A submission, also called a "tap out" is a
combat sports
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knocko ...
term for yielding to the opponent, resulting in an immediate defeat. A submission is often performed by visibly tapping the floor or opponent with the hand or foot, or by verbalizing to the opponent or referee of the competition. In combative sports where the fighter has
cornermen, the cornerman can also stop the fight by "
throwing in the towel" (either by literally throwing in a towel or by verbalizing to the official), which may count as a submission.
To force a submission a fighter must do a submission hold, of which there are two categories. The first is a
joint lock
A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion and hyperextension.
In judō these are referred to as (, "joint locking technique"Ohlenkamp ...
, which can include
armlock
An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that Anatomical terms of motion#General motion, hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow, elbow joint or glenohumeral joint, shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it w ...
s, americanas, anklelocks, kneebars, etc. These submissions damage the joints by hyperextending and threatening to break them. Secondly there are
chokehold
A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza () is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air ( choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1999). Oxford University press. . or blood ( s ...
s. These include the
rear naked choke,
guillotine choke,
triangle choke, etc. These prevent air flow to the lungs or blood flow to the brain, risking the fighter to go unconscious.
Technical submission
A technical submission or "stoppage" may occur when the referee stops the fight for any reason, including because a fighter has sustained a serious injury like a broken limb or is rendered unconscious. An example would be a fighter's arm breaking in an armbar, or a fighter going unconscious in a rear naked choke. In both cases the fighter is unable to tap out, and safely continue the fight. Such a match outcome may be called a technical submission or a
technical knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
(TKO) depending on the rules of the match. In the
UFC, a submission to strikes also counts as a technical knockout.
In professional wrestling
In
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
, a submission can be used to gain a fall and/or win the match (depending on the match's ruleset/stipulation). A submission is either earned when a wrestler taps the mat or their opponent three or more times with their hand, or verbalizes to the referee (often using the phrase "I quit"). Due to pro wrestling's choreographed nature, limbs are not broken as to protect the wrestler in the hold. To force the breaking of the hold (unless in a match with a no disqualification/no rope-break rule) a wrestler can touch the ring ropes or place part of their body directly under them, the referee will then count to 5, and if the wrestler executing the submission hold does not let go they will be disqualified. Many wrestlers create their own (or use pre-existing) submissions as their "finishing move", often with a unique name to fit the wrestler's gimmick. Examples include
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years.
He is ...
's figure four leglock,
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
's Walls of Jericho (a variation of the Boston crab),
Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
's sharpshooter, and
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
' guillotine choke.
See also
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Submission hold
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Submission wrestling
Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elem ...
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Safeword (sports)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Submission (Combat Sports)
Martial arts terminology