Competitive or sport based martial arts are combat inspired arts or styles designed to bring victory in several variants of a sporting arena (ring, cage, mat, etc.) Although some competitive martial artists may also train combatively, once they enter the arena and acknowledge the rules of the match, their battle skills must be restrained as the objective no longer becomes to slay or defend but to accomplish victory as it pertains to the rules (KO, TKO, Submission, Doctor Stoppage, “Throwing in the Towel,” judges’ decision, etc.). Competitive arts also solely focus on fighting a “fair” fight, meaning a one-on-one clash within a certain weight class. There are rounds, bells, referees, and varying degrees of mandatory protection depending on the event. Fitness and stamina is a major training component, and combat athletes are often some of the most finely conditioned of all. Victory is rewarded by ranking, money, title belts, etc. Popular styles that specialize in functioning within sporting rules include: Boxing, Wrestling, Mixed Martial Arts,Muay Thai,Brazilian Jiu-jitsu,Judo, San Da, Olympic Tae Kwon Do, any type of point Karate, or Gung-fu.

Click HERE for an excerpt from Doug Matina's book: Advanced Tactical Self-Defense for a more in depth and further explanation on the history of competition based martial arts.

Click HERE for more information on competition focused disciplines from http://www.blackbeltmag.com/