What do you get when you put football, martial arts and a dash of basketball together? Combaton!! That’s right ladies in Gentlemen, Combaton the martial arts team sport. I had the opportunity to watch the first event of the year on January 12, 2008 at McArthur High School in Hollywood Fl.

The game is played on a rectangular field 100 feet by 200 feet with six players on each team for out door, or in this case on a field 50 by 100 feet with three players on each of the two teams for indoors. It’s similar to American football, but instead of blocking and tackling, the player uses martial arts kicks to contact their opponent. The object of the game is for the offense in possession of the baton to kick out the defense’s goal pole from its mount in order to score points for their team.

FaceOff for Baton Possesion

An opening attack is used to begin the game and after each successful score on the goal pole. Both teams line up on their respective Strike Zone Lines. An official sounds an air horn to start the attack and both teams charge each other (similar to a kickoff in football). The baton can be thrown one time during the opening attack. Once the baton carrier (also known as the “Shooter”) is stopped, a line of scrimmage is established and the offense gets 3 attacks (plays) in which to get down field and score on the defense’s goal pole. The offense can throw the baton one time during each attack when going down field, but can hand off as many times as needed. If the baton is passed and no one touches it before hitting the ground, then the baton is dead and the attack has ended. If the baton touches either an offensive player or defensive player and hits the ground, then the baton is live and can be played.

#23 Clears the Way with a Kick

Like football, instead of blocking and tackling, players kick each other in order to move down field. Players can punch but only in the torso. Target area for kicking is the front and sides of the torso and head. In order for the defense to stop the offense, they must kick the shooter in a target area of the torso or the head. If the kick is powerful enough and strikes the target area solidly, the officials will blow their whistle and the attack will end. From that point a new line of scrimmage is established where the shooter was stopped. The next attack can begin after the official hands over the baton to the offensive team.

When the referee hands the baton to the offensive player, the offense has up to 20 seconds in which to initiate the attack. In order for an attack to begin, an offensive player must cross the line of scrimmage which will trigger an air horn that signals the attack has begun. If the shooter of the offensive team makes it into the Strike Zone (the area between the end boundary line and the Strike Zone Line), they are awarded with a full clip of three more attacks. If they were any attacks remaining in the clip, they are void. Once players enter into the Strike Zone they can throw and grapple with their opponent after kicking their opponent twice in succession.

Within the Strike Zone area, the baton can be passed as many times as necessary. Like basketball, the benefit here is to help open up a hole so that the shooter can have a path to score on the Goal Pole. Only the player holding the baton can score points when kicking the goal pole. Scoring is as follows. THREE POINTS for any standing kick (one foot on the ground); FOUR POINTS for any flying kick up to 180 degrees (no foot touching the ground); FIVE POINTS for any kick that spins 360 degrees.

The teams who competed in the sport were the Lake Mary Samurai’s; Port Richey Spartans; Spring Hill Ninjas; Miami Lion Hearts; and the Pembroke Pines Tigers. One of the more memorable games of the day was the Pembroke Pines Tigers vs Port Richey Spartans female 14-16 years old division. The two teams scored a consecutive four times on the opening attack. Finally Hailey Lewis, Desiree Valle and Diamani

Gibson were able to pull away and win the game with a final score of Tigers 29 Lion Hearts 12.

Tournament II will be held on February 23^rd at Lyman High School Gym in Long wood FL. (North of Orlando)

Other Results

• Division 1 (adult male) Playoff Game

Samurai 26 Ninja 9

• Division 1 Semi-Final:

Ninja 12 Tigers 4

• Division 1 Semi-Final:

Samurai 10 Spartans 0

• Division 1A (adult Female)

Tigers 6 Spartans 0

• Division 2 (Boys 14 to 16)

Samurai 16 Ninja 7

• Division 2A (Girls 14 to 16)

Tigers 29 Spartans 12

• Division 3 (Boys and Girls 11 to 13)

Spartans 13 Tigers 0

• Division 4 (Boys and Girls 9 to 10)

Tigers (Squad 1) 8 Tigers (Squad 2) 3

For more information on combaton log on to www.combaton.com.