Glossary
Combat sports dictionary: knockout and TKO, submission, decision, knockdown, clinch, takedown, ground and pound, ippon and waza-ari, kyu and dan, khan — in plain words.
Knockout (KO)Technical knockout (TKO)KnockdownSubmissionDecisionSplit decisionDrawNo contest (NC)Cut and cutmanClinchTakedownGround and poundTeep (push kick)Low kickIpponWaza-ariPin (osaekomi)SouthpawWeigh-inMain eventKyu and danKhan (prajied)
- Knockout (KO)
- After a strike the fighter can't continue: loses consciousness or fails to beat the referee's count.
- Technical knockout (TKO)
- The referee, doctor or corner stops the fight because the fighter can't defend or is injured, though conscious.
- Knockdown
- A strike makes the fighter touch the canvas with anything but the feet. If they get up the fight goes on, but the judges note it.
- Submission
- A joint lock or choke that makes the opponent give up by tapping or pass out.
- Decision
- If the fight goes the distance, three judges decide on scorecards: strikes, control, aggression and defense. Unanimous — all three for one fighter.
- Split decision
- Two judges score for one fighter, the third for the other. A sign of a close fight.
- Draw
- The judges find no winner: equal scorecards or each judge sees it differently.
- No contest (NC)
- The result is cancelled: an accidental illegal blow that ends the fight, or doping. Picks on such a fight are voided.
- Cut and cutman
- Bleeding from a strike (often an elbow or bare fist). The cutman stops it between rounds; a bad cut can end the fight.
- Clinch
- Holding the opponent at close range while standing. In boxing and K-1 the referee breaks it fast; in Muay Thai and MMA fighters knee and elbow from it.
- Takedown
- Taking the opponent from standing to the ground with a shot or a throw. Lets you strike from top and hunt submissions.
- Ground and pound
- Strikes from top position on a grounded opponent. A common route to TKO in MMA.
- Teep (push kick)
- A straight push with the sole to the body or leg from Muay Thai: keeps distance and breaks the opponent's attack and rhythm.
- Low kick
- A roundhouse with the shin to the thigh. It adds up: the opponent moves slower and tires faster. Banned in WT taekwondo.
- Ippon
- A clean win in judo: a throw onto the back with force and speed, a pin held to the end of the count, or a submission.
- Waza-ari
- Half a win in judo: a throw without full control or a shorter pin. Two waza-ari equal ippon.
- Pin (osaekomi)
- Holding the opponent with their back on the mat. In the game, 3 turns of a judo pin make ippon.
- Southpaw
- A stance with the right foot forward. Awkward to face: angles and strikes come from the unusual side. The usual stance is orthodox.
- Weigh-in
- A weight check before the fight. Missing the class limit means a purse fine, and the fight may go ahead at catchweight or be cancelled.
- Main event
- The last and most important fight of the event, often a title fight, 5 rounds in MMA. In OCTARENA a pick on the main event gives more points.
- Kyu and dan
- Student (kyu, counting down to 1st) and master (dan) grades in karate and judo; in taekwondo — gup and dan. In the game they grow with level and unlock moves.
- Khan (prajied)
- Skill grades in Muay Thai, marked by the color of the armband (prajied). In OCTARENA Muay Thai has 15 khans.