Punters who enjoy gambling on team sports may find that the concept of betting on Kungfu and other martial arts is atypical. But for those who combine a passion for these sports with the desire to bet on possible outcomes, checking out top online MMA betting sites can only be a good idea.
Introduction
Martial science was commonly used in the East of Asia in the 70s to refer to any fighting arts carried out by the locals. About the same time, the term Kung Fu was introduced during the so-called “chopsocky” era when the legendary Hong Kong martial arts actor Bruce Lee began gaining popularity. Over the years, Kung Fu and many other forms of martial arts have crossed the boundaries of the Asian continent, meeting millions of practitioners and even more fans across the globe. Today, the UK has some of the most visited online betting sites for MMA, making it a highly competitive market for punters. If you would like to know more about the origin of Kung Fu, check here.
Types of Martial Arts to Bet On
Of course, if you’re going to spend your money on MMA betting, one of the least things to do is to have an idea of the various types that exist. As you’ll discover soon enough, what mainly distinguishes martial arts is the combat style involved.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art also called quanfa and wushu. It has many sub-forms, each having specific principles and techniques. However, the outstanding features of Kung Fu are its trickery nature and extremely fast moves.
Boxing
Boxing is one of the oldest and most practised martial arts. The sport uses kicks and punches in addition to head movements to deliver an efficient striking system. Owing to how much physical strength is put into boxing, it is considered one of the best combat sports for self-defense.
Judo
Judo is a martial art that started in Japan and has been practised as an Olympic sport since 1964. Also known as jacket wrestling, Judo was created by Jigorō Kanō and involves throwing one’s opponent to the ground and immobilizing them.
Today, these three martial arts are the commonest you can find at any top bookie in the UK. If you’ve been into sports betting for a considerable time now, you probably know that the types of bets available can greatly vary from one sport to the other. To make the most of your betting session, it might be a good idea to know what the bookies are offering.
Types of Bets in Kung Fu
What makes Kung Fu betting possible is the ability to predict what event can occur anytime after combat has started. Like in any other sport where bets can be placed online, Kung Fu brings a wide variety of markets for both pre-bets and live bets. A few of these bet types are discussed below.
Moneylines
Moneylines are one of the easiest bets to place on Kung Fu and other martial arts sports. Such a bet simply determines which of the two fighters will win the combat. Like in all sports, betting on a winner depends on a few factors. The underdog often has better odds which can be tempting but you must consider the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter. You also want to check on the fight arena and any extra efforts that a fighter may have to put in to meet their opponent’s weight class.
Total Rounds
When you do not want to take the risk of predicting who the winner will be, you can wager on how long a fight will last. Typically, each fight is made of three rounds of five minutes each except during the World Championship where there are five rounds of five minutes each. In the case of three rounds, for example, a Total Rounds bet of 1.5 means you’re betting that a winner will be declared before the second round.
Winning Method
The winning method is a bet type specific to martial arts and other combat sports. In MMA generally, there exist three methods for obtaining a victory: submission, knockout, and judge decision which is based on points scored. In other words, you’re not interested in who will win but rather in how they win. In Judo, for example, an Ippon is a knockout where the opponent is thrown to the ground on their back. This carries the highest possible winning score in Judo and closes the game even if it has lasted only a few seconds.
Parlays
The principle of placing parlay bets in Kung Fu is the same as in any other sport. This implies wagering on the outcomes of many fights, with the bet paying only if all the individual events involved are successful. Parlays are combined bets where the odds of the events are multiplied to give a potentially higher odd. While this can be quite tempting, parlays are very risky as it takes just one lost event to blow it all up.
Red Card or Disqualification
All sports involve some level of physical contact and that’s one reason why players can be sanctioned for certain actions considered life-threatening or unacceptable. In martial arts which involves close contact, the rules guarding such actions are even more severe and fighters can easily get a red card. Here, it is at the referee’s discretion to decide whether an athlete’s gesture or repetitive fouling is worth a disqualification.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are probably the most difficult bets you can place as they call for more than just predicting who will win or how victory will be obtained. Will there be a point reduction; will there be a knockdown in the fight; will the fight go the distance? These are a few examples of the types of bets you can place under this category.
Futures
As the name goes, Futures are bets that can be placed weeks in advance with odds being frequently updated as the fight date approaches. A good future bet can be a wager on whether or not a defending champ will conserve their title by the end of a competition. Your bet will not be affected by how many fights they lose along the line so long as they are crowned champion after the final fight.
Live Betting
Live betting simply refers to all wagering that occurs anytime after the start of a fight. Here, you can bet on whatever markets the bookie still has open. Live bets can be ideal for anyone who wants to be guided by the real action taking place.
Now, you have an idea of the major markets available for Kung Fu and martial arts betting at UK sportsbooks, the time is right to show you exactly how to go about it.
How to Bet on Kung Fu
To bet on Kung Fu online, you can visit one of the sports betting platforms in the UK. One of the first things you want to do is sign-up for a betting account. From there, you can visit the sports lobby and check for MMA to see what competitions are ongoing and upcoming. By clicking on the specific tournament, you should see different market odds for each of the fighters. If you’ve got funds in your account, you can go ahead to place a bet on the outcome of your choice. Generally, you can bet on top Kung Fu competitions by depositing £10 or more at UK online betting sites.
Most Popular Martial Arts to Bet On
The martial arts sports world is a complete ecosystem with national-level competitions leading to international championships and World Cups. A few of the most followed events here are:
World Wushu Championship
Of all competitions, the World Wushu Championship is the largest martial arts event hosted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). It involves the Wushu Taolu which is a soft and hard complete martial art developed in 1949 and the Sanda otherwise known as Chinese Kickboxing.
World Kung Fu Championship
Abbreviated WKFC, the World Kung Fu Championship was first held in 2004 and occurs biennially at different locations. It is the official sport-for-all world-class Kung Fu event featuring thousands of competitors of all age groups.
Apart from these, other major martial arts events include:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship – UFC
- Australasian Kung Fu Tai Chi and Wu Shu Championships
- Chinese Martial Arts Tournament
- Golden State Wu Shu Championships
Kung Fu Betting Strategy
When betting on Kung Fu or any other martial arts, have it in mind that there exist a wide variety of fighting styles and technique which can often influence how a fight goes and how it is won. To stay ahead of evolutions in a fighter’s combat style, you can often refer to their pre-fight plans. During sparring sessions, the calibre of training partners is worth considering when assessing a fighter’s level of preparation. In other words, it can be a smart move to always have records of the fighters before major events as this could be an indication of their form.
Stay tuned for all your future queries on Kung Fu betting options as well as other international championships in martial arts. We’ll equally be updating our Kung Fu guide while bringing the Best UK Betting Sites for competitive odds, live bets, and a vast betting market. If it interests you to get guides on other sports such as golf, rugby, and baseball, we’ve got a dedicated team for each. For more info, feel free to visit our other talk forums: