A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat. The submission is commonly performed by clearly tapping the floor or the opponent with the hand or sometimes with the foot, to signal the opponent and possibly the referee of the submission. The submission can also be verbal, during which the fighter verbally informs that he is giving up. In some combative sports where the fighter has cornermen

Cornerman

A cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length of a bout. The cornerman remains outside the combat area during the fight, but in proximity, and can assist the fighter through instruction...

, the corner can also stop the fight by "throwing in the towel", which may count as a submission.

Causes of submissions

Depending on the combat sport, submissions usually occur when:

• The fighter has suffered an injury and decides not to continue.

Example: The corner throws in the towel during the break between rounds in boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 when the fighter has suffered a broken rib

Rib

In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...

.

• The fighter is put in a pinning hold and cannot escape.

Example: The fighter submits in judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

 sparring matches when he is put in an inescapable pinning hold such as the Kata-Gatame

Kata-Gatame

Kata-Gatame is one of the seven mat holds, Osaekomi-waza, of Kodokan Judo. It is also one of the 25 techniques of Danzan Ryu's constriction arts, Shimete, list. In grappling terms, it is categorized as a side control hold...

.

• The fighter is put in a submission hold, and submits because the pain
  Pain
  Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
  
   is too intense, or to avoid injury or losing consciousness.

Example: The fighter is put in an omoplata or an armbar in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...

.

• The opponent is effectively overwhelmed by striking
  Strike (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 an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes...
  
  , and the fighter submits to avoid being knocked out
  Knockout
  A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
  
   or injured.

Example: The fighter has been mounted

Mount (grappling)

The mount, or mounted position, is a dominant ground grappling position, where one combatant sits on the other combatants torso with the face pointing towards the opponent's head. This is very favourable for the top combatant in several ways...

 by the opponent in a mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

 competition, and is subject to overwhelming ground and pound.

Technical submission

A technical submission may occur when the referee or doctor stops the fight because a fighter has sustained an injury or becomes unconscious while in a submission hold. An example would be a fighter's arm breaking in an armbar, or a fighter passing out in a choke hold. In both cases the fighter refuses to tap and an official decides that the fighter can not safely continue to fight. Such a match outcome may be called a technical submission or a technical knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

 (TKO) depending on the rules of combat used for the match.

See also

• Submission hold
• Submission wrestling
  Submission wrestling
  Submission wrestling or Combat wrestling in Japan, is a formula of competition and a general term describing the aspect of martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission using submission holds...