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| シュートファイティング | |
 ISFA Logo | |
| Focus | Hybrid (Combat Sport & Street Combat) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |  Japan |
| Famous practitioners | |
| Parenthood | Shoot wrestling,Catch wrestling,American Kenpo,Judo,Boxing,Kickboxing,Karate,Muay Thai,Jujutsu,Brazilian Jiu Jitsu[1] |
| Olympic sport | No |
Shootfighting is amartial art andcombat sport, with competitions governed by theInternational Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these beingwrestling andkenpo.
Shootfighting was previously used synonymously withmixed martial arts competitions inJapan, as opposed toshoot-styleprofessional wrestling competitions. The term has been retired from common usage because it became a registered trademark of Bart Vale, who uses it to describe hishybrid fighting system derived fromshoot wrestling. However, it is still sometimes used colloquially.
Examples which were once considered shootfighting styles, tournaments or organizations arePancrase,Fighting Network RINGS, andShooto, where many fighters still considered themselves to beshootfighters.Ken Shamrock is possibly the most recognisable shoot fighter, as it was the discipline he used during the early days of theUFC.
Shootfighting's use as a synonym formixed martial arts had its genesis in the 1970s, whenKarl Gotch taught a group ofJapanese professional wrestlerscatch wrestling techniques, called "hooking" or "shooting". In 1976, one of these pro-wrestlers,Antonio Inoki, hosted a series of matches against practitioners of other martial arts; most of these were"worked" (predetermined), but one particular high-profile one wasagainst Muhammad Ali, which was in fact ashoot. This led to an increased interest in real and effective technique, and eventually led to the creation ofshoot wrestling, with someshoot-styleprofessional wrestling organizations hosting legitimate mixed martial arts bouts, called "shoots". Interest grew in the 1990s, and certain shoot-style organizations likeShooto,Pancrase andRINGS evolved into pure "shoot" organizations. The term "shootfighting" was frequently used to describe these events and styles.
Bart Vale, anAmerican with a background inprofessional wrestling, champion of theJapanesePro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (PWFG, a Japaneseshoot-styleprofessional wrestling organization) for close to three years, moved back to America and used the term "shootfighting", to describe his ownhybrid fighting system, which was a combination of theshoot wrestling techniques he had learned in Japan and his experience inkenpo,jujutsu andMuay Thai. He also founded theInternational Shootfighting Association to promote shootfighting as acombat sport. He also would trademark the term, reserving the rights to use it for himself and his organization.[2]
Ken Shamrock, at the time Pancrase champion and former Fujiwara Gumi alumni, entered inUFC 1 representing "Shootfighting", describing his fighting style at Pancrase. With Shamrock's success in the earlyUFC, Bart Vale would use aworked victory at Fujiwara Gumi against Shamrock, claiming it was a real fight to promote himself in the United States as a MMA legend in Japan.[3] His actual MMA record is 1-2-0.[4]
Shootfighting is ahybrid martial art, with similar but more limited rules compared tomixed martial arts.
Currently professional shootfighting matches consists only of a heavyweight (200 lb or more) division. But there are lighter divisions for amateur competitors. Pro matches run 30 minutes non-stop, amateurs 10 minutes. Held inside a standardwrestling ring, competitors are allowed tokick,knee orelbow any part of the body except thegroin, as well asheadbutt.Punches are allowed to the body. Since no gloves are worn to facilitate wrestling, punches aren't allowed to the head, although open hand palms and slaps are allowed. Any type ofthrow ortakedown is legal and competitors are allowed to hit adowned opponent. Additionally, any type ofjoint lock is legal as arechokes against the side of the neck. The only foul consists of punches to the face,eye-gouges, techniques against thewindpipe andgroin strikes.
Fights are won when a competitor isknocked down for a 10 count, knocked down 5 times or forced tosubmit. A fighter caught in a submission hold may grab the ropes to break the hold, but this counts as a 1/3 of a knock down. Grabbing the ropes 15 times equals a loss. Bouts that go to the full time limit are declared a draw.
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