestler slice-chopping the chest of the opponent using an upward backhand swing. Many wrestlers, especially brawlers and Japanese wrestlers , use this maneuver, and some crowds (especially American wrestling crowds) respond with

6256-456: The name implies, has a number of tactical differences from light and medium-contact sparring. It is considered by some to be requisite in learning realistic unarmed combat. In full-contact sparring, the aim of a competitive match is to knock out the opponent or to force the opponent to submit . Where scoring takes place it may be a subsidiary measure, only used if no clear winner has been established by other means; in some competitions, such as

6348-495: The opponent and strikes the opponent's face with a back elbow. The wrestler faces toward the opponent, and strikes the front or back of the head with a full swinging back elbow. The move can be performed on an opponent who is kneeling and facing away. This is commonly used by Will Ospreay as a finisher, which he names the Hidden Blade , which usually sees him charge towards a seated, kneeling, or rising opponent. This move

6440-481: The opponent and swinging his arms just before hitting the chop drop, while his opponent lies face up and motionless on the mat. A move in which a wrestler jumps or falls down on an opponent driving their elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body. A common elbow drop sees a wrestler raise one elbow before falling to one side and striking it across an opponent. The Rock popularized the high impact elbow drop and called it The People's Elbow . Another common elbow drop

6532-643: The opponent by the nape. Performed by wrestlers like Ernie Ladd . Others include Umaga who dubbed the move the Samoan Spike ; the move would later be used by his nephew Solo Sikoa . Bad Luck Fale uses a variation, what is preceded by a choke-lift, called Grenade Terry Gordy used this as a move alongside the Thumb choke hold which he dubbed the Oriental Spike . Dabba-Kato also used this move during his WWE main roster tenure as Commander Azeez called

6624-502: The opponent's back, face, or top of the head. The many names of this move come from the attack mimicking the motion seen when people swing a sledgehammer or axe . There is also a top rope variation . The Wrestler performs a discus before clutching the hands together and delivering the double axe handle. It was used by Manabu Nakanishi as Yaijin Hammer . Attacks in which an attacking wrestler jumps and falls down onto an opponent on

6716-490: The opponent's body. Also known as reverse elbow, sees the wrestler giving the back with to a standing or running opponent, and then striking with the back of the elbow to the opponent's face, neck or chest. Chris Jericho used this move he called the Judas Effect . The wrestler strikes a back elbow to a cornered opponent, usually while running. The wrestler faces away from the opponent, spins around to face away from

6808-473: The opponent's body. Used by Ilja Dragunov as the H-Bomb . A move setting an attacking wrestler jumping or falling down on an opponent, driving their head usually at the opponent's face or midsection. The most common variation sets the attacking wrestler standing at the fallen opponent's feet, taking them by the ankles to spread their legs. Then the attacker releases the grip as they jump or fall down, delivering

6900-543: The opponent, spinning a full 360° to face the opponent again while hitting them. In this move, the wrestler puts their opponent into a Crucifix hold and repeats elbow smashes to the head and neck. This was invented by Bryan Danielson and used by Jay White . Martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence ; military and law enforcement applications; competition ; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment ; and

6992-567: The preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage . "Martial arts" is a direct English translation of the Sino-Japanese word ( Japanese : 武芸 , romanized :  bu-gei , Chinese : 武藝 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : bú-gē ; pinyin : wǔyì ). Literally, it refers to "武 martial" and "艺 arts". The term martial arts was popularized by mainstream popular culture during the 1960s to 1970s, notably by Hong Kong martial arts films (most famously those of Bruce Lee ) during

7084-458: The score in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden , beating Captain Lou Albano convincingly. Strongbow picked up a win at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1970, shortly after he entered the WWWF, pinning top contender Crusher Verdu, who was managed by Lou Albano. In 1975, he began feuding with Spiros Arion. Arion, a popular and seemingly unbeatable babyface , returned to

7176-504: The sense that full force is applied to strikes to the head and body, and win by knockout is possible. Martial arts have crossed over into sports when forms of sparring become competitive, becoming a sport in its own right that is dissociated from the original combative origin, such as with western fencing. The Summer Olympic Games includes judo, taekwondo, western archery, boxing, javelin, wrestling and fencing as events, while Chinese wushu recently failed in its bid to be included, but

7268-763: The sense that they reconstruct or preserve a historical system from a specific era. They are rather contemporary regional sports that coexist with the modern forms of martial arts sports as they have developed since the 19th century, often including cross-fertilization between sports and folk styles; thus, the traditional Thai art of muay boran developed into the modern national sport of muay Thai , which in turn came to be practiced worldwide and contributed significantly to modern hybrid styles like kickboxing and mixed martial arts . Singlestick , an English martial art can be seen often used in morris dancing . Many European dances share elements of martial arts with examples including Ukrainian Hopak , Polish Zbójnicki (use of ciupaga ),

