This year’s Asian Games – which is going to be the second-largest edition of the quadrennial event with over 460 events – will have mainstream martial arts like Karate and Judo to lesser known forms like Sambo and Wushu.
There are over 200 medals to be won in these events. Here’s a closer look at each of these events with the number of medals each event offers and India’s chances in them.
Judo
WHAT IS IT?
Judo involves competitors, known as Judokas, either throwing or taking down an opponent to the ground, immobilizing or subduing him/her, or forcing him/her to submit with a joint lock or a choke. The founder of modern Judo, Jigoro Kano, emphasised on a philosophy of ‘maximum efficiency and minimum effort’ – the techniques of the game, hence, reflect this.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
There are different ways to score in Judo. A Judoka can win the contest by earning an Ippon by: 1) Throwing the opponent forcefully flat on their back 2) Pinning the opponent on the ground for 20 seconds, controlling their upper part of the body. 3) Locking the opponent’s arm/strangling the opponent, forcing a submission from them.
The Judoka can also earn two waza-aris to win the contest. This, they can achieve by: 1) Throwing the opponent on their sides, shoulders. 2) Rolling the opponent to his/her back 3) Pinning him/her for 10-19 seconds.
If all’s equal at the end of the contest, the tie will be broken by a period of Golden Score.
A Judoka can be punished with a Hansoku Make (a red card) for major breaches of rules and a Shido (a yellow card) for smaller rule-breaches.
The duration of each contest shall be four minutes for both men and women. When both players have no technical score or the technical scores are equal at the end of the regular contest time, the contest shall continue in Golden Score. There’s no time limit for Golden Score.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 45
INDIA’S CHANCES
Japan and Korea have traditionally dominated the sport at the quadrennial event. They aggregate over 200 medals in the sport. But India have won five bronze medals. Their six-member contingent has a good chance to increase that count. India finished first in the South Asian Judo Championship held in April.
Karate
WHAT IS IT?
It is predominantly a striking, kicking and punching art. A Karate practitioner is called a Karateka. Broadly speaking, Karate consists of kata (forms) and kumite (sparring). A kata is an exhibition of a series of movements and techniques done in a pattern. And in kumite, two karatekas aim to strike, kick or punch each other with explosive energy and precise technique. Karate will make its Olympic debut at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo in 2020.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
During a kata, the karateka’s technical and athletic performance is evaluated according to their stance, technique, breathing, consistency, speed, strength, balance and rhythm. The karatekas are required to demonstrate movement that is both slow and fast, weak and strong, with focus and concentration.
In a kumite, which goes on for three minutes (for men) or two minutes (for women), karatekas are awarded points – yuko (one point), waza-ari (two points) or ippon (three points) – based on their moves. The attacks are limited to head, face, neck, abdomen, chest, back and sides.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 39
INDIA’S CHANCES
Japan, with 43 medals, is the dominant nation in Karate at the Asian Games. But the Indian contingent – trained by Iranian coach Ahmad Safi – to try and win the nation’s first medal in the sport.
Taekwondo
WHAT IS IT?
Derived from Taekkyeon, an ancient martial art from the Korean peninsula, and Japanese Shotokan karate, Taekwondo became Korea’s national sport. South Korea, hence, have been the most dominating country in the sport at the Asian Games, winning 70 medals. But because of its utility as a self-defence skill, Taekwondo has spread over the world and has an estimated 80 million enthusiasts worldwide.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Punches and kicks are used by the athletes to score points in Taekwondo. The wide range of kicks – front kick, side kick, spinning kick or the reverse roundhouse kick – delivered in different speeds and in various angles makes it an appealing sport of combat.
Poomsae and Kyorugi are the two different Taekwondo competitions at the Asian Games. Poonsae is an exhibition of a sequence of movements consisting a variety of stances, blocks, punches and kicks. Kyorugi involves sparring with an opponent in the field that consists of three courts - one 12m x 12m raised 60 cm from the ground and two floor-level courts. The duration of the contest shall be three rounds of two minutes each, with a minute of rest between rounds. In case of a tie, the contest goes to the fourth round.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 36
INDIA’S CHANCES
The IOA has listed five women, who’d go to Jakarta for the Asiad. But India’s medal chances in the event are slim. With different factions laying claim to the sport, the administration of Taekwondo in the country is hampered.
Jujitsu
WHAT IS IT?
