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Knockout

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	Knockout
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	Topics Knockout Topic Home A knockout (also referred to as a K.O.) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sportCombat sport A combat sport is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagemen... s, such as boxingBoxing Boxing, also called Western Boxing, prizefighting or the sweet science , is a sport and martial art in wh... , kickboxingKickboxing Kickboxing is a generic term for a sporting martial art that, while similar to boxing, uses the feet as well as the hands fo... , Muay ThaiMuay Thai Muay Thai is the Thai name for a form of martial art practiced in several Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Ca... , mixed martial artsMixed martial arts Mixed martial arts is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to achieve dominance over one another by utilizing a w... and others sports involving strikingStrike (attack) A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause harm to... . A knockout is usually awarded when one participant is unable to rise from the canvasCanvas Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other functions where sturdi... 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 unconsciousnessUnconsciousness Overview Unconsciousness, more appropriately referred to as loss of consciousness or lack of consciousness, is a dramatic alteration ... ; that is, the person may literally be knocked out. A technical knockout (also referred to as a T.K.O.) is often declared when the referee or other judges (such as official ring physicianPhysician A physician is a person who practices biological medicine.... , the fighter himself, or the fighter's cornermenCornerman A cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length ... ) decide that a fighter cannot continue the match, even though he did not fail the count. BritishUnited Kingdom Summary The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... records refer to TKOs as either "retired", if the fighter refuses to continue, or "R.S.F.", for Referee Stopped Fight. 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. A basic principle of boxing is to defend against this vulnerability by keeping both hands raised about the face. A fighter who suffers a concussion and becomes unconscious from a strikeStrike (attack) A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause harm to... with sufficient knockout power 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 damageBrain damage Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells.... , with Alzheimer- or Parkinson's-like symptoms, and in severe cases may cause strokeStroke A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident, is an acute neurologic injury in which the blood supply to a part of... s or paralysisParalysis Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups.... . This is commonly known as becoming "punch-drunk". Because of this, many physicians advise against sports involving knockouts. As a winning outcome In boxingBoxing Boxing, also called Western Boxing, prizefighting or the sweet science , is a sport and martial art in wh... , a knockout occurs when a fighter is knocked down and does not get up within 10 seconds, as counted by the referee. Knockdown A knockdown occurs when a fighter touches the floor of the ring with any part of his body other than his feet following a hit. The term is also used if the fighter is hanging on to the ropes, caught between the ropes, or is hanging over the ropes and is unable to fall to the floor and cannot protect himself. A knockdown triggers a count by the referee; if the fighter fails the count, then the fight is ended as a K.O. A flash knockdown is a knockdown where the fighter hits the canvas but recovers quickly enough that a count is not started. See also Concussion Knockout power