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:''KO redirects here. For other uses, see Ko. For other uses of knockout, see Knockout (disambiguation).''

A 'knockout' (also referred to as a 'K.O.') is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking. A knockout is usually awarded when one participant is unable to rise from the canvas within a specified period of time, typically because of fatigue, injury (serious or temporarily incapacitating, e.g. a bleeding cut above the eye can blind a fighter), loss of balance or unconsciousness.
A 'technical knockout' (also referred to as a 'T.K.O.') is often declared when the referee or other judges (such as official ring physician, the fighter himself, or the fighter's cornermen) decide that a fighter cannot continue the match, even though he did not fail the count.^[1] British records refer to TKOs as either "retired", if the fighter refuses to continue, or "R.S.F.", for Referee Stopped Fight.

Contents

Physical characteristics

As a winning outcome

References

Physical characteristics

There is actually very little known about what exactly causes a knockout but many agree it has to do with minor trauma to the brain stem. This usually happens when the head rotates sharply, often caused by a strike. A common misconception is that a knockout is caused by compression put on the carotid arteries in the neck restricting blood flow, but this is in fact how a choke out works. ^[2] A basic principle of boxing is to defend against this vulnerability by keeping both hands raised about the face.
If a fighter suffers a concussion and becomes unconscious from a strike with sufficient knockout power, he or she is referred to as having been ''knocked out'' or ''kayoed'' (''KO'd''). Losing balance without losing consciousness is referred to as being ''knocked down'' ("down but not out"). Repeated blows to the head are known to gradually cause permanent brain damage, with Alzheimer-like symptoms, and in severe cases may cause strokes or paralysis. This is commonly known as becoming "punch-drunk". Because of this, many physicians advise against sports involving knockouts.^[3]

As a winning outcome

In boxing, a knockout occurs when a fighter is knocked down and does not get up within 10 seconds, as counted by the referee.
In mixed martial arts, the definitions of knockouts and technical knockouts vary according to organization and jurisdiction. According to its publicized rules, the Japanese PRIDE FC promotion does not declare 'knockout' as an official type of victory, but rather only technical knockouts when the referee considers a fighter unable to continue^[4]. Under New Jersey's ''Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts'', which has become the ''de facto'' standard of MMA rules in the United States, a knockout is defined as a "failure to rise from the canvas"^[5]. In Pancrase, a knockout is declared when the competitor loses consciousness, and a technical knockout when the referee or judges consider a fighter unable to continue the match^[6].

References

1. Sugar, Bert. Boxing. ''www.owingsmillsboxingclub.com''. URL last accessed March 4 2006.
2. Margaret Goodman, MD Ringside and training principles URL last accessed June 20 2006
3. Lieberman, Abraham. Causing Parkinson: Boxing, Brain Injury. ''www.liebermanparkinsonclinic.com''. URL last accessed March 4 2006.
4. PRIDE FC official website. Pride Rules. ''www.pridefc.com''. URL last accessed March 4 2006.
5. New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. Mixed Martial Arts Unified Rules of Conduct Additional Mixed Martial Arts Rules. ''www.state.nj.us''. URL last accessed March 18 2006.
6. Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling official website. Pancrase official rules -2005 Edition-. ''www.pancrase.co.jp''. URL last accessed March 4 2006.