A martial art very similar to its offshoot Judo. It’s believed to be devised 2500 years ago by Takenouchi Hisamori, a military tactician in a Japanese province. It involves manipulating the opponent’s explosive energy to subdue him/her. Because of the complexity in its techniques and the subtle manoeuvres, Jujitsu is called the ‘chess of martial arts’.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
The Jujitsu competition in the Asian Games will consist of eight categories (distinguished by weight): six for men and two for women. Each weight category will consist of a double elimination repechage round. Points shall be awarded by the central referee of a match whenever an athlete stabilizes a position for three seconds. In a five-minute round, the athlete may receive two/three/four points depending on his/her manoeuvre.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 27
INDIA’S CHANCES: India is not participating in the event.
Kurash
WHAT IS IT?
This traditional martial art form from Uzbekistan is set to make its debut in the Asian Games. Kurash is, simply put, wrestling without violence. For, it is an upper-body-only martial art: no grappling below the waist, no hitting or kicking, no ground wrestling, no armlocks or choking techniques are allowed. Despite being a centuries old martial arts form, Kurash became a sporting discipline only in the 1980s. But now, the international body of Kurash – International Kurash Association – boasts over 70 members across five continents.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
The objective of the contest is to throw the opponent to the ground. If the participant manages to throw the opponent forcefully on his back – called a khalol – he/she will be declared the winner of the bout, which can go upto four minutes (for men) or three minutes (for women). Yonbosh is awarded to a participant when he/she manages to throw the opponent on his/her sides. Two yonboshes make a khalol. A lower score, chala, is awarded when the participant throws his/her opponent weakly on his/her side. The one with the most number of points will be declared winner.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 24
INDIA’S CHANCES
At the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, India won a silver medal and two bronze medals in Kurash. India’s sending 14 athletes – eight men and six women – to the Asian Games because there are 28 medals up for grabs in the sport. So, at least a medal can be expected from the strong Kurash contingent.
Pencak Silat
WHAT IS IT?
Pencak Silat refers to many styles and schools of martial arts spread across the Indonesian and Malay islands. It involves, striking, grappling techniques, and throwing. In some forms, the fighters are allowed to use certain types of weapons. The restrictions in Pencak Silat are few unlike many martial art forms in the Asian Games.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
The Pesilats or the participants confront each other by applying the Pencak Silat defense and attack elements i.e. repulsing, dodging, hitting or dropping the opponent. The opponent’s chest, abdomen (above the navel), ribs and back of the trunk can be targeted. And, based on manoeuvres, a maximum of four points will be awarded. The one with the most number of points towards the end of the bout, wins.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 48
INDIA’S CHANCES
India had won two silver and five bronze medals at the Asian pencak silat championships in 2016. There are medals to be won in 16 categories – 10 for men and six for women – at the Asian Games. And, India’s sending a 22-member team for Pencak Silat. Along with national coach Mohammad Iqbal, the athletes are training in Srinagar for the Asian Games.
Wushu
WHAT IS IT?
Wushu is the collective term for the centuries old martial art practices, which originated and developed in China. Because of the long history, the art has evolved and diversified into various forms and styles. As a sport, wushu is categorized into two main categories, namely Taolu (routines) and Sanda (free-fighting). It was featured in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
In Taolu – a combination of gymnastics and martial arts – competitors are evaluated based on their movements, including stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws. Certain routines are accompanied by music and the scoring in Taolu, as in gymnastics, varies depending on the difficulty of the routine.
Sanda, which will be played in a knockout format at the Asian Games, involves punching, kicking, throwing, wrestling and defensive techniques. The competition comprises of three bouts – the participant, who wins two of those will be declared the winner. The participant can also win via a knockout of his/her opponent.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 45
INDIA’S CHANCES
China, with 65 Wushu medals spanning seven editions of the Games, is the most dominant nation. But India has won three medals in Wushu at the Asian Games. And, they recently won a silver and a bronze medal at the Pars Cup Wushu Championships in Iran. So, there’s hope that the 13-member Wushu team will bring home a medal or more from Jakarta.
Sambo
WHAT IS IT?
This is a medley of many martial arts – judo, jujitsu, savate et al – from over the world. It was developed in the 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand-to-hand combat. It has since branched out to three different forms – sports Sambo, beach Sambo and combat Sambo (which resembles modern mixed martial arts).
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
The Asian Games has four categories (distinguished by weight) – two each for men and women – of sport Sambo. All competitions take place by direct elimination with a repechage for those
athletes eliminated by the four semi-finalists. A match consists of a five-minute bout (four minutes for women and three minutes for repechage rounds) where opponents try to outdo each other through a series of holds and throws.
NO OF MEDALS ON OFFER: 18
INDIA’S CHANCES
India’s sending a six-member team (two men and four women) to win a medal in a sport that’s going to debut at the Asian Games.
