Combat Sports & Martial Arts Quiz

1. What does MMA stand for and what distinguishes it from other combat sports?

1. Martial Methods Association — the governing body for combat sports
2. Mixed Martial Arts — a combat sport allowing striking and grappling techniques from multiple martial arts disciplines
3. Mixed Method Athletics — a combined event sport including running and fighting
4. Modern Martial Arts — a sport that only uses modern techniques developed since 1990

2. In judo, what is an 'ippon' and why does it immediately end the contest?

1. A perfect throw where the opponent is thrown forcefully onto their back — it scores maximum points and immediately wins the contest, like a knockout
2. A submission hold held for 10 seconds
3. A throw that scores 7 points in the new electronic scoring system
4. A warning for illegal technique — two ippons result in disqualification

3. What is the difference between freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling?

1. Freestyle allows leg grabs and trips; Greco-Roman prohibits holds or attacks below the waist
2. Freestyle is amateur; Greco-Roman is professional only
3. Freestyle is individual; Greco-Roman is team competition
4. They use different weight classes

4. What is 'Brazilian jiu-jitsu' (BJJ) and which family is credited with developing it?

1. A Brazilian variation of Japanese jiu-jitsu focused on throws, developed by the Santos family
2. A ground-based grappling art focused on submissions and positional control, developed and popularised by the Gracie family
3. A hybrid art combining Brazilian capoeira with Japanese techniques
4. A striking art from Brazil similar to capoeira, developed by the Silva family

5. In taekwondo, which scoring technique carries the highest point value?

1. A kick to the head (3 points) or spinning/jumping kick to the head (4 points)
2. A punch to the torso (1 point)
3. A spinning kick to the torso (2 points)
4. A takedown with ground control (5 points)

6. Who is Conor McGregor and what made him historically significant in MMA?

1. Both B and C — he was the first two-division champion and the sport's biggest pay-per-view draw
2. The first MMA fighter to defeat a boxing world champion in a professional boxing match
3. The first UFC fighter to hold two championship belts simultaneously, in featherweight and lightweight
4. The highest-paid MMA fighter who brought mainstream attention to the sport

7. What is 'sumo' wrestling and what body area must touch outside the ring for a wrestler to lose?

1. A competition where competitors fight to push each other onto a raised platform
2. A form where leg sweeps are the only permitted technique
3. A Japanese wrestling form where competitors must throw each other over a rope barrier
4. A Japanese wrestling form where the loser is the first to touch the ground with any body part other than the soles of their feet, or step outside the circular ring

8. What is 'muay thai' and why is it important in MMA?

1. A low-impact Thai martial art combining yoga with defensive striking
2. A Thai grappling art focused on ground control
3. Thai kickboxing — uses fists, elbows, knees, and kicks — considered the most effective stand-up striking art in MMA
4. Traditional Thai weaponry fighting adapted for unarmed competition

9. Karate was added to the Olympics in 2020. What are the two Olympic karate disciplines?

1. Full-contact and semi-contact
2. Individual and team kata
3. Sparring (kumite) and forms (kata)
4. Traditional and sport karate

10. What is a 'rear-naked choke' in MMA and wrestling?

1. A choke applied from behind where the attacker's arm wraps around the opponent's neck and squeezes the carotid arteries, cutting blood flow to the brain
2. A standing chokehold applied from behind the opponent's neck
3. A submission hold that compresses the windpipe
4. A wrestling hold applied to the lower back that causes pain but no choking

11. In Olympic wrestling, what is a 'pin' (fall)?

1. A throw that earns maximum points
2. Holding both of your opponent's shoulder blades to the mat simultaneously for 1 second (WWE-style 3-count is not Olympic wrestling)
3. Scoring 10 more points than your opponent
4. When a competitor steps out of the wrestling area

12. What is the 'guard position' in Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

1. A defensive stance used in stand-up striking
2. A submission position where both fighters compete for arm control
3. The position where a fighter stands over a downed opponent
4. The position where the bottom fighter has their legs wrapped around the top fighter, controlling and attacking from below

13. Judo was founded by which Japanese educator and what philosophy does it promote?

1. Gichin Funakoshi, who promoted 'empty hand' self-defence
2. Jigoro Kano, who developed it from jiu-jitsu and promoted maximum efficiency with minimum effort
3. Masahiko Kimura, who promoted submission grappling as both sport and life philosophy
4. Morihei Ueshiba, who created a defensive art focused on redirecting attacks

14. What is fencing and which three weapons are used in Olympic fencing?

1. A sword-fighting sport — weapons are foil, épée, and broadsword
2. A sword-fighting sport — weapons are foil, épée, and sabre
3. A sword-fighting sport — weapons are foil, sabre, and katana
4. A sword-fighting sport — weapons are sabre, rapier, and longsword

15. What does 'kata' mean in martial arts and why is it practised?

1. A belt rank test in Japanese martial arts
2. A competitive sparring match between two practitioners
3. A meditative breathing exercise practised before training
4. A pre-arranged sequence of movements representing imaginary fights — practised to encode and preserve techniques, develop muscle memory and focus

16. What is the UFC's 'octagon' and why was this shape chosen for the fighting area?

1. A circular ring elevated above the crowd for better viewing
2. A hexagonal cage — the six sides represent the six core MMA disciplines
3. A square cage with rounded corners for safety in the wrestling exchanges
4. An eight-sided chain-link fence enclosure — originally designed to prevent fighters from getting caught in corners as in boxing, while preventing them from escaping

17. What is the 'armbar' submission and in which combat sports is it used?

1. A grip used in Olympic weightlifting
2. A hold that controls both of the opponent's arms simultaneously in wrestling
3. A standing neck hold used in wrestling and sambo
4. An elbow/arm extension submission where the attacker hyperextends the opponent's elbow joint — used in BJJ, MMA, judo, and sambo

18. What is 'capoeira' and where did it originate?

1. A Brazilian military combat system developed in the 20th century
2. A Chinese acrobatic martial art used in film choreography
3. An Afro-Brazilian martial art combining dance, acrobatics, and music — developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil who disguised it as dance
4. An Argentine tango-based fighting system

19. In sambo, the Russian combat sport, what does the word 'SAMBO' stand for?

1. Self-defence without weapons (Samozashchita Bez Oruzhiya) in Russian
2. Soviet Armed Military Body Offence
3. Strength and Martial Body Operations
4. The name of its founder Vasily Sambo

20. Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in judo?

1. Brazil
2. France
3. Japan
4. Russia