Griffonrawl Glossary

Last term was added on Saturday, September 10, 2005

Thai Definitions

Ajarhn: Respected teacher.
Bung : Block.
Ching: Percussion instrument.
Chok: Box (same as punch).
Choke Dee: Good luck.
Doi Lom: Shadow Boxing.
Haa: Five.
Ka: A polite particular used to denote the speaker as female(ex."Sawatdee-ka").
Kai: School.
Kao: Knee.
Kop Khun: Thank you.
Krop: A polite particular used to denote the speaker as male(ex."Sawatdee-krop").
Kru: Instructor.
Lumpini: One of the two largest stadiums built in Thailand for Muay Thai. First opened in 1956, it is ran by the Royal Thai Army.
Nahk Muay : Although it means "Thai fighter” loosely translated a Nahk Muay was to live by a code of conduct that included the four minds of Muay Thai: Gratitude, Patience, Diligence, and Solidarity.
Nai Kahnom D’Tom: Perhaps the greatest nak muay in history. He was taken as a POW in the sacking of Ayutthaya; the king of Burma granted his freedom if he could defeat the Burmese Champion. He did, and eleven other top Burmese fighters all in one night. The king was good to his word and granted Nai Kahnom D’Tom his freedom. Each year on March 17th fights are held in his honor.
Neung: One.
Pra Chao Sua: The “Tiger King”, one of the greatest fighter kings of old Siam; it’s said that he would disguise himself as a peasant and compete in local fights. Today’s modern style may have derived from this great monarch.
Rajadamnern : The first national stadium built for Muay Thai. First under construction in 1941, it had to wait until after the war in 1945 to open. In 1951 a roof was added. Located in Bangkok.
Sa Wat Dee: A greeting used when meeting and leaving ("To be prosperous").
Say: Four.
Som: Three.
Song: Two.
Tae: Round kick.
Teep: Thrust kick.