7360-404: The side of the opponent's neck or shoulder. The words kesa and giri in Japanese mean "monk's sash" and "cut" respectively, and it is based on a legitimate defensive cut in traditional Japanese swordsmanship . This move is notably used by Kenta Kobashi . The act of chopping both the opponent's shoulders or sides of the neck in a downward swinging motion at the same time. The wrestler draws

7452-508: The so-called " chopsocky " wave of the early 1970s. According to John Clements, the term martial arts itself is derived from an older Latin term meaning "arts of Mars ", the Roman god of war, and was used to refer to the combat systems of Europe ( European martial arts ) as early as the 1550s. The term martial science , or martial sciences , was commonly used to refer to the fighting arts of East Asia ( Asian martial arts ) up until

7544-477: The team of Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea . Strongbow and King held the title for a month before losing it to the team of Mr. Fuji and Professor Toru Tanaka on June 27. Four and a half years later, on December 7, 1976, Strongbow won his second WWWF World Tag Team Championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf . The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata . Their reign

7636-646: The team of Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in New York City 's Madison Square Garden. During the match, special guest referee Ivan Putski counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji's foot draped over the bottom rope. On the July 13 episode of Championship Wrestling , the Strongbows lost the titles back to Fuji and Saito, but on the October 26 episode of Championship Wrestling , the Strongbows defeated Fuji and Saito for their second WWF Tag Team Championship reign as

7728-478: The top rope. This move, originally called a flying body scissors , was innovated by, popularized and subsequently named after Lou Thesz , sees the attacking wrestler jumping toward a standing opponent, knocking them over their back, sitting on their waist and pinning them in a body scissors . It was initially developed by Thesz as a legitimate move and has since been seen in modern submission grappling contests. A variation, popularized by Stone Cold Steve Austin ,

7820-406: The traditional system of family lineages. Martial arts training aims to result in several benefits to trainees, such as their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Through systematic practice in the martial arts a person's physical fitness may be boosted (strength, stamina, speed, flexibility, movement coordination, etc.) as the whole body is exercised and the entire muscular system

7912-414: Was already a 12 Tag-Team and 6 Time singles champion. In 1970, Scarpa began working for Vincent J. McMahon 's World Wide Wrestling Federation as Chief Jay Strongbow, a Native American gimmick complete with a traditional headdress and Native themed wrestling moves . He feuded with the likes of "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion , "Handsome Jimmy" Valiant , and Superstar Billy Graham , nearly winning

8004-515: Was an Italian-American who much like actor Iron Eyes Cody portrayed an Indian to stand out more. His best accomplishments are in WWF where he was a 4-time World Tag-Team Champion. Scarpa's wrestling career began in 1947, under his real name. He was trained by second generation Native American wrestler Chief Don Eagle . He was a standout in the Georgia and Florida territories of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout

8096-433: Was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow . Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel , he portrayed a Native American wrestler, who wore a war bonnet to the ring and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him against an opponent. In reality (and unlike McDaniel, who was an actual Choctaw - Chickasaw Native-American), Scarpa

8188-479: Was cut short in August 1977 when the belts were vacated due to White Wolf suffering a neck injury at the hands of Ken Patera 's Swinging Neckbreaker . In October 1978, Strongbow came to blows with his tag-team partner, 'High Chief' Peter Maivia in a match with The Yukon Lumberjacks , both of them feuding over who should start the match. When things seemed to settle, Maivia came up behind Strongbow and clubbed him on

8280-699: Was developed in the context of the Korean War in the 1950s. The later 1960s and 1970s witnessed an increased media interest in Chinese martial arts , influenced by martial artist Bruce Lee . Bruce Lee is credited as one of the first instructors to openly teach Chinese martial arts to Westerners. World Judo Championships have been held since 1956, Judo at the Summer Olympics was introduced in 1964. Karate World Championships were introduced in 1970. The " kung fu wave " of Hong Kong action cinema in

8372-702: Was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame class of 1994 by Gorilla Monsoon . Strongbow's last appearance in WWE was a brief appearance on the November 17, 2008 episode of Monday Night Raw when Stephanie McMahon introduced him to the audience in Atlanta. His son, Joe Jr. wrestled in the 1980s and early 1990s mainly as Mark Pyle and Mark Young in the WWF from 1986–1990 and Vince Young in WCW. Joe Jr. died in 2016 at

8464-522: Was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic style named Bartitsu which combined jujutsu, judo, wrestling, boxing, savate and stick fighting . Fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympics . FILA Wrestling World Championships and Boxing at the Summer Olympics were introduced in 1904. The tradition of awarding championship belts in wrestling and boxing can be traced to

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