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Will Smith vs Chris Rock: Did you know that Slap Fighting is actually a sport?

Will Smith vs Chris Rock: Did you know that Slap Fighting is actually a sport?
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Actor Will Smith has certainly broken the internet for quite an odd moment. Smith through a video that surfaced online was seen slapping comedian Chris Rock in what seemed a joke gone sour.

The interesting bit is that Smith’s slap was so methodical and well-timed that you would think he has been well trained. Well, far from the jaw-dropping moment at the Oscars stage, is a sport where people get trained and paid to slap each other. It’s called Slap Fighting.

Slap fighting is a combat sport, or at least, a self-proclaimed combat sport. The origins of the sport are rather blurry but the concept itself has been a long-time practice. The era of modern slap fighting popularity was ushered in by Russian tournaments that pitted competitors against each other in competition. Winners of these tournaments would receive prize money, respect, perhaps a title belt or trophy.

Vasiliy Khamotisky, better known as “Dumpling”, is one of the most well-known competitive slappers from around the world. He gained popularity through his massive slapping power that incapacitated his opponents.

Through social media outlets like YouTube, competitive slap fighting grew to become an international phenomenon. In the United States, SlapFIGHT Championship, a competitive slap fighting organization was born in 2014 and is currently headed by CEO JT Tilley.

The rules of the game are simple – two men stand face to face and take turns slapping one another. With bare hands and no head protection – the competitors take turns to slap one another – hard – around the face.

Each man has five attempts at slapping his opponent down. After that, a judge decides who fared better, and the winner proceeds to the next round.

To maintain balance after being slapped, competitors hold on to a sturdy stand that is placed between them – but often extra help is required to keep them on their feet.

The rules state that only the upper part of the palm can be used to strike only the cheek, without touching the jaw, temple or ear of the opponent. Evading the slap is also a foul.

If a competitor commits two fouls he loses the match. But fouls do occur, and some competitors are knocked out on the first blow.

Smith sent the social media world into a frenzy after storming onto the Oscars stage and slapping host Chris Rock across the chops after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star then casually returned to his seat while everyone in attendance watched on in horror.

Online fans have now called upon Slap Fighting Championship officials to sign Smith to the promotion. The recently-formed combat sport has already gained huge traction with big-name figures such as Arnold Schwarzenegger jumping onboard.

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