General Definitions

Achilles Lock: A popular submission foot lock/hold that can take many variations, but is ultimately dependent on manipulating and applying pressure on the heel and achilles tendon.
Amateur: One who engages in an activity as a pastime and not as a profession.
Armbar: A type of armlock typical of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in which the arm is hyper extended at the elbow in order to get an opponent to submit or "tapout."
Boxing: A traditional American sport / fighting style, boxing is dependant on using quick footwork and accurate punches. Although not considered a formal martial art, boxing's offensive/ defensive techniques and real world effectiveness are an invaluable part of mixed martial art's repertoire.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: A predominantly ground oriented martial art, which was originally derived from traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Introduced by the Gracie family of Brazil, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s popularity has spread due to its success in mixed martial arts contests. The art is heavily based around the development of numerous submission holds (mainly chokes and armbars), but emphasis is also placed on gaining and maintaining advantageous positions.
Capoeira: A Brazilian martial art created by African slaves. The maneuvers were disguised as gymnastic and dance-like to avoid persecution during the slaves revolt.
Catch Wrestling: A form of wrestling that incorporates submission holds.
Cauliflower Ear : An ear permanently deformed by injuries from repeated blows, as in boxing.
Champion: A person or thing that wins first place or is judged to be best.
Choke: A move blocking the carotid artery in the neck, restricting the passage of blood to the brain, failing to "tap" can put the victim into a temporary state of unconsciousness.
Clinch: A position in which two fighters are face to face, usually with their arms and upper body locked, performed either for a "breather" or to protect against strikes. Some fighters such as Wanderlei Silva, have mastered the art of the clinch for offensive purposes, throwing effective short punches and/or knees from this position.
Concussion: A violent jarring; an injury to an organ, esp. the brain, produced by a violent blow.
Courage: The quality of mind that enables one to face danger with self-possession, confidence, resolution; bravery.
Cut Man: The cut man helps stop the flow of blood from fighter's cuts by applying coagulants.
Dan Rawlings: Founder and Instructor of the GriffonRawl schools.
Decision: A victory in Boxing/Kickboxing/MMA/ETC when no knockout or submission has occurred. When the match goes the distance.
Dehydrate: To remove or lose water.
Double Leg Takedown: A takedown that is accomplished by driving an opponent up and forward by grabbing both of his legs (or ankles), which leads to both contestants going to the ground. An alternate version is the single leg takedown.
Fish-hooking: The act of "hooking a finger into an opponent's mouth or ears and pulling, much like a fish on a hook. This move is illegal in Mixed Martial arts competition.
Gladiator: A man trained to entertain the public by engaging in mortal combat in ancient Roman Arenas (Ex. the Coliseum) the ruin still stand in the heart of Rome, Italy.
Grappling: A general term used to describe wrestling and ground oriented martial arts.
Griffon: A fabulous beast with the head and wings of an Eagle and the body of a Lion.
Ground & Pound: A fighting technique, which involves taking an opponent to the ground and methodically punching him into submission. This technique necessitates power and good takedown ability. Two of the most famous "G & P" fighters are Mark "The Hammer" Coleman and Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr.
Headbutt: To strike an opponent using the head. This move was once legal but now banned from just about every mixed martial arts competition today.
Heelhook: A popular and dangerous submission hold, which is applied on the heel and then fully accomplished by twisting the knee at the joint.
Intimidate: To make timid; fill with fear. To coerce, inhibit, or discourage by or as if by threats.
Jeet Kune Do: The martial arts philosophy of Bruce Lee. It stresses simplicity and directness.
Judo: A Japanese martial art founded in the 19th century. A derivative of jiu-jitsu, both share some of the same history and techniques, though Judo has been refined as more of a sport (Striking is not allowed). Judo emphasizes throws and takedowns.
K.O.: An acronym for "knock out, " a term typically used in boxing. A "K.O." is the act of a fighter taking a hard strike (usually to the head) and temporarily losing consciousness.
Kickboxing: A martial art related to western boxing, but incorporating strikes with legs. Various styles of kickboxing exist with Muay Thai being the most popular.
Kneebar: A submission hold that hyper-extends the leg at the knee.
Mixed Martial Arts: A hybrid sport allowing participation by all martial art and hand-to-hand combat styles. As a result, participants must be well rounded in all techniques in order to be successful. Despite an inaccurate perception by general public, the safety of the fighters is paramount in mixed martial arts events and the sport has proven itself to be much safer for participants than boxing or American football.
Mount: With the knees straddling either side of the opponent, the top player can control the other's torso, and end the fight with strikes or a submission hold, all while remaining protected from his opponents strikes. When these three criteria (torso control, protection from strikes, and finishing opportunities) are present, the controlling player is said to have "Position".
Mouse: A dark swollen bruise around the eye.
Muay Thai: A form of kickboxing originating from Thailand. Unlike traditional kickboxing, Muay Thai allows low kicks, elbows, and knees and is considered among the elite of striking arts.
N.C.A.A.: National Collegiate Athletic Association
No Holds Barred: A popular term used to describe "mixed martial arts" events. Due to the evolution of the sport and implementation of safety rules, the term "no holds barred" is outdated but remains a popular term among fans.
Pancration: Pancration dates back to the ancient Greeks sport competition. Pancrase is the name of the organization founded by Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki in May, 1993 which produces the new professional "total fight" martial arts sport. Martial arts techniques used in the PANCRASE matches include Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Sambo, Karate, Kempo, Jiu-jitsu, and Thai Boxing. The pancrase cross logo, red indicates blood, and black indicates the complete collection of all Martial Arts, as the mixing of colors ends up creating black and the best techniques from all Martial Arts.
Professional: Engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood.
Rear Naked Choke: A type of choke that is applied behind an opponent, capturing his back. A rear naked choke is the most advantageous type of choke as far as positioning.
Reversal: Switching from being in a disadvantageous position to a superior one.
Ringworm: Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet, and the nails. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with worms. The name comes from the characteristic red ring that can appear on an infected person's skin. Ringworm is also called Tinea. If you develop ringworm see a doctor, you'll need fungus killing medicine.
Sambo: A Russian martial art that combines elements of wrestling and Japanese Judo. Sambo is especially vaunted for its leg submissions. One of the most famous practitioners of Sambo is the "Russian Bear" Oleg Taktarov.
Samurai: The Feudal military aristocracy or one of its members.
Shin Splints: The term shin splints refers to a painful condition that develops along the inside of the shin (tibia). The repeated running cycle of pounding and push off results in muscle fatigue, which may then lead to higher forces being applied to the fascia, the attachment of fascia to bone, and finally the bone itself. On a severe end of the scale the injury may progress from stress reaction within the bone to an actual stress fracture. Running on hard surfaces such as a pavement can cause shin splints to worsen. Certain distance running shoes are specifically designed to provide padding and support for endurance running. They help absorb shock and facilitate efficient energy transfer. Similarly, worn out shoes should be replaced early because of reduced shock absorbing capacity which can also cause shin splints. If you develop shin splints take time off from heavy runniing before the problem worsens.
Shootfighting: A term that refers to "real" fights (as opposed to matches that are "worked" or have a predetermined outcome). "Shoot fighting” also refers to a hybrid style that incorporates the elements of other martial arts; one of the most famous fighters to claim "Shootfighting" is Ken Shamrock.
Single Leg Takedown: A takedown that is accomplished by driving an opponent up and forward by grabbing one of his legs (or ankles), which leads to both contestants going to the ground. An alternate version is the double leg takedown.
Small Joint Manipulation: Any variation of submission holds which consists of twisting, popping, or hyper extending a small joint, such as fingers, or toes. Such holds are illegal in mixed martial arts competition.
Southpaw: A left-handed person.
Sportsmanship: Someone who observes the rules of play and wins or loses with grace.
Street Fighting: A loose "art" consisting of experience gained by fighting "on the streets." Unlike other martial arts, street fighting places opponents into realistic fight situations, but also exposes them to unnecessary danger.
Striking: The act of hitting an opponent with the arm, hand, elbow, head, foot, leg, or knee.
Submission Hold: A choke or joint manipulation that is meant to cause an opponent to submit or "tapout."
Submission Wrestling: A hybrid style of wrestling (with many variations) that is popular in Japan. This style combines portions of wrestling with submission holds.
Takedown: The act of putting your opponent on the ground (via tackle, sweep, Greco-throw, or other technique), typically involving the legs. This is a staple move of Jiu-Jitsu and "G & P" fighters, as they must get their ground - oriented fighting.
Tap/Tap Out: An act of submission or "giving up" in which an opponent, hopelessly captured in a submission hold or being pummeled by strikes, taps the mat or his opponent in lue of blacking out or risking bodily harm.
Thailand: Formerly Siam. A country of South East Asia on the Gulf of Thailand (Formerly known as Gulf of Siam) an arm of the South China Sea. The Capital is Bangkok.
Vale Tudo: Portuguese for "anything goes." This term is made in reference to the "no holds barred" fighting that began in Brazil.
Warrior: One engaged or experienced in battle.
Wrestling: An ancient sport that dates back to the dawn of man. Contestants use leverage and technique to accomplish takedowns and achieve and maintain advantageous positions, there are many variations and styles of wrestling. Although wrestling is not considered a formal martial art, its techniques for positioning and control on the ground are invaluable in the sport of mixed martial arts.