Comprising of elements belonging to several “traditional” forms of combat is a North American martial art form known as Shootfighting. This “hybrid” form of martial art is said to have originated from The United States of American and was said to have been developed by an American martial artist called Bart Vale. Furthermore, competitions are held for shootfighting which are officially organized by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). In addition, combat forms such as Shoot boxing was once considered a form of shootfighting.

 History/origin of Shootfighting:

It was an American martial artist known as Bart Vale who had a background in wrestling who created this form of combat. Apparently, while he was in Japan he was the “Professional Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi” (a Japanese professional wrestling organization) for three years. Furthermore, he then returned to America and developed a hybrid form of combat for which he basically used “shoot wrestling” techniques he had learned in Japan. It was thus for this martial art form that he developed that he coined the term “Shootfighting”.

Weapons used in Shootfighting:

“Hands and legs” of the fighter are basically used as a weapon in this form of martial art.

Techniques involved in Shootfighting and training availability:

In terms of technique, a fighter in this form of combat is basically permitted to use moves such as punches, kick, knee or elbow, etc to defeat the opponent. In addition, moves such as joint locks and chokes against the side of the neck can also be used in this martial art form. The only moves that are illegal in “Shootfighting” include punches to the face, eye gouges, striking against the windpipe, and striking against the groin. As for training centers/schools, there are a number of them available around the world for all those interested in learning this “hybrid” martial art